Debbie and Andy Townsend (above) moved from Birmingham to Laide five years ago and took over the local Post Office and forecourt. In a small community, many miles from the nearest supermarket, they are relied on for a lot more than the average corner shop, but have risen to the challenge of meeting the needs of their customers.

Best Laide plans

A village shop, Post Office and petrol forecourt, Laide Post Office can boast a lot. Andy and Debbie Townsend moved to the area, in...
a selection of drinks from

Meet the Maker: AG Barr

Vicky Lawless-Mitchell customer marketing lead at AG Barr, tells of life working at the Scottish soft drinks manufacturer.

Meet the Maker: Hovis

Tom Pook, national account manager for wholesale & impulse accounts at Hovis, talks driving bakery sales in convenience retail.
Shakeel Arshad owns two Spar stores

Shakeel Arshad, Spar

Shakeel Arshad owns two Spar stores, the 1800 sq ft Spar store and Post Office in Bishopmill, Elgin, and the 1000 sq ft Spar...
23a_1114

The chill to succeed

INVERURIE isn’t exactly short of places to buy lunch. The affluent Aberdeenshire community has a thriving town centre blessed with a remarkable number of independent...

Leading the way in quaff sales – Maxwell’s Clarkston

THE doors may only have opened in August of last year, but Maxwell’s Clarkston has already established itself as a veritable Aladdin’s cave of...
Shopkeeper Asif Mohammad stands outside his convenience shop next to a hand written sign about energy prices.

Act on energy or shops will shut

As soaring energy costs threaten viable businesses, Scottish business owners have been sounding the alarm over electricity price hikes.
Tesco,

Tesco boss goes after profit warning

PHILIP Clarke, Tesco’s chief executive, has expressed “enormous relief” to be leaving the supermarket chain. He announced his departure as it became clear that...

A sweet success

Awards profile - Confectionery Retailer of the Year THE first thing you see when you go through the door into Spar, Market Street, Forfar is...
Rekz Afzal operates a community fridge and cabinet initiative at his store, RSA Your Local Shop in Paisley town centre. The initiative offers support for Paisley residents struggling with food poverty by providing access to produce, prepared meals and household essentials.

SG Profile: C-store support

Paisley retailer Rekz Afzal made waves on social media with his community fridge. Six months later the initiative is going strong

Award profile – spirits retailer of the year

Winner: Great Glen Trading Centre, Fort Augustus Award: Spirits retailer of the year Sponsored by: Whyte & Mackay

Enveloped by success in Maryhill

WHEN ST Georges Post Office and Spar in Maryhill opened its doors four years ago, more than a few locals were taken aback, surprised...
milk

The daily excellence – Bread and Milk Retailer of the Year

CONSUMERS visiting the Best-one store and Post Office in the Dunbartonshire village of Cardross don’t all realise they’re popping in to an award-winning shop. It’s...
Jagtar Lalli

Jagtar Lalli, Premier and Day-Today

Jagtar Lalli is the owner of two convenience stores – the Premier in Kilmaurs and the Scottish Grocer award-winning Day-Today in Hamilton Street, Saltcoats. How...

New directions: Harry Singh, Londis of Carstairs Junction

After finishing school aged 18, Harry Singh stepped into the back of his family’s Carstairs Junction store to pore over sales data. Now he’s...

Omar Nasir, Spar and Day-Today

Omar Nasir has been running his family’s retail business for the last eight years. His growing portfolio includes two Spars and a Day-Today, all...