News

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has called on the Government to provide more support for rural convenience stores as part of the levelling up agenda, highlighting the vital role that these businesses play to the economy and to their local communities.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is calling on people working in local shops to provide their views on employment in the convenience sector as part of its annual Colleague Survey.

Now in its seventh year, the ACS Colleague Survey is designed to:

Book your place at the launch of ACS’ 2022 Rural Shop Report, taking place virtually on Tuesday 25th January.

The launch event will explore the findings of the report, providing a comprehensive overview of rural shops in the convenience sector and the role that they play in communities across the UK.

DEFRA Minister for Rural Affairs Lord Benyon has been confirmed to speak at the launch and will outline the government’s vision for the rural economy, from supporting entrepreneurship, incentivising investment and meeting environmental ambitions.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has launched a new campaign to boost awareness of Challenge25 among consumers and support colleagues in local shops selling age restricted products.

Challenge25 is a long running successful policy created to support colleagues who are doing their job by enforcing the law on age restricted sales. The policy, which urges colleagues to check for proof of age for anyone that might look 25 or under, is most commonly used for alcohol purchases but also applies to all other age restricted products.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed the publication of correspondence from the Treasury Committee which sheds further light on the increasing cost of card payments for businesses in the UK.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is calling on people working in local shops to provide their views on employment in the convenience sector as part of its annual Colleague Survey.

Now in its seventh year, the ACS Colleague Survey is designed to:

ACS has hailed the incredible contribution of colleagues working in convenience stores across Wales as part of the launch of its 2022 Welsh Local Shop Report. 

There are almost 3,000 convenience stores in Wales, the vast majority of which are independent businesses trading at the heart of their communities. Despite ongoing supply chain disruption, challenges with the pandemic and turbulence in the labour market, Welsh local shops have continued to provide an essential service for their customers due to the incredible efforts made by the sector’s 25,000 colleagues. 

GroceryAid has launched its Winter Heating Grant to support low-income households meet the increasing cost of heating bills this winter. 

Applications for the grant are now open and you can apply for the grant if you meet the following criteria:

Back in the Summer I wrote a blog about the problems we were starting to see on staff absences, and how the testing and isolation notifications (the “pingdemic”) we were seeing would cause real problems in the supply chain and stores if not addressed. Sadly, I was proven right to a large extent and we sleepwalked into a Summer that was far harder than it needed to be.

Book your place at the launch of ACS’ 2022 Welsh Local Shop Report, taking place virtually on 12^th January, 10 – 11am.

This virtual launch event will explore the findings of the 2022 report, taking a look at the stores, people and services shaping local shops in Wales.

The event will include a speech from Economy Minister Vaughan Gething about the Welsh Government’s plans to support local shops and the Minister for Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths will talk about the positive impact of local shops on their communities throughout the pandemic.