Clwyd West AM Darren Millar is calling on people in Conwy and Denbighshire to support their local shop after meeting with the Association of Convenience Stores in the Senedd this week.

The Association was in Cardiff on Tuesday to promote their 2020 Welsh Local Shop Report which has revealed that over the last year, convenience stores in Wales have: achieved £2.5bn in sales, contributed £562m in GVA and provided around  27,000 jobs.    

The report also revealed that of the 2,931 local shops in Wales, 84%  are independently owned

Darren said:

“The convenience sector has an important role to play in both the economy and local communities in Wales.

“The report revealed that 62% of local shops in Wales operate in rural locations, providing essential services to their local communities, including bill payment services (79%), cash machines (68%) and Post Offices (25%), without them many people would be lost.

“They continue to make a positive contribution to the communities that they trade in, providing over 27,000 jobs across Wales and playing an active role in their local areas, with 82% of independent retailers engaging in some form of community activity in the past year.

“Convenience stores in Wales are a lifeline for the communities that they serve, and it is therefore vital that we continue supporting them. “