Confectionery Display Nisa Southend Victoria

The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has launched a survey to help retailers and suppliers operating in the convenience sector understand how businesses intend to respond upcoming regulations on high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) products.

Earlier this month, the Department for Health and Social Care confirmed plans to introduce promotion and location restrictions on HFSS products in stores in October 2022.

The regulations will apply to businesses with more than 50 employees and of these the location restrictions apply to sites over 2,000sq ft however there are some concerns that this is not long enough for retailers to prepare.

Research by Lumina Intelligence found that one in five convenience purchases will be impacted by HFSS regulations.

The ACS survey asks retailers and suppliers to share anonymised feedback on the location, promotions and categories they are most concerned about and how they plan to mitigate these challenges.

ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “These are some of the most impactful regulations our sector will have dealt with in recent years. Retailers, wholesalers and suppliers all want to understand how their supply chain partners are responding, and this survey should help everyone to plan for the new rules taking effect from October 2022.”

The deadline to respond to the survey is Friday 13 August 2021.