News

The Association of Convenience Stores has reiterated its concerns about the impact that deposit return schemes would have on the convenience sector and overall recycling rates in a submission to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. 

In the submission, ACS highlights that deposit return schemes would have significant implications for the convenience sector, increasing queueing times, posing health and safety risks for staff, and reducing the amount of space available in store.

Independent retailers Kully and Sandy Sandhu hosted a visit with Nottingham North MP Alex Norris, discussing their concerns about deposit return schemes on retailers and the impact that the business rates revaluation had on their store.

The Nisa Heathfield store was established in 2011 after retailers’ Kully and Sandy converted the site from a derelict pub. The store currently employs 12 people and offers an extensive range of fresh produce, food to go, National Lottery and services such as Click and Collect.

The All Party Parliamentary Small Shops Group has confirmed Ruth George MP as its new chair at the group’s Annual General Meeting today.

Ruth George is the Labour MP for High Peak in Derbyshire, having been elected to Parliament in the 2017 General Election.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has called on the Government to take further action to ensure that local authorities distribute rate relief properly after it was revealed that over 100 authorities were yet to issue amended bills to businesses.

The list, published this week by the Department of Communities and Local Government, shows that as of 13 November, 110 local authorities have not rebilled businesses to reflect the £300m discretionary relief scheme announced in the Spring Budget earlier this year.

The Competition and Markets Authority has provisionally cleared the proposed merger between Tesco and Booker in a statement published this morning.

In its’ statement, the CMA finds that “the merger may not be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets for goods or services in the UK.”

ACS has outlined its support for Usdaw’s annual Respect for Shopworkers Week, highlighting the importance of crimes against retailers being taken seriously by local police forces.

Last week I was – along with about 70 retailers and suppliers – in Dublin looking at the much-heralded convenience store market in Ireland. We saw loads of great stores, but the thing that stood out more than anything else was the outstanding food to go offer in pretty much every site we visited. 

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed the government’s decision not to progress with plans to introduce a tobacco licensing scheme for retailers, following a consultation last year. However, the Government has warned that EU regulations to track tobacco product through supply chains could require some additional requirements for companies producing, moving, or selling tobacco.

ACS has welcomed a Government response to a Lords Committee report on the Licensing Act, setting out its plans to tackle alcohol related harm within the existing framework of the Licensing Act.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed figures released today by the Office of National Statistics which show a decline in the percentage of young people that get cigarettes from retailers.

The report published by ONS and the NHS, looks at the prevalence of smoking, drinking and drug use among young people (school pupils aged 11 to 15).