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-events
Policy Tracker: https://www.acs.org.uk/web-portal/briefings-and-advice/policy-tracker
Crime 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!