News

Shopworkers across England and Wales are being encouraged to report every incident of abuse when it occurs as part of a new campaign being launched today by the Home Office, retail businesses and retail membership organisations.

The 2019 Crime Report, published today by the Association of Convenience Stores, has revealed that crimes committed against the convenience sector cost an estimated £246m over the last year, equivalent to over £5,300 for every store in the UK, or what amounts to a 7p tax on every transaction.

But the report also found shocking new evidence of the human cost of violence and abuse against retailers and shopworkers, with a staggering 83% of people working in convenience stores having been subject to verbal abuse over the last year.

HM Revenue and Customs has confirmed that small retailers will be able to start applying for tobacco track and trace codes from 30^th April, just three weeks before the introduction of the regulations on May 20^th.

Today (22^nd March) marks the start of the Great British Spring Clean, which runs for a month until 23^rd April. ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is encouraging retailers to get involved with this year’s campaign.

Last year, over 370,000 people collected 650,000 bags of rubbish across Great Britain and this year the aim is to get over half a million people involved in the campaign.

There is now less than one week to go until the 2019 Crime Seminar! 

Taking place on 26th March at Church House in Westminster, the event provides retailers with the opportunity to ask the panels of leading industry experts about how to tackle crime in their stores.

Summit19 is an unmissable conference, bringing together leading figures in the convenience sector with industry experts from around the world to take part in a discussion about the opportunities for retailers and suppliers in convenience, both now and in the future. This year’s conference will address two critical questions facing the sector, in two business sessions:

ACS is calling on retailers to engage with their customers to help them recycle more and use less waste as part of Global Recycling Day.

Figures from the 2018 Local Shop Report show that 46% of independent retailers have introduced a voluntary charge for plastic bags, while 11% provide recycling bins for customers on site. Many retailers also arrange local litter picks and other activity to reduce waste in their community.

Book your place at Summit19, the definitive convenience event of the year.

Summit19 is an unmissable conference, bringing together leading figures in the convenience sector with industry experts from around the world to take part in a discussion about the opportunities for retailers and suppliers in convenience, both now and in the future. This year’s conference will address two critical questions facing the sector, in two business sessions:

In his Spring Statement today (13^th March), Chancellor Philip Hammond MP has confirmed that the Government will launch a review into the future of the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage after 2020.

The review of the international evidence relating to the employment and productivity effects of rising wage rates will be conducted by Professor Arin Dube and will consider the views of employers, trade unions, the Low Pay Commission and other stakeholders. The review will report to HM Treasury and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has responded to the Government’s latest consultation on tobacco track and trace regulations, reiterating concerns about the short lead times for implementation.

The consultation asks for views on the enforcement activity that will be introduced to police the track and trace system. In addition to concerns on the timeframes, ACS’ submission seeks clarification on the process for deactivation of identifier codes (which would effectively stop a retailer from selling tobacco in their business) if the regulations are breached.