The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has launched a new campaign cracking down on illicit trade.
‘Stop Rogue Traders’ aims to highlight the scale of the problem facing communities and calls for government action to get rogue traders off the streets.
It is asking for key changes to policy and that Trading Standards are provided with further funding and stronger powers to help tackle the problem.
These measures include allow Trading Standards to issue closure orders quickly and for longer periods, and giving police powers to access tobacco track and trace data so they can identify the origin of stolen products and share intelligence effectively.
The trade body has also called for better ways to report illicit activity directly which are always accessible, and significant extra funding for Trading Standards to enforce locally.
Research conducted by ACS with Trading Standards experts in 2024 found that enforcement authorities needed an additional £140m over five years, including a battalion of 400 additional enforcement officers, to tackle the scourge of rogue traders.
With incoming regulations on additional duty on vaping products coming in October 2026, the ACS said there had never been a more pressing time for government to focus on backing responsible retailers.
“The illicit trade is causing serious harm to responsible retailers across the country, both in terms of their bottom line and the wider reputation of the convenience sector,” said ACS CEO Ed Woodall.
“We are calling on the government to take targeted action to get rogue traders off the streets and put in place effective deterrents that keep them away from our communities. As part of the campaign, we’re urging all retailers who see illicit activity in their area to report it immediately to Trading Standards.”
Figures from the 2026 ACS Crime Report showed that 85% of convenience retailers reported seeing an increase in illicit activity in their area, with one in four seeing stolen products being resold locally.
Rogue businesses are currently operating without reproach, the ACS said, selling a wide range of dodgy and stolen products, including toys, electronics, vapes, tobacco, alcohol and staple grocery items.
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