One in five c-stores in Wales now offer home grocery delivery

One fifth of Welsh convenience stores offer a home grocery delivery service to their customers and 30 per cent has a click and collect servicve, findings from an ACS report reveal, showing the influence of a trend strengthened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2021 Welsh Local Shop Report by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has also revealed many other ways convenience stores support their communities, particularly those who may be more isolated or vulnerable.

Nearly two-third of the stores (63%) trade in rural locations and 42 per cent operate in isolated areas with no retail/service businesses close by.

In the last year, the retailers have invested over £30 million in their businesses to ensure that they can continue to provide essential products and services to their communities, including cash machines (73%), bill payment services (77%) and a Post office (29%). 80 per cent of these investments came from their own reserves.

Besides, almost nine in ten (88%) independent retailers engaged in some form of community activity over the past year.

Over the last year, Welsh convenience stores generated over £2.8 billion in sales, with the average customer visiting their local store around 4.20 times per week, spending £7.63 on average during each visit. They provide 26,271 jobs in Wales, of which 66 per cent are woman.

“Local shops have acted as lifelines for communities in Wales and this has been particularly evident during the coronavirus pandemic as retailers have adapted and expanded their services to ensure that they can continue to feed their communities, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic,” commented James Lowman, ACS chief executive.