This page includes updates from supplier members of ACS, including resources for retailers to help with the response to the Covid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak.
For more information about Supplier membership, please contact Will Nelson at [email protected].
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Camelot Retailer Hub
Camelot is urging retailers to use its retailer hub to get the latest information on how their National Lottery business might be affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
Advice for Selling National Lottery During Coronavirus Crisis
Now, more than ever, The National Lottery can play a critical role in supporting our communities as we all face the challenge of Covid-19 together. Up to £300m raised by National Lottery players will be helping to fund vital work in local communities at a time when it's need the most.
National Lottery players are encouraged to buy their tickets in retail as part of their essential shop.
Please find guidance below on supporting the safe sale of The National Lottery throughout the Coronavirus crisis.
KEEP SALES QUICK & SAFE
1. Offer a fast service - use a LUCKY DIP
2. Input a regular player's numbers via MANUAL ENTRY through the terminal
3. Offer ADVANCE PLAY - minimise the number of times players need to visit you
PAYING PRIZES SAFELY
1. Remind players they have up to 180 DAYS to claim their winnings
2. Ask players to use THE NATIONAL LOTTERY APP to check winning tickets before coming to store
3. Prioritise HAND HYGIENE when handling Scratchcards & cash*
Follow government guidance; frequently clean and disinfect objects and surfaces that are touched regularly, using your standard cleaning products**.
Message from Nigel Railton, Camelot CEO:
To our National Lottery retail partners,
In these exceptional times, I wanted to say a huge thank you to you and your colleagues for your support, both in the past but particularly at the current time. The Covid-19 crisis has thrown new challenges at us on an enormous scale and I firmly believe that we can meet that challenge by working together.
As the retail sector finds itself under great pressure, this has raised some questions about the sale of National Lottery products - so I thought it would be useful to provide you with some context. The National Lottery was set up by Parliament back in 1994 to raise money for Good Causes and, as you know, each ticket sold raises vital funds for people and projects across the UK. This funding has never been more crucial than it is now, as The National Lottery plays its part in helping the country respond to, and recover from, the Covid-19 crisis. It is for this reason that The National Lottery Community Fund recently announced that up to £300 million will be used to support the most vulnerable in communities across the UK. This is the largest funding response to Covid-19 in the UK, outside of central government.
And with more funding still to be announced, thanks to National Lottery players, hundreds of millions of pounds will be distributed to charities and local voluntary organisations over the next few months to help support people during this difficult time - from helping support food banks, to causes that combat loneliness and isolation, support for the elderly and projects that support health in the community.
I know that for you and your business, your priority will of course be the well-being of your teams and maximising safety in your stores. Our retail team is here to answer any questions that you may have on this, including safe ways to play our games and claim prizes in retail - this includes paying prizes onto debit cards where possible and offering players a Lucky Dip, as it minimises contact with players and speeds up the process. Importantly, we are encouraging National Lottery players to buy their tickets in retail only as part of their essential shop.
On behalf of everyone at Camelot, I would like to thank you again for everything you do to support us and The National Lottery.
All my very best wishes and please stay safe and well.
Nigel Railton
CEO, Camelot
QueueCheetah Connect
QueueCheetah Connect is a simple app to help you stay in control of updating your customers about important news. Find out more at queuecheetah.com
Exclusive ACS Members’ offer from Ubamarket
In celebration of Ubamarket’s Sponsorship of the Association of Convenience Stores, we are delighted to offer all ACS members who wish to offer the Ubamarket, Scan, Pay & Go app to their customers, our groundbreaking new Artificial Intelligence module which will automatically ‘learn’ your customers’ shopping habits and preferences, for free!
As well as all the other revolutionary things it does, the app will then start to promote specific items to specific customers, presenting them with relevant offers and drawing them in to your stores more frequently.
If you’re interested in offering the “World’s most sophisticated Retail app” to your customers this year, and would like to take advantage of our revolutionary new AI platform, then please do contact us and we’ll talk you through it!
Due to the current unprecedented circumstances many retailers are now integrating and are planning to launch the app in the summer. We would therefore be delighted to extend this exclusive ACS offer right thorough to 31st August 2020 and, until then, we will operate on a first come, first served basis. Try the demo app today on www.ubamarket.com
Electromech: A quick and easy way to improve your business green credentials…….
The hot topics these days are all about sustainability and saving the planet. We all want to do something about it and every little helps. Unfortunately sometimes it’s easier and more convenient to replace rather than repair.
At Electromech ECS, part of Micro Electronic Services, we want to help you improve your green credentials by offering you a service that could save you money.
Having been established for over 30 years, we are a leading repair and service centre that specialises in the business of providing a repair and refurbishment service for the Retail Market.
So next time your EPOS, PC, monitor, printer, power supply, cash handling equipment, electrical or electromechanical parts fail or need updating, contact us to repair rather than replace. At the sometime you’ll be improving your green footprint and doing that little bit extra to save our planet.
Our team of engineers are trained to a high standard and being ISO 9001:2015 accredited, our customers expect and receive a quality service.
For more information visit: www.microelec.co.uk
Reckoon
Reckoon is providing the feature, so people get the stock information of essential items around them. Every time you visit a super market or a corner shop to buy essential items, use the reckoon app to update the stock of milk, bread, and other essential items.
This will provide a way to the people/you searching for essential items to find out which shops has it available, rather than visiting multiple shops to find the items. Convenience stores can download the app and update their own inventory for essential items.
Retailers can register their interest here: https://forms.gle/8ZoxgY6prXTD2qXF8
APG Cash Drawer: Protective Screens to Prevent the Spread of Germs at Point-of-Sale
In efforts to assist with the current health and safety concerns associated with the Covid-19 crisis, APG Cash Drawer has released a solution for businesses to help maintain social distance as they continue to serve their customers. Guardiant™ is a robust and easy to install countertop screen designed to help prevent the spread of disease in any place of commerce that requires face to face interaction between employees and customers. Available in either a 3 panel or 1 panel format Guardiant™ is a simple and efficient way to offer an extra layer of protection, reducing the risk of virus transmission.
For more information and to view the full range visit: https://apg.cashdrawer.com/retail-guardiant-countertop-screen
