Press Releases
ANOTHER TOBACCO TAX GRAB FOR NO HEALTH GAIN
With the Government sneaking through another legal tobacco tax hike on Sunday, the outlook for illegal tobacco smugglers just got a whole lot brighter. Meanwhile, consumers and retailers bear the brunt, says the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS). The 12.5% tax increase is the seventh consecutive annual tax hike and reinforces Australia’s position as one of the world’s most expensive markets to but legal tobacco. It’s no surprise, then, that Australia is also one of the world’s most lucrative markets for tobacco smugglers, says AACS CEO Jeff Rogut. “This is a case of Government greed unaccompanied by any real effort to crack down on smoking rates,” Mr Rogut said. “All these endless tax increases do is raise the cost of living, particularly for people in low socio-economic demographics, and expand the illicit tobacco market for criminals to fill. “From a total tobacco consumption perspective, nothing changes. This is simply…
Read MoreWE NEED A STRONGER RESPONSE TO CRIME
The Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) has thrown its support behind Victoria Police calls for a stronger legislative response to more appropriately punish violent thieves which commit crimes against retailers. As the community reels from an increase in so-called “swarming thefts”, where larger groups of criminals use intimidatory violence as a stealing tactic, North West Metro Commander Tim Hansen said police planned to lobby government to try and create a new ‘aggravated shop steal’ offence. AACS CEO Jeff Rogut agrees a stronger legislative response is needed to deter and punish violent criminals. “Anyone who robs from honest retailers, and especially those who use violence in doing so, have no place in our community. We want to see them removed from the streets and punished appropriately,” Mr Rogut said. “It undermines the good work of police to apprehend these thieves only for the judicial system to give them a slap…
Read MoreAACS COMMENDS TASMANIAN GOVERNMENT FOR RECOGNISING THE THREAT TO SMALL BUSINESSES
The Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) has commended the Tasmanian Government for recognising the threat to small businesses that raising the legal tobacco purchasing age would have, as well as the boost it would give to criminals supplying the black market trade of illegal tobacco. A Bill proposing to raise the legal age from which adults could buy legal tobacco in Tasmania to 21 was withdrawn today after the Tasmanian Government indicated it would not support it. It’s the second time such a proposal has been floated and subsequently withdrawn. The AACS had previously reinforced the enormity of the illegal cigarette trade in Australia and warned the proposed Bill would only exacerbate the problem. “This is a common sense outcome. In addition to the freedom of choice implications for adult consumers, raising the age from which Tasmanians can purchase legal tobacco would cost jobs in the convenience industry and…
Read MoreRetail Bodies Renew Call for Greater Enforcement Against Illegal Tobacco as Report Shows Illegal Trade Still at 14%.
A coalition of Australia’s largest retailers has today renewed calls for greater enforcement against illegal tobacco, after a new report showed illicit trade represented more than 14 per cent of the total tobacco market. The new report, authored by KPMG LLP, showed that in the last year 2.1 million kg of tobacco was purchased illegally in Australia. The Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS), the Australian Lottery and Newsagents Association (ALNA), the Australian Retailers’ Association (ARA), Master Grocers Australia (MGA) and Ritchies Stores have come together to highlight the urgent need for state and federal law enforcement agencies to focus on how to crack down on illicit tobacco at the retail level. The report comes after eight people were detained and deported for bringing in 177,063 undeclared cigarettes at Melbourne Airport. A raid weeks later in Sydney uncovered an organised crime syndicate that allegedly imported more than $9 million of…
Read MoreTHE GOVERNMENT’S TOBACCO HYPOCRISY CALLED OUT
The Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) has labelled the Australian Government hypocritical when it comes to its governance of the sale of legal tobacco, as retailers like convenience stores count the financial cost of the flourishing black market and the human cost of staff trauma caused by violent robberies targeting cigarettes. In the AACS’s most stinging criticism of the Government to date, CEO Jeff Rogut echoes the frustrations of retailers across the country when he says the Government must take more responsibility for cracking down on tobacco criminals at street level – and actually do something to earn the billions of tax revenue it collects. Mr Rogut said that while Border Force does a terrific job at the border, illicit tobacco products are still leaking through in huge supply and making their way to markets and unscrupulous retailers who are prepared to flout the law. “We recently received correspondence…
Read MoreARE YOU KEEPING PACE WITH THE EVOLUTION OF CATEGORY MANAGEMENT?
Competition for the “convenience” shopper is at an all-time high. Convenience store operators must ensure they are mastering category management to understand the needs of consumers and meet those needs consistently across every product category in the store. “The practice of category management has changed and will continue to change, mainly driven by the increased awareness and education of consumers. They are surrounded by a wealth of information at their fingertips that is changing their perception of what they choose to consume and purchase,” said Kristen Thaler, category development manager for convenience distributor McLane Co. Inc. “The industry [needs] to move to a more collaborative approach to ensure that strategies are aligned to fulfill the needs of the ever-changing consumer.” Category management of the past has been more of a calendar-based event vs. a perpetual, always-on responding to customer trends and need changes. C-store retailers have to rethink their approach…
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