Press Releases

First Minister Humza Yousaf has announced the Scottish Programme for Government which outlines the legislative priorities for the next parliamentary year.

Announced today (5th September) the programme includes plans to address vaping in Scotland both in terms of use of vaping products by nonsmokers and young people and tackling the environmental impact of single-use vapes.

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In a joint letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt, a coalition of businesses, charities and consumer groups, including ACS, have called for urgent action to protect cash as a critical payment method for both consumers and businesses.

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ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has called on energy regulator Ofgem to take urgent action to limit the way that suppliers can put non-domestic customers onto expensive deemed rates, as part of a wider ambition to make the market fairer and more transparent. 

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ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has announced the finalists of the 2023 Raj Aggarwal Trophy, marking the legacy of independent retailer and community champion Raj Aggarwal.

The trophy will be awarded to retailers who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to community retailing over the last year, supporting their colleagues, customers and fellow retailers.

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ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed new measures which have been introduced to protect free access to cash across the UK.

Announced today (18th August) under a new framework set out by the Treasury, consumers and businesses are set to be no further than three miles away from withdrawing cash.

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ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has launched a new campaign aimed at cracking down on rogue vape sales and supporting responsible retailers.

As part of the campaign, ACS has published new Challenge25 materials specific to vaping to help responsible retailers when serving customers. Challenging customers who look underage is one of the biggest triggers of abuse (ACS Crime Report 2023), so signposting retailers’ responsibilities can be an effective way of reducing the risk of confrontation. 

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ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has echoed concerns raised by the Co-op about the levels of retail crime over the past year and the impact that this has on local shops and the communities that they serve.

New data published today (27th July) from the Co-op has seen crime, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour jump 35% year-on-year, with more than 175,000 incidents recorded in the first six months of this year – almost 1,000 incidents every day.

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ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed a new consultation from energy regulator Ofgem, setting out a series of proposals to make the non-domestic energy market fairer, and for protections to be available to a wider range of businesses.

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The Association of Convenience Stores has welcomed an update from the Competition and Markets Authority on competition in the grocery market, reiterating the financial pressures that convenience retailers are facing with extraordinarily high costs.

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ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has responded to a consultation from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, calling for better regulation of the energy market and greater protections for small businesses.

In the submission, ACS has highlighted the need for tougher regulation of energy suppliers which will then in turn provide businesses with clarity on their billing, payment options, data transparency, contract terms, and termination.

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