Press Releases

Today (18^th November) Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled a package of measures in his speech to the annual CBI conference which aim to “help business flourish”.

In his speech, Johnson announced plans for a fundamental review of the business rates system to reduce the burden on businesses.

Figures from the ACS 2019 Local Shop Report show that the convenience sector currently pays around £308m in business rates. 

Today (14th November) Which? revealed that there are over 250 communities across the UK that have poor ATM provision or no ATMs at all. A further 129 communities have access to only one ATM and 65% of these are charged cash machines.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has given evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee on the proposed regulations of a deposit return scheme in Scotland.

In the evidence session, ACS called for the Scottish Government to ensure that the regulations consider the impact on local shops, emphasising the operational, cost and time pressures that the draft regulations would have on the colleagues in store.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is supporting USDAW’s Respect for Shopworkers Week, highlighting the need for urgent action to tackle violence and abuse towards shopworkers.

Taking place between 11^th-17^th November, this year’s theme is ‘Keep Your Cool’, reminding the public that there is never an excuse for violent or abusive behaviour.

The Home Office call for evidence on violence and abuse toward shop staff closed in June and received over 800 responses from individual shopworkers, small shopkeepers, unions and business organisations.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is supporting the launch of a Charter to help make workplaces safer for employers and employees.

Launched on National Personal Safety Day (7^th November) ‘Suzy’s Charter for Workplace Safety’ was developed to help identify and mitigate personal safety risks in the workplace.

The Suzy Lamplugh Trust has worked with ACS and a wide variety of organisations, over the last year including unions, large and small businesses as well as the police and employees themselves to develop the details of the Charter.

Alongside ten other business groups, ACS has written to the Welsh Finance Secretary Rebecca Evans AM urging her to consider more frequent revaluations of business rates in Wales.

The joint letter calls for the Welsh Government to bring business rates revaluations forward to every three years rather than every five years to bring the nation in line with proposals in England and Scotland.

The eleven business groups represent a number of sectors including retail, hospitality, commercial property, construction, and leisure.

Home Office Minister Kit Malthouse MP has committed to a review of the £200 threshold for the police prosecuting shop theft offences after the General Election, as part of a debate on retail crime in Parliament today.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has written to the Minister of State for the Home Office Kit Malthouse MP, calling for an urgent response to the call for evidence on violence and abuse toward shopworkers ahead of a parliamentary debate on prevention of retail crime.

In the letter, ACS revealed that there has been an estimated 200,000 assaults and threats of people working in retail and wholesale sector since the Home Office’s call for evidence closed.

Retailers and wholesalers have written to HMRC calling for answers over concerns about ongoing problems with requirements under the track and trace regulations to scan and record the movement and sale of tobacco.

The letter, written by the Association of Convenience Stores and the Federation of Wholesale Distributors to the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, highlights serious concerns over range of issues that remain unaddressed with the introduction of track and trace rules for tobacco products. 

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has responded to a call for evidence from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to help inform the National Food Strategy, highlighting the crucial role that convenience stores play in providing food to their local communities.