News

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has called for greater protection for access to cash, highlighting the role that convenience stores play in offering this service to their local communities.

New figures today (22nd July) from LINK, the UK’s main cash machine network, show that cash withdrawals from ATMs declined year-on-year across the UK's nations and regions in early 2019.

Figures from the 2018 Local Shop Report show that 46% of convenience stores offer a free to use cash machine, with 16% offering a charging cash machine.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has given oral evidence today (18^th July) to the Low Pay Commission, detailing the impact that rising costs from wage increases have on the convenience sector and raising concerns about future wage rates.

Minimum wages are expected to reach the Low Pay Commission’s target of 60% of median earnings by 2020, a rate which is currently predicted to be £8.62 for the National Living Wage. The Commission is currently consulting on its future remit post-2020.

ACS is calling on the Government to tackle violence against shopworkers as new police recorded crime figures shows a rise in violence.

The ONS Crime Survey for England and Wales published today (Thursday) has found an increase in violence resulting injury by 7% compared March 2018. The figures reinforce the findings of ACS’ Crime Report 2019:

New figures published today by the Home Office have revealed that just 7.8% of crimes reported in the last year resulted in a charge or summons for offenders, down from 9.1% in the previous year.

The Crime Outcomes in England and Wales report from the Home Office outlines the different ways that reported crimes are dealt with by police. Across all crime, 44.4% of investigations result in no suspect being identified, rising to 74.4% for theft offences.

The Government has today launched a consultation (17th July) looking to strengthen the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (Victims’ Code).

The Victims’ Code is a statutory document which sets out the minimum level of service victims can expect from criminal justice agencies, such as the police and courts. Chapter 4 of Victims Code sets out what business are entitled to when they are victims of crime, including:

The Association of Convenience Stores has urged Environment Secretary Michael Gove MP to re-think his support for an “all-in” deposit return scheme in England and Wales.  Speaking at Kew Gardens in London today, Mr Gove outlined his support for an approach that could require retailers to take back plastic, glass, metal, HDPE bottles and other containers as part of the proposed deposit return scheme, with no limits on the size of the container that can be returned.

Book your place at ACS’ Heart of the Community Conference taking place on Tuesday 15th October at One Birdcage Walk, Westminster between 10.45am-3pm followed by a Parliamentary Reception from 4-6pm.

Award-winning presenter and Political Editor for Good Morning Britain Ranvir Singh, will address the conference, providing political context and insight.

The Government has today (15^th July) launched a consultation seeking views on ways that the government and employers can take action to reduce ill-health related job loss. This includes looking at the threshold for statutory sick pay (SSP) eligibility, the flexibility of phased returns to work and the possibility of introducing a offering small businesses who help employees return to work a rebate.

Taking place today (11th July) this year’s Forecourt Conference heard from a number of industry experts about fuel retailing, changing consumer demand, policy developments and the future of the sector.

The first session, Future of Fuels, discussed the technological developments happening in the sector globally, exploring the move towards electric and alternative fuels and the implications that this has on forecourts and fuel retailing.

Small Business Minister Kelly Tolhurst MP has been confirmed to speak at the Parliamentary Reception following ACS’ Heart of the Community conference taking place on 15^th October in the heart of Westminister.