Press Releases

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has responded to a three crucially important proposals from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on: introducing a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers, reforming the UK producer responsibility system and introducing a plastic packaging tax.

The consultations were launched following their commitment to consult in their Resources and Waste Strategy which was published last year.

The Treasury Committee has published its final report on consumer’s access to financial services, calling for access to cash and consumer choice to be protected.

In the report, the Committee outlines its support of the recommendations made in the Access to Cash review, and expresses its concern about the rate at which free to use ATMs have been closing. The report states that without action, the UK risks inadvertently becoming a cashless society and that ‘for a large portion of society, including some of the most vulnerable, this would have stark consequences’.

The Scottish Government has announced today (8^th May) details of their plans for a deposit return scheme (DRS) in Scotland.

Based on the plans announced, the scheme would have a significant impact on small shops, with the Scottish Government mandating manual handling of returned packaging at small stores and ruling out an exemption for shops smaller than 280 sq m.  This is despite committing in their Programme for Government in 2017 to address specific difficulties that small retailers will have under as part of the design of a deposit return scheme.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed an announcement from energy regulator Ofgem of a strategic review of the microbusiness energy market.

Ofgem has launched a call for evidence seeking views and experiences from microbusinesses as a result of their concerns that some are struggling to find a better energy deal and may be paying more than they should.

ACS has welcomed the creation of a new group chaired by the Treasury which has been set up to safeguard consumers’ access to cash.

In addition to the new Joint Authorities Cash Strategy Group, which will bring together regulators, the Treasury and the Bank of England, the Government has committed to the following as part of its response to a call for evidence on cash and the digital economy:

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has launched an online template to help retailers respond to the Home Office’s call for evidence on violence and abuse against shop staff.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has responded to new figures published by Which? on the amount of cash machines being converted to charge fees, calling for urgent action to secure consumers’ access to cash.

Figures obtained by Which? show that fees of at least 95p per withdrawal have been imposed on 1,700 machines between January and March this year. Which? report that around three quarters of these fees have been introduced in March alone.

ACS has welcomed the publication of a new report from the Lords Rural Economy Select Committee which calls for more action to be taken to support rural shops.

The House of Lords Select Committee on the Rural Economy’s Report raises a number of concerns about the way that rural shops and other businesses are disproportionately negatively affected when it comes to policy and provision of services. Recommendations to the Government made in the report include:

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has responded to new figures from the Office for National Statistics’ annual Crime Survey for England and Wales, reiterating calls on retailers to report incidents of shop theft when they occur.

According to the ONS survey, which covers the whole of retail, the number of police recorded shop theft incidents for the year ending December 2018 decreased by 3% to 374,895 offences.

With less than six weeks to go until the introduction of Making Tax Digital rules, only one in four convenience store retailers know what they need to do comply with the changes.

From 1^st April 2019, all businesses with a taxable turnover above the VAT threshold (currently £85,000) must keep their VAT records digitally and use Making Tax Digital (MTD) compatible software to submit their VAT returns.