Press Releases

A leading retail advocacy group has thrown its support behind calls for a New South Wales parliamentary inquiry into illicit tobacco – by Independent MPs Gareth Ward and Joe McGirr – to stop an all-out Victorian style tobacco turf war engulfing the state. Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) CEO Theo Foukkare said the inquiry – called for by Independent Kiama MP Gareth Ward, must be urgently acted upon. “Just last week AACS had warned the tobacco turf wars in Victoria – that have resulted in close to 100 stores being firebombed – would spread to New South Wales and now it has, with an arson attack on a store in Ettalong on the New South Wales Central Coast,” he said. “Mr Ward’s Notice of Motion for this inquiry must be supported if Sydney and all parts of New South Wales are to be spared of the almost weekly firebombings…

SYDNEY: The Australian Beverages Council, Australian Association of Convenience Stores andNational Retail Association commend the South Australian Government for its action to remove noncompliant energy drinks from retail shelves across the state. Australia has some of the strictest regulations around energy drinks in the world, regulated byStandard 2.6.4 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. Under this Standard, energy drinks can contain no more than 32mg of caffeine per 100mL or 80mg in a 250mL container. This is comparable to the amount of caffeine in a cup of instant coffee made with one teaspoon of powder. Australian Beverages Council CEO, Geoff Parker welcomed today’s news and applauds the SouthAustralian Government and Health officials for their decisive action to remove non-compliant anddangerous products from the shelf. “The regulations for Australian energy drinks are long standing and are some of the strictest for thisproduct category in the world. Consumers can be…

Australia’s best servo has been named at the Australian Association of Convenience Stores 2024 Gala awards, with APCO Alfredton in Ballarat, Victoria, taking out the prestigious award. The 24/7 service station was awarded Overall Store of the Year at the AACS Gala, while also being crowned Independent Store of the Year. AACS CEO Theo Foukkare congratulated APCO Alfredton retailers Olivia and Ivor Riesewyk on their win. “This really is the biggest honour in our industry, especially when you consider there are more than 7,000 convenience stores across Australia. “For Olivia and Ivor to snag both independent of the year and store of the year is just phenomenal and I think their regular customers in Ballarat, as well as those just stopping by, all know just how great of an operation they’re running. “Quality food and coffee is paramount in the modern convenience store and APCO Alfredton now proudly owns the…

“Myself and our Retail Members representing more than 7300 Petrol & Convenience stores nationally respectfully disagree with SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens comments over recent days that the industry could ‘fix fuel theft overnight’, by simply getting drivers to prepay. “The fuel and convenience retail industry has changed dramatically over the past decade and a high number of motorists come into the retail store to purchase their food, drinks, top up grocery items or a snack. “30 per cent of all customers purchase items from inside the store when they buy fuel, delivering over $3 billion in retail sales nationally. “Forcing consumers to pre-pay puts this $3 billion of sales – in an industry that employees over 80,000 frontline staff – at huge risk of being lost. ”Adopting a mandatory prepayment model for fuel would be like asking all supermarket shoppers to authorise payment for milk or bread before entering…

Following the Federal Government’s forced admission of failure over its own vaping Bill – and amid Labor’s chaotic attempt to make policy-on-the-run – the Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) has welcomed the Coalition’s strong stance to strictly regulate vaping to crack down on crime and keep dangerous and toxic illicit vapes out of the hands of Australian children. AACS CEO Theo Foukkare said the Coalition’s announcement that it would adopt a similar, strictly regulated model to other Western Countries is exactly what the majority of concerned Australian voters want, as the nation grapples with an insidious and out-of-control black-market that is behind the country’s youth vaping crisis. “The Coalition’s commitment to adopt a strictly regulated licensed retail framework for the sale of vapes – in the same way that tobacco and alcohol sales are managed – follows best practice models that are already established in other comparable countries, which…

The Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) is calling upon Senators to vote against the Albanese Government’s failed prohibition vaping laws and instead strictly regulate vapes for adults only, like alcohol and tobacco. AACS CEO Theo Foukkare said the overwhelming driver of Australia’s youth vaping crisis is Labor’s existing vaping ban, which has led to over 120 million illegal vapes being sold each year by criminals through the black market who don’t care what they are selling, where they are selling and who they are selling to. “Prohibition of a mainstream adult consumer product like alcohol or tobacco in any country has always led to the creation of an out-of-control black market enriching criminals, wasting taxpayer dollars and introducing crime into our communities.” Mr Foukkare said. “Strictly regulating and controlling vaping products for adults-only has been shown to reduce youth vaping rates by more than 65 per cent in the…