IRC member ACS Briefs Election Candidates
Posted on in Business News , Political News
ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is the voice of over 33,500 local shops consisting of a diverse range of convenience store retailers; they support their members through effective lobbying, comprehensive advice and innovative networking opportunities.
ACS has now briefed all prospective parliamentary candidates on the policy issues that affect local shops and invited them to engage with local shops during the election campaign.
ACS has set out that local shops will need support with rising employment costs, reform of the business rates system to incentivise investment, support with delivering essential services like Post Offices and ATMs and investment in policing and the justice system to reduce violence against shop staff.
During the campaign, ACS will be supporting retailers to host store visits with candidates in their constituency, to raise the issues that affect their stores colleagues and the day to day running of their business.
The list that ACS have put together includes:
- Increase Small Business Rate Relief thresholds and reform the business rates system to incentivise investment.
- Increase the Employment Allowance to offset rising employment costs.
- Maintain access to banking services and cash in local communities.
- Address the rising levels of business crime in local police and crime plans.
- Assess and account for the impact of new regulatory interventions on small shops.
- Level the playing field on tax and regulatory issues between online and high street businesses.
ACS are a member of the Independent Retailers Confederation (IRC), along with a host of other organisations that support independent retailers, such as The ACT and ActSmart. These organisations work together to create initiatives such as the Best Small Shops competition, which champions independent retailers.
For more information on running a store visit see ACS' store visit video here. You can listen to the ACS Team discussing what to expect during the election on the Local Shop Podcast here.