Press Releases

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has responded to the Work and Pensions Select Committee into the auto enrolment pension scheme, raising concerns about the impact of the plans on the smallest businesses and their staff.

The auto-enrolment process will see most convenience stores begin to enroll their staff in June 2015. Under the new law all staff must be automatically enrolled in a pension when commencing employment. Under the scheme employers will be required to pay 1% (rising to 3% by 2018) of the employees annual salary into the pension scheme.

Planning minister Brandon Lewis MP has admitted that Government does not monitor the effectiveness of planning rules designed to promote investment in town centres.

As part of an evidence session conducted by the Communities and Local Government Select Committee, the former high streets Minister  told the Committee that town centre first planning rules were a matter for local authorities to deal with as part of their local plans, despite fewer than one in seven actually having plans in place that comply with the NPPF.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) and the Federation of Wholesale Distributors (FWD) have pressed for more action to tackle duty fraud and the illicit trade in alcohol and tobacco at a meeting with Priti Patel MP, the Exchequer Secretary.

ACS is holding an EGM on 4 December at which it will ask members to vote on changes to its constitution to allow any convenience store operator to become a member of the Association.

ACS Chairman Jonathan James said: “As the market changes, we have found that our current constitution excludes many potential members, including franchises run by major multiples with independent retailers.  The ACS board agreed that these changes are necessary to ensure ACS is a broad-based, inclusive and effective organisation moving forward.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores), the trade association representing over 33,500 local shops, has announced two new appointments as part of a restructure of its public affairs and communications team

Edward Woodall has been appointed as Head of Policy and Public Affairs and will lead ACS work across a portfolio of high profile issues. Ed has worked for ACS for five years, successfully leading ACS interventions in the high streets debate, Sunday Trading and crime policy. Ed has also overseen the significant growth in ACS public affairs profile.

UK convenience store retailers have invested more in their staff over the last three months than at any time since the start of 2012, according to new research from the Association of Convenience Stores.

Research conducted by ACS has shown that for the first time since the start of the Voice of Local Shops Survey, there are more retailers that have increased the number of staff hours in their business than those who have decreased hours. In addition, the business performance of convenience stores is at its highest ever level in the survey’s history.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has submitted evidence to the Low Pay Commission, calling on the commission to carefully assess the impact of the rate rise on small retailers.

In its submission, ACS notes that according to a survey of retailers, increases in the minimum wage correlate with a negative effect on business competitiveness. 56% of retailers stated that NMW rises have made their business less competitive.

Local shops have responded to recent announcements on the minimum wage, calling for politicians not to undermine the decision making process of the Low Pay Commission.

At the Labour Party’s annual conference, Mr Miliband pledged that the minimum wage would rise to £8.00 an hour by 2020. The current minimum wage rate is due to rise to £6.50 next month.

ACS has welcomed the proposed consolidation of minimum wage regulations as an important step in ensuring that retailers understand how the laws on the national minimum wage affect their business.

MPs have raised question about the effectiveness of the planning system to direct new retail investment in town centres during an oral evidence session on the National Planning Policy Framework.  John Pugh MP for Southport and member of the Communities and Local Government Selection Committee referenced ACS’ (the Association of Convenience Stores) report ‘Retail Planning Decision Under the NPPF’ during the evidence session.