RETAIL and wholesale firms took 21 places in the top 100 Scottish limited companies list in the latest Scotland Ltd report from business advisory firm Grant Thornton.
Scotmid, at number 38 is the convenience retailing force that’s highest in Scotland Ltd 2015’s top 100 Scottish private businesses. United Wholesale (Scotland), CJ Lang and Filshill are also listed.
And food, drink and leisure companies took a further 21 places in the table. Grant Thornton said that in a year when Scotland’s important oil and energy sector hit major problems food and drink emerged as the most vibrant sector of Scotland’s economy.
The Grant Thornton report analyses the most recent accounts from Scotland’s private companies and applies a hybrid measure based on turnover and profits to come up with the top 100 limited firms in the country.
Managing partner Kevin Engel said: “Our research suggests food and drink is now clearly the top sector in Scotland Ltd 2015 with strong results in all areas – from operating profits to employee numbers.”
Companies involved in convenience retailing and wholesaling who figure in the latest (2015) listing include Scotmid at number 38, United Wholesale (Scotland) at 46, CJ Lang & Son at 55, and JW Filshill at number 79.
The food and drink firms in the list are headed by spirits manufacturers William Grant & Sons in the number-one position and Edrington Group at number three.
Of the sectors covered in the analysis the combined turnover of the retail and wholesale firms is the second largest at £4.1bn and profits total £192.6m.
Average operating margin is 5%. And the average salary across all retail and wholesale firms on the list is given as £34,000.
