U.K. Retailers Sacrifice Pay to Keep Stores Open

More than half of U.K. shop owners said they earn less than the minimum wage, when factoring hours worked and take-home pay.

June 18, 2013

FARNBOROUGH, ENGLAND – The Association of Convenience Stores recently revealed that convenience store owners in England are sacrificing their own wages to keep their stores open and pay staff.

According to the Voice of Local Shops Survey, 55% of shop owners said they believe that they earn less than the minimum wage from their business (roughly $9.75 U.S.), while more than two-thirds (69%) of independent retailers believe they earn less per hour than the living wage (approximately $11.72 U.S. per hour).

Meanwhile, the ACS Local Shop Report noted that shop owners are struggling to keep their stores afloat, with 60% working more than 50 hours a week, and 31% taking less than 10 days of vacation per year.

“We already know that retailers are some of the hardest working professionals in the UK, but we didn’t know the shocking extent to which their budgets are squeezed to make ends meet,” said ACS CEO James Lowman. “Rising business rate bills, energy costs and increasing competition from small format supermarkets are all contributing factors to the figures that we have published today.”

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement