The Association of Convenience Stores has called on the Government to urgently set out a plan to incentivise growth and investment in the convenience sector, after no action was taken in the Spring Statement to reduce the impact of impending rates hikes.

Ahead of the Spring Statement, ACS wrote to the Chancellor outlining the need for further support for local shops, especially those run by independent retailers, who are set to be hardest hit by increases in business rates bills in April. In the letter, and in evidence given to parliament last year, ACS has called on the Government to set the multiplier for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses a full 20 lower than the standard rate.

From April this year, retailers will lose the remaining 40% business rates discount that was in place in 2025, as well as seeing their rateable values increase as a result of the 2026 revaluation. The Chancellor announced a package of transitional relief in the November Budget, but ACS has warned that this does not go far enough and will still result in retailers facing four figure increases in their bills this year.

ACS chief executive Ed Woodall said: “Local shops will be disappointed that the Chancellor has not taken this opportunity to mitigate the impact of cost increases coming in April. The limited package of measures announced in the Budget last year will come as no comfort to retailers that are seeing their business rates bills increase by thousands of pounds in the coming weeks, in addition to significant increases in employment costs being felt across the sector. The Government needs to urgently set out a credible plan for how it is going to incentivise investment and growth, as difficult decisions are already being made by local shops on reducing wage bills, delaying investment plans and impacting the availability of services to customers.”

The Government had advised ahead of the Spring Statement, which is used primarily to update parliament on the OBR’s economic forecasts, that there were unlikely to be any major policy announcements in the Chancellor’s speech, but ACS has warned that retailers cannot afford to wait until the autumn for any meaningful support.