Retailers are being urged to complete a survey on the impact of the National Living Wage as part of the Association of Convenience Store’s evidence to the Low Pay Commission (LPC).

The LPC has been tasked with looking at the impact of the introduction of the £7.20 rate for staff aged 25 and over in April this year, in addition to reviewing plans to increase the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage every year until 2020.

Retailers face three rises in employment costs over the space of 12 months, as the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage are set to align in April 2017 after separate rises in the respective rates in April and October 2016.

ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “The introduction of the National Living Wage has imposed significant cost increases on thousands of convenience stores across the UK.

“Retailers are already telling us that they have to delay investment plans and restructure staff hours to deal with the cost, and this is likely to continue in the coming years if the Chancellor’s plan to raise the rate to over £9 an hour by 2020 come to fruition.

“The experiences of retailers are absolutely essential in making a case to the Low Pay Commission, which is why we’re encouraging all convenience retailers to take part.”

The survey is available for retailers to take part in here.