ACS: The Local Shop Podcast

Chris is joined by Ed and Jordan to unpack the commitments made by the winning parties in the Scottish and Welsh elections and how they might affect local shops. 

Chris is joined by Paul, Daniel, Jordan and Rosie in the ACS team to look ahead to 2026 on some of the key areas that will affect the convenience sector, and the ways that you can get involved with our activity in the year ahead. Check out some of the resources mentioned in the episode below: Upcoming events: https://www.acs.org.uk/events/upcoming-eventsPolicy Tracker: https://www.acs.org.uk/web-portal/briefings-and-advice/policy-trackerCrime Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ACSCrime2026

Chris sits down with James and Ed to discuss what's coming in the Budget, looking at everything from business rates to crime, fuel duty and employment costs. 

We talk to John Clancy, co-founder and CEO of Galvia AI about how artificial intelligence can change the way that convenience retailers think about their businesses. Galvia AI is a sponsor of the ACS Innovation and NPD Showcase, taking place on October 21st at the National Football Museum. More information about Galvia is available here: https://galvia.ai/

The ACS Crime Report has revealed a new record level of shop theft, with over 6.2million offences committed in the last year. The report comes on the eve of the second reading of the Crime and Policing Bill, which aims to make a meaningful change to crime in communities. In this episode, Chris Noice is joined by Nisa head of retail Taranjit Dhillon, independent retailer Ben Salvaratnam, James Lowman and Ed Woodall to discuss the findings of the Crime Report and what strategies work in local shops to reduce crime in the future. 

Chris and James talk through the impact of the main announcements in the new Labour Government's first Budget, including employer National Insurance Contributions, business rates, and a new commitment on tackling shoplifting. 

Chris, James and Ed talk through the commitments made in the manifestos released this week from the main parties looking to count on your vote at the General Election.  We cover how the parties stack up on key issues like crime, business rates, employment and public health. Get the latest from the campaign trail at the ACS Election Centre online at ACS.org.uk

James is joined by Gareth Evans from Spectra, Phil Ponsonby from Midcounties Co-operative and Anna Butcher from John Lewis to discuss how convenience retailers are working with the underutilised parts of the workforce, including ex-military, prison leavers and care leavers, to provide important career opportunities. 

We react to the news that the General Election will be held on July 4th after a surprise announcement from the Prime Minister. Plus, what does the election mean for legislation that's currently working its way through parliament, and how can you get involved with the campaign by hosting a store visit with candidates. 

In this special episode of the Local Shop Podcast, Chris is joined by Susan Nash and Alisdair Hamilton from Mondelez to talk about the history of the Cadbury business and how Mondelez is supporting independent retailers in 2024 and beyond.Retailers, go to https://www.snackdisplay.co.uk/ for more info!

Chris is joined by James and Ed to talk through the raft of measures that the Government has announced on the vaping category in recent months, the impact that they will have on retailers, and what we might expect next. Retailers can get in touch with their MP about the impact of the disposable vape ban via the ACS website at https://www.acs.org.uk/disposable-vapes-ban

Guest host Sarah C Johnson is joined by leading retailers Sunita Aggarwal and Charlotte Dant to discuss International Women's Day, the Women's Independent Retail Network and much more! 

Chris is joined by James and Ed to discuss the big announcements from the Chancellor's Budget. P.S. We had some audio issues with this recording, so please bear with us! This is a temporary issue that will be fixed next time around. 

Chris, James and Ed preview the upcoming Spring Budget and discuss the latest developments on the disposable vapes ban. 

James sits down with Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne OBE and National Business Crime Centre lead Patrick Holdaway to discuss the recent developments on shop theft and tackling retail crime. 

Chris, James and Ed discuss what was in (and what wasn't in) Jeremy Hunt's Budget, including a complete failure of Government to address the cliff edge of energy costs facing convenience stores. 

Chris, James and Ed talk through the main headlines from Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng's mini-budget, including the energy bill relief scheme, investment zones, tax cuts, and more! 

Chris is joined by James and Ed to talk through the crisis facing retailers when it comes to energy bills this winter, what can be done to help, and when the next Prime Minister is likely to act. 

Chris is joined by Steve Dowling from ACS and Rebekah from Meraki Creative Therapy to discuss the importance of wellbeing for both retailers and colleagues and some of the things that you can do to prioritise your mental health. 

Chris, James and Ed talk through the big announcements in the Chancellor's Spring Statement, what support is available for businesses, and what's next as retailers face into rising costs throughout the year. 

Follow us on Twitter @ACS_localshops and @localshoppodYou can find the full Rural Shop Report at ACS.org.uk

Chris and James talk through the main points of the Chancellor's Budget, including new measures to incentivise investment, duty rates reform, and wage increases.

On this episode, we hear from the three finalists of the Raj Aggarwal Trophy, who shared their inspirational stories at the 2021 Heart of the Community Conference earlier this week. The panel session was chaired by award winning retailers Jonathan James and Avtar Sidhu.

Chris is joined by Ed, James, Lydia and Steve to discuss the party conference season, what the Government's agenda looks like in the future, and what it's been like having an ACS stand at conference for the first time.

On this episode of the podcast, we hear from Steve Dowling about the launch of the brand new ACS Wellbeing Guide, as well as hear from experts on wellbeing and leading retailers about how they prioritise wellbeing in their businesses.

James Lowman is joined by green expert Victoria Robertshaw, Retail Sector Council co-chair Richard Pennycook and net zero policy advisor Sam Lux to discuss what retailers can do to be greener, as well as the new Green Street initiative.Find out more about Green Street at www.greenstreet.org.uk

We're joined by prominent retail and tech investor Matt Truman of investment firm True Global to take a deep dive into ultra-fast grocery models like Getir, Weezy and others that have been making headlines in recent months, and how they might change the convenience sector in the future.

Chris talks to Ed Woodall about the launch of the industry-wide #ShopKind campaign, plus a Sky News interview with James Lowman and Debbie Robinson.

Chris is joined by James Lowman, Steve Dowling and Eleanor O Connell to run through the big announcements from this year's Budget, whether it's good news or bad news for the convenience sector, and what we can expect next from the Government.

Chris is joined by Camelot Head of Retail Operations Julie Brian to talk through the ins and outs of the upcoming change to the age of play for National Lottery products and what it means for retailers. Plus, changes to CBD regulations, and an update on Natasha's Law.Visit the Camelot Retailer Hub at https://www.tnlretailerhub.co.uk/

Chris is joined by James and Ed to talk about whether the business rates system is still fit for purpose, if there's a simple alternative, and what local shops need right now to help them plan for the future.

Chris is joined by Ed Woodall from ACS, Doug Russell from shopworkers union USDAW and Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne OBE to talk through the issues facing retailers when it comes to violence and abuse, how to get involved with the upcoming PCC elections and the #keepingchristmaskind campaign.

Chris is joined by ACS Government Relations Director Ed Woodall to talk through the big announcements in the Spending Review, what they mean for retailers, and what all of this means for the future.

On this episode, Chris talks through the latest announcements on the end of lockdown in December, and Will Nelson joins the podcast to talk through the shortlisted entries for this year's Innovation Showcase.

On this episode, Chris talks through the latest on the new regulations that have just come into force affecting convenience stores, we hear a preview of the latest local radio campaign with James Lowman, and exclusive audio from the Summit Masterclass on making local products a star.

On this episode, we talk about the 2020 Local Shop Report - featuring a discussion with ACS Government Relations Director Ed Woodall and an expert panel from Summit20 including Michael O’Loughlin (SimplyFresh), Loreta Lingyte (The Retail Data Partnership) and Aidan Fortune (Convenience Store). 

Chris is joined by ACS Government Relations Director Ed Woodall to provide initial thoughts on the Chancellor's summer statement and what it means for local shops.

Chris is joined by award winning independent retailer Joe Williams to talk about some upcoming changes to his store in Hook Norton and how his business has fared during lockdown. There's also an update on the reopening of businesses on July 4th, as well as news from Scotland about mandatory face coverings in shops from July 10th.

On this episode of the podcast, Chris is joined by Emma Bould (Alzheimer's Society), Emily Holzhausen (Carers UK) and Sally Wake (Company Shop) to talk about the role of local shops in supporting carers in communities.

On this episode of the podcast, Chris talks to ACS chief executive James Lowman about the impact that the pandemic has had on colleagues working in the convenience sector, the pressures facing workers in the upcoming recession, and the challenges of keeping a sustainable home delivery offer going post-lockdown.

On this episode of the podcast, we hear from James Lowman on new research into how the convenience sector has responded to the lockdown, and there's a reminder about changes to tobacco legislation.To refer yourself for a coronavirus test, the website link is https://self-referral.test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk/

On this episode, Chris is joined by James and Ed to discuss what the latest changes to the lockdown rules mean for retailers, whether the Government's view of local shops has improved since the Covid-19 crisis, and what the long term impact for the sector might be.

On this episode, we speak to Amit Puntambekar, a Nisa retailer from Fenstanton about how his business is adapting, and there's a discussion with Harriet English from the Plunkett Foundation on how community shops and pubs are coping with the lockdown measures.

On this episode, we talk to award winning Scottish community retailer Dennis Williams about the success of Broadway Convenience Store's new hardship fund, and retail consultant Graham Soult about what the future looks like for retail after Covid-19. There's also a chance to hear the newest local radio campaign on Covid-19 testing with ACS chief executive James Lowman.

On this episode Chris revisits the upcoming menthol ban with Julie Byers, exploring which products are affected as part of the ban and what retailers need to do to make sure that they are prepared. We also hear a preview of the latest local radio campaign with James Lowman.

On this episode, Chris talks to SPAR retailer David Charman and Costcutter retailer Josie Chamberlain about how their businesses have reacted and adapted in the last few weeks. We also hear a preview of the latest local radio campaign with James Lowman.

On this episode of the podcast, Chris speaks to David Sands about how the David's Kitchen business has had to refocus during the lockdown, and to Richard Inglis about his experience of running three stores in locations that have been hit hard in the last few weeks. There's also a preview of the latest radio campaign with James Lowman.

On this episode of the podcast, we're talking to Ed and James from ACS, Chief Inspector Patrick Holdaway, independent retailer Rav Garcha and Emma Bould from the Alzheimer's Society about crime in convenience stores during Covid-19, and how retailers are going above and beyond to support vulnerable customers.

On this episode of the podcast, Chris updates on the latest news from Government in terms of support for retailers in response to the ongoing situation with COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and speaks to Aman Uppal (One Stop Mount Nod) and Patrick Sewell (Sewell on the Go) about how they're responding to new social distancing guidance.0:59 - Update on support for businesses3:25 - One Stop Mount Nod12:04 - Patrick Sewell22:51 - Radio interview with James Lowman

On this episode of the podcast, Chris talks through the Government package of support for retailers in response to the ongoing situation with COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and speaks to award winning retailers Sunder Sandher and Avtar Sidhu about what they're doing to respond to demand.0:42 - Government support for businesses4:53 - Sunder Sandher16:04 - Avtar Sidhu (Sid)33:44 - Radio interview with James Lowman