NEWS DIGEST
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PAYMENTS
ACS CALLS FOR CARD PAYMENTS MARKET OVERHAUL THE ASSOCIATION OF CONVENIENCE STORES HAS SAID URGENT
EDGING AHEAD Ayr Road Service Station, a Booker-supplied and JET-branded forecourt in Dalmellington, East Ayrshire, has installed Henderson Technology’s EDGEPoS system.
NISA INDUCTIONS Nisa has created a new dedicated induction team to support retailers joining the group to ensure an efficient, effective on-boarding experience. The team will support new Nisa retailers
ACTION IS NEEDED TO IMPROVE THE CARD PAYMENTS MARKET.
The call came in response to a Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) consultation on the interim report for its market review into the supply of card acquiring services. The interim report made several proposals: requiring retailer contracts with acquirers to have an end date to prompt comparisons within the market; changing POS terminal hardware contracts to have a limited length, not auto-renew and be able to exit without excessive fees; making it easier for retailers to research prices via price comparison platforms. In its submission to the consultation, the ACS supported these measures
but went further to recommend the overall merchant service charge seen by retailers includes all fees associated with accepting card payments, due to a proliferation of new fees making it harder to compare and switch. ACS’ full submission is available here.
through the first three months of their Nisa membership.
DIGITAL EXCELLENCE Unitas Wholesale has hosted its first webinar event as part of its new Digital Excellence Academy initiative in partnership with Lumina Intelligence. Over 80 delegates attended the webinar which took place on 2 February, with representatives from 24 Unitas member wholesalers involved.
LOCAL SPENDING UP 40.5% IN JANUARY Spending at physical food and drink specialist stores – which includes local retailers – grew 40.5% in January, as Brits continued to support nearby independent businesses, according to the latest data from Barclaycard which sees nearly half of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions. Some 45% say they plan to continue shopping more locally, even after lockdown ends, to support their community.
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Consumer spending in total fell 16.3% in January, the sharpest decline since May 2020, as lockdown measures took effect, yet online growth surged for many categories. Spending on essential items grew 3.9% YOY, with high demand for home deliveries driving a surge of 126.8% in online supermarket spend. Ordering takeaways reached a record high, up 32.6%, and online retail recorded a 73.2% rise.
