Welsh c-stores generate over £2.7bn in sales

Convenience stores in Wales have generated over £2.7 billion in total sales over the last year, adding nearly £620 million in gross value and supporting more than 25,000 jobs, a new report has revealed.

The 2022 edition of the Welsh Local Shop Report by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), published today, has also highlighted the incredible contribution of local shop workers in providing an essential service for their customers despite ongoing supply chain disruption, challenges with the pandemic and turbulence in the labour market.

“Local shops in Wales are essential job creators, providing local, flexible and secure employment for over 25,000 people in communities across the country,” James Lowman, ACS chief executive, said. “Despite challenges in the employment market, we’re pleased to say that less than one in five people working in local shops have been there for less than a year. This is a long term, secure career path.”

Figures from the report show that when asked about their future plans, the majority of Wales’ local shop colleagues (61%) plan to keep working in the convenience sector in the future, with around one in three looking toward a more senior role.

The report also shows that one in five people (20%) working in local shops have been in the business for more than 10 years, with just 18 per cent being there for less than a year. The convenience sector is also an important place for age diversity, with more than one in five (21%) being between 16-24 years old, and around one in six (14%) being over 60.

“Our colleagues working in Welsh local shops should be celebrated for going above and beyond, supporting customers throughout the pandemic, adapting to new and changing regulations, and organising community activities to help local charities,” Lowman added.

The vast majority of the 3000 local stores in Wales are independently owned (88%), with a quarter of the in the business for more than 25 years. The report also reveals that a great majority of these independent retailers (83%) engaged in some form of community activity over the last year.

The stores have invested £35m in their businesses over the last year, with two-thirds (67%) using their own reserves and refrigeration being the most common area of investment.

When it comes to the sourcing of the products, 42 per cent get it all delivered while 39 per cent use a mix of delivered and cash and carry. Around one in five (19%) get all of their products from a cash and carry.