Press Releases

The National Living Wage will come into force today (1^st April) for all employees aged 25 and over. The new rate of pay for these workers will be £7.20 per hour.

The Chancellor announced the National Living Wage as part of his 2015 Budget without consultation with the Low Pay Commission, and has signalled his intention for the rate to reach at least £9 per hour by 2020.

The 2016 ACS Crime Report has revealed that crime against local shops is costing an estimated £122m, or £2,370 per store. On top of this, the average store is investing £1,379 in crime prevention. The total costs of crime and crime prevention equate to the cost of employing over 12,000 additional full time staff in stores.

ACS has welcomed the Chancellor's announcement that the small business rate relief threshold will be raised to £15,000 rateable value from £6,000.

In the Budget, the Chancellor also announced that from 2020, future business rates increases will be based on CPI rather than RPI, which should lead to less steep increases in rates bills for retailers.

Hours before MPs are set to vote on the future of Sunday trading regulations in England and Wales, the Government have published its impact assessment on the proposals.

ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “This so-called impact assessment does nothing more than reiterate the Government’s shoddy decade old evidence for change, whilst continuing to ignore the concerns of shop workers, retailers and consumers. For the Government to release this assessment mere minutes before the debate on Sunday trading is a disgrace.”

A group of organisations have issued Government with notice to legally challenge their decision to press ahead with proposals to change Sunday trading regulations.

The Government has been issued with a letter before action from the Keep Sunday Special group, setting out plans for a future Judicial Review on the proposals to devolve Sunday trading regulations to local authorities. The letter argues that the Government has not carried out a genuine, unbiased consultation process.

The key elements raised in the letter include:

ACS has branded a report published today by Grant Shapps MP as partial, unconvincing and based on old data that has already been discredited during the government's consultation on this issue. The report (http://www.shapps.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Sunday-Trading-for-the…) argues for extending Sunday trading hours.

ACS has called on MPs to reject an amendment tabled in the Enterprise Bill on Sunday Trading that will damage the economy and devastate small shops.

The Department for Business published its response to The consultation this morning, summarising over 7,000 responses in what amounts to a 12-page advocacy document for liberalisation.

Plans to devolve Sunday trading regulations to local authorities have been condemned by the Association of Convenience Stores as damaging to high streets.

Government have confirmed that they intend to press ahead with devolution of Sunday trading, despite widespread opposition from MPs on both sides of the House.

During the second reading debate of the Enterprise Bill this afternoon (Tuesday), Business Minister Sajid Javid announced that plans to deregulate Sunday Trading hours will be added to the Bill during Committee Stage.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has called on the Chancellor to reintroduce the Retail Rate Relief scheme for small businesses as part of a package of measures to help local shops and high streets.

In its submission to the Chancellor’s Budget on March 16^th, ACS has called for the following: