The ACS has called for the government to ensure support for local shops is sufficiently extended beyond the Covid-19 pandemic to enable recovery in the convenience sector.

The inquiry was launched by the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee to examine how the government can reduce and mitigate damage to the labour market and how to improve productivity to support economic growth in the wake of the pandemic.

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The ACS made a number of key recommendations, including:

• Extending the timetable for the National Living Wage’s target to reach two-thirds of median earnings
• Mitigating the cost of wage increases with National Insurance Contributions
• Ensuring new employment regulations are targeted to avoid introducing unnecessary burdens on retailers
• Enabling modular learning to open up the apprenticeships system
• Supporting investment by incentivising the installation of ultra-low emission vehicles infrastructure

ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “The impact of Covid-19 on individual stores varies greatly depending on trading location and local shops have welcomed the support the government has provided at each stage of the pandemic so far.  

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“Convenience stores provide local, flexible and secure jobs for around 412,000 people across the UK and it is vital the government continues to provide support to retailers to ensure that they are still able to trade beyond the pandemic.”

Find out more on our coronavirus information hub for retailers