All ACS articles – Page 18
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NewsACS reiterates call for plastic bag levy to include small stores
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has welcomed comments from prime minister Theresa May indicating the government plans to extend compulsory plastic bag charging to small stores. Under the current regulations, a 5p charge is levied on all single use plastic bags by businesses that have more than 250 employees ...
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NewsACS welcomes comments on rates by Liberal Democrat leader
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has welcomed comments from Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable MP on the need to reform the business rates system. Speaking ahead of the launch of a report on the future of business rates later this month, he outlined his support for a commercial ...
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NewsACS welcomes regulator’s review of card payment services
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has welcomed the publication of terms of reference for a market review into the supply of card payment services from the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR). The review will look at the fees that are charged to merchants (retailers) by acquirers such as WorldPay, Barclaycard ...
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NewsACS welcomes LINK decision to cancel ATM fee cut
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has welcomed a decision by LINK to cancel an interchange fee cut expected in 2020 and review future reductions. The first reduction in interchange fees enforced by LINK of 5% (equivalent to 1.25p per transaction) took effect on 1 July, with the second 5% ...
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NewsACS calls for transparency over affects of ATM fee cut
The Association of Convenience Store (ACS) has told MPs LINK should be transparent about the application of its Financial Inclusion Programme, and the impact of its interchange fee cut on rural ATMs. It was giving evidence in Parliament to an inquiry by the All Party Parliamentary Small Shops Group, chaired ...
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Analysis
James Lowman: chief executive, ACS
In recent weeks, the Centre for Social Justice has published a report called Desperate for a Fix, focusing on tackling retail crime and calling for fresh thinking at a national and local level to find policies that can address the increases in theft and other crime that retailers have experienced ...
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NewsACS supports recycling pilot for on-the-go food packaging
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) is supporting a new pilot scheme to improve recycling rates of food and drink packaging on-the-go. #LeedsByExample is a campaign launched by environmental behaviour change charity Hubbub and recycling compliance scheme Ecosurety. The campaign aims to improve recycling rates on the street, in local ...
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NewsACS slams LINK as it presses ahead with ATM fee cut
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has condemned LINK’s decision to press ahead with reductions in interchange fees for cash machine operators, despite widespread opposition because of concerns that cash machines in rural and isolated communities could be lost as a result of the changes. LINK confirmed in January this ...
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NewsACS calls for targeted action to reduce impact of illicit trade
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has renewed its calls for targeted action at a local level, to reduce the impact of the illicit trade on responsible retailers. Its call followed publication of HM Revenue and Customs’ report on the prevalence of non-duty paid alcohol and illicit tobacco in the ...
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NewsACS gives evidence to inquiry into children and energy drinks
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has given evidence to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, which is currently holding an inquiry into the impact of energy drinks on children’s health. As part of the inquiry, the committee is looking at what current action is being taken on ...
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NewsACS welcomes report calling for new policies on shop theft
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has welcomed a new report from the Centre for Social Justice, called Desperate for a Fix, which highlights the close link between drug addiction and theft, and calls for new policies to tackle the £6.3bn annual cost of shop theft. Drug addiction drives up ...
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NewsACS welcomes Scottish Bill to protect shop workers
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has welcomed widespread support for a Bill in Scotland creating a new offence designed to protect shopworkers from violence. Over 90% of respondents to the consultation put forward by Daniel Johnson MSP supported measures to create new offences to deter harassment, abuse and violence ...
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NewsACS submits evidence to hand car wash inquiry
The Association of Convenience Stores (AC) has submitted evidence to an inquiry launched by the Environmental Audit Committee into the regulation of hand car washes, calling for better enforcement of existing regulations and the consideration of a licensing scheme. In the submission, ACS encourages the Environmental Audit Committee to consider ...
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NewsACS welcomes Welsh decision on deposit return scheme
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has welcomed the Welsh Government’s announcement that it will seek to work towards a UK-wide deposit return system for drinks containers in Wales. ACS is calling for detailed consideration of the role that retailers can play in such a scheme, including the challenges and ...
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NewsHappy staff are good for business, Lord Price tells ACS Summit
Those with the happiest workforces fare better in business, according to Mark Price, a former government minister and managing director of Waitrose – now a Lord. But the retail sector is next to the bottom out of 20 sectors surveyed for satisfaction and happiness. Addressing retailers at this week’s ACS ...
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NewsACS calls for tighter control of illicit trade
Recommendations on ways to tackle the illicit trade have been made by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) in response to the All-Party Parliamentary Illicit Trade Group’s call for evidence to inform its inquiry into the state of the illicit trade in the UK. ACS raised concerns about the impact ...
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Analysis
James Lowman: ACS chief executive
We recently published our annual Crime Report, looking at the overall scale and impact of crimes committed against the convenience sector, covering everything from staff theft and fraud, to robberies and ram raids. The headline figures paint a stark picture with almost a million incidents of shop theft reported by ...
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NewsACS reveals surge in shop thefts and violence in Crime Report
There has been a significant rise in the number of thefts from shops over the last year, and it is increasingly being linked to aggressive behaviour towards retailers and their staff, according to the Association of Convenience Stores’ 2018 Crime Report. Retailers reported that challenging shop thieves was the biggest ...
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NewsACS welcomes decision to bring forward business rates reform
A decision to bring forward changes to the business rates system, announced in the Chancellor’s Spring Statement, has been welcomed by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS). The Chancellor said he was bringing forward more frequent business rates revaluations to 2021, with revaluations every three years thereafter and confirmed that ...
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NewsACS chief invited to join new Retail Sector Council
ACS chief executive James Lowman has been invited to sit on a new industry-led Retail Sector Council set up by the Government. The council will meet regularly with industry to discuss the challenges the sector faces and provide advice to the Government. It will review how best retailers can adapt ...