Press Releases

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) and University of Surrey’s Department of Marketing and Retail Management have launched its 2021 Convenience Leadership Programme, building on the success of the first programme completed earlier this year.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has called on the Government to take action to protect the future of cash, highlighting the important role that cash plays in the lives of businesses and consumers.

ACS has briefed MPs ahead of today’s Westminster Hall debate on access to and acceptance of cash during the Covid-19 outbreak, making a number of key recommendations, including:

Book your place at the launch of ACS’ 2021 Welsh Local Shop Report, taking place online on 8^th December from 10am until 11am.

The launch event will provide a comprehensive overview of the convenience sector in Wales and explore the vital contribution that local shops make to the Welsh economy and the communities that they serve.

ACS research assistant Phoebe Clifford will present the findings of the 2021 Welsh Local Shop Report and explore how Welsh policymakers can support local shops in Wales.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is calling on retailers to share their experiences of retail crime over the last 12 months in the 2021 Crime Survey.

The survey examines the impact that crime has on the convenience sector, looking at how crime is affecting retailers, the number of incidents experienced and how much crime has cost businesses over the last year. The survey also considers the causes of these crimes and the measures retailers have in place to prevent crime in their stores.

ACS has welcomed proposed action from HMRC to tackle tobacco duty evasion, highlighting the impact that the illicit trade has on legitimate retailers.

The 12 week consultation, published today, is considering a range of measures to tackle the illicit tobacco trade, including:

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has called on the Treasury to ensure that alcohol duties are not determined by what kind of business the product is sold from.

The HM Treasury call for evidence on the alcohol duty system has been issued in response to the UK’s exit from the EU, and seeks views on a number of options to simplify and improve the current alcohol duty system, including:

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has responded to a HM Treasury call for evidence, calling on the Government to take urgent action to secure long-term access to cash.

In its submission, ACS makes a number of key recommendations, including:

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has responded to the Prime Minister’s announcement today of a range of environmental initiatives including confirmation that cars fully powered by petrol or diesel cannot be produced after 2030. Key measures announced include:

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has warned that the Government increase in duty rates on tobacco products will drive more consumers to the illicit tobacco market.

Announced today (12th November) the duty rate on all tobacco products will increase by 2% above Retail Price Index (RPI), hand-rolling tobacco will rise by an additional 4%, to 6% and the Minimum Excise Tax by an additional 2%, to 4% above RPI inflation this year.

The increase will take effect from Monday 16th November 2020.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has published an EU Exit Readiness briefing for the convenience sector to help retailers consider how their business may be affected at the end of the transition period on 31^st December 2020.

The EU-Exit Readiness Briefing covers three core elements for convenience retailers to consider: trading environment, workforce & people and regulations.