All ACS articles – Page 27
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News
ACS chief hails new primary authority partnership
Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman has heralded the benefits of ACS’s new primary authority partnership at a conference of business groups and local authorities. The ‘primary authority’ scheme, one of the first to be established in the country, is a new partnership between Surrey County Council and ...
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News
ACS welcomes measures in Small Business Bill
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has welcomed the publication of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill. Published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Bill aims to remove barriers to growth for small firms, strengthen the foundations for a sustainable recovery, and create jobs. Measures ...
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News
ACS calls for bag charge to include small businesses
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has called on ministers to include small businesses in plans to charge 5p for single use carrier bags, after legislation on the issue was confirmed in today’s Queen’s Speech. ACS public affairs director Shane Brennan said: “Compulsory carrier bag charging is a policy that ...
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News
ACS calls for planning curbs on out of town schemes
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has told MPs there is a need for stronger guidance and enforcement of planning rules to support high streets and curb the development of unsustainable out of town retail parks. The call came in its submission to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee ...
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News
ACS welcomes Ofgem proposals on mis-selling
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has welcomed proposals from energy regulator Ofgem to stop the mis-selling of energy products by third party intermediaries to small businesses. In its submission to Ofgem’s consultation on the regulation of third party intermediaries (TPIs), ACS has welcomed plans to introduce a robust code ...
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News
ACS launches underage sales guide
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has launched an ‘Assured Advice’ Guide to Preventing Underage Sales in England and Wales. It provides an easy to follow, product-by-product guide, establishing a simple, common approach to adopting the right company policy, training and effective record keeping. The Guide is the second part ...
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News
ACS alarm over alcohol licence fee plans
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has called for an urgent rethink of proposals which would allow councils to set their own fees in its response to the Government’s consultation on locally set alcohol licence fees. All the options for changing licence fees set out in the consultation would lead ...
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News
ACS welcomes sentencing consultation
The Sentencing Council’s Consultation on sentencing for Shop Theft offences and the retention of short custodial sentences has been welcomed by the Association of Convenience Stores. ACS chief executive James Lowman, said: “Shop theft is one of the biggest operational challenges local shops face, with 70% of retailers having ...
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News
ACS calls for urgent review into implications of plain packaging regulations
The Association of Convenience Stores is calling on the Government to undertake an urgent full assessment of the wider impact of standardised packaging on businesses, following the statement by Public Health Minister, Jane Ellison, that they are publishing regulations to introduce plain packaging in the UK. ACS has already written ...
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News
ACS backs inquiry call
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has welcomed a proposed investigation into the energy market, calling for action to make the market fairer and more competitive for local shops. The announcement made on Thursday March 27 by energy regulator Ofgem is to recommend an investigation of the market by the ...
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Analysis
James Lowman: ACS chief executive
We have had a run of major announcements affecting retail from George Osborne in his Budgets and Autumn Financial Statements, so by his standards the latest one was a low key affair. The compelling statistics were there: the economy is back in growth (2.4%) and the number of people unemployed ...
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News
ACS backs call for energy market investigation
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has welcomed a proposed investigation into the energy market, calling for action to make the market fairer and more competitive for local shops. The announcement made by the energy regulator Ofgem on Thursday 27 March recommended an investigation of the market by the Competition ...
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News
ACS welcomes decision to retain personal alcohol licences
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has welcomed the Home Office’s decision not to abolish personal alcohol licences. In its response to the consultation, the Home Office noted that it has “listened to the views received in response to the consultation, and in discussion with partners has decided not to ...
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News
ACS index reveals optimism among independent c-store retailers
Independent retailers are positive about their prospects on 2014, with the latest ACS Optimism Index showing its third consecutive quarter of improvement. However, the Index is part of a mixed set of results from the ACS Voice of Local Shops survey, conducted with over a thousand retailers in February 2014. ...
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News
ACS criticises minimum wage recommendation
Convenience stores’ representatives have expressed concerns over the Low Pay Commission’s recommendation for a 3% increase in the National Minimum Wage. Addressing a committee of MPs, business secretary Vince Cable said the Low Pay Commission had recommended a 3% increase in the minimum wage, which would take the adult rate ...
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News
ACS publishes report on crime
Theft cost convenience stores £44m and has risen by 4% in the last year, according to a new report by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS). The Crime Report 2014 sets out the impact of crime on the convenience sector and includes guidance to help retailers manage the cost of ...
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News
ACS calls for stronger action over energy contracts
The Association of Convenience Store (ACS) has responded to the publication of two consultations from the energy watchdog Ofgem, calling for more to be done to tackle problems faced by retailers when dealing with energy companies. Ofgem has published consultations on the issues of Third Party Intermediaries (TPIs) and rollover ...
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News
ACS warns over level of crime
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has urged ministers not to be complacent about the level of crime facing retailers, after the government’s latest survey showed a significant fall in the level of crime. The Crime Survey of England and Wales (CSEW) reports that overall crime levels fell by 10% ...
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News
ACS calls on Ofgem to limit backbills
The Association of Convenience Stores has written to the energy regulator Ofgem, calling for all energy suppliers to limit backbills to 12 months. In December, Ofgem published the results of an investigation into backbilling cases between 2012 and 2013, revealing that over the course of 12 months there had been ...
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Analysis
James Lowman: chairman ACS
There is a growing consensus that radical change to the business rates system is required. We have been arguing for a long time that if the government wants to see businesses investing and creating jobs, then it has to take clear steps to reduce the costs that stand in its ...