Press Releases

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed an announcement from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which will ensure that everyone in the UK will be able to request high speed broadband by 2020.

In the 2017 Rural Shop Report, ACS highlighted the problems that retailers – especially the 19,000 convenience stores in rural areas - face when trying to invest in their business with substandard broadband speeds and called for the Government to deliver the Universal Service Obligation at a minimum spend of 10mbps.

ACS has written to Nicky Morgan MP, chair of the Treasury Select Committee, calling for the Committee and the Payment Systems Regulator to carefully scrutinise LINK’s plans to reduce interchange fees for ATMs.

In the letter, ACS expresses scepticism at LINK’s claims that they intend to ‘retain an extensive network of free ATMs for consumers’, as a cut in the interchange fee would inevitably lead to a decline in the number of cash machines available for consumers.

ACS has welcomed Ofgem’s proposals to introduce a new 12-month backbilling limit for microbusinesses in response to their consultation on protecting non-domestic consumers who receive backbills.

The consultation follows ACS’ calls earlier this year for the regulator to take a more active role in protecting microbusinesses from lengthy backbills.

ACS has welcomed the announcement of a permanent small business rate relief scheme and the extension of extra support for high street retailers in Wales, but has raised concerns about the limits being imposed on the type of business that will be eligible for relief under the new system.

The Supporting Entrepreneurship Inquiry held its first evidence session in the National Assembly for Wales on 6th December, taking evidence directly from a range of Welsh Entrepreneurs and business organisations exploring how Government policy can support entrepreneurship.

The Inquiry is collecting evidence on the contributions that different types of entrepreneur make to the Welsh economy and looks to how best to support these entrepreneurs in the long-term.

Treasury Select Committee chair Nicky Morgan MP has raised concerns about the future of the UK’s cash machine network in response to comments from LINK Chair Sir Mark Boleat.

Reassurances were sought by Nicky Morgan after a consultation was published by LINK in November, proposing to reduce the level of interchange rates (the fee paid by card issuers to ATM operators) by 20% over the next four years.

ACS has written to Exchequer Secretary Andrew Jones MP, raising concerns about the impact of the upcoming tobacco ‘track and trace’ regulations on retailers.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed comments from Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP, Chair of the Treasury Select Committee, about the importance of the UK cash machine network and the potential impact that reductions in interchange fees could have on local shops and other small businesses.

Responding to today’s Budget James Lowman, ACS chief executive said : “Taken overall, this budget will have a net positive effect on local shops, which is good news for these important businesses and the communities they serve.”

ACS has welcomed the Chancellor’s action on more frequent business rates revaluations and moving annual indexation to CPI inflation, James Lowman said:

ACS is calling on retailers to share their experiences of retail crime over the last 12 months as part of the association's Crime Survey 2018.

The survey asks retailers to outline the number of incidents of crime they have experienced in their store, including shop theft, robberies and anti-social behavioural incidents. The survey also considers the causes of these crimes and the measures retailers have in place to prevent crime in their stores.

ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: