The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) is urging more retailers to write to their local MPs to call for changes to business rates.

This move comes after the ACS wrote to Chancellor Rachel Reeves about the challenges that higher taxes in the Autumn Budget would create for independent and locally owned retailers.

The ACS has calculated that convenience store businesses have dealt with £612m in additional costs because of increases in the National Living Wage and higher NICs.

ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “Convenience stores are a vital lifeline for communities, providing essential products and services, creating jobs, and serving as social hubs. However, rising costs are forcing retailers into impossible decisions: decreasing staff hours, reducing services, or even closing altogether.

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“We are encouraging retailers to raise the challenges they face with their MP and seek support for urgent action to deliver a fairer system that enables businesses to remain open and invest in their local communities.”

The ACS is requesting that the Government uses the new Budget to reduce retail, hospitality and leisure sector business rates by 20% for smaller businesses.

The convenience store industry body also requested that the Government back index small business rate relief thresholds in line with increasing rateable values, to ensure businesses are not heavily affected by inflation.