Giles Blair

Glasgow

Contributor at Ayrshire Post

Writer at Scottish Daily Record

Editor at Scottish Grocer & Convenience Retailer

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Articles

Scoot delivery service arrives in Scotland

3 weeks ago | scottishgrocer.co.uk | Giles Blair

BOOKER’S new delivery platform Scoot has made its way north of the border as two Premier store owners kick off the service in Scotland. Faraz Iqbal, store owner of Premier Linktown Local in Kirkcaldy, marked the first store in Scotland to introduce Scoot and, practically from the word go, said he has seen a boost for his delivery sales. He said: “We had noticed that the market for delivery in the area had started to slow down a bit after Christmas.
Awards Profile – Best Soft Drinks Retailer of the Year | Scottish Grocer & Convenience Retailer

3 weeks ago | scottishgrocer.co.uk | Giles Blair

ENSURING that soft drinks sales continue to bubble upwards is no small feat when it comes to a convenience store. Not only is there a wide variety of sub-categories to stay on top of within soft drinks – energy, zero sugar and flavour variants, to name a few – there is also the added challenge of making sure there is enough stock to satisfy the thirsty consumers of Scotland.
SGF chief praises his team

3 weeks ago | scottishgrocer.co.uk | Giles Blair

CHIEF executive Pete Cheema has marked 10 years of leading the Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) by praising the team around him for transforming the organisation. He said their dedication had led to many major successes, including the passing of the Protection of Workers Act in the Scottish Parliament in 2021. The SGF campaign gained all-party support, resulting in the unprecedented legislation.
Entries open for Scottish Grocer Awards 2025

3 weeks ago | scottishgrocer.co.uk | Giles Blair

ARE you ready to shine as one of Scotland’s star retailers? Have you put time and effort into developing a key category within your store? Do you have staff worth celebrating? If so, then we want to hear from you – because entries are open for the Scottish Grocer Awards 2025. These are premier awards celebrating the nation’s outstanding convenience channel.
Retailer Reality – crime epidemic | Scottish Grocer & Convenience Retailer

3 weeks ago | scottishgrocer.co.uk | Giles Blair

A PREGNANT retailer was battered and repeatedly kicked in the stomach by a female thief she tried to challenge in her convenience store. The shocking incident was revealed as shop bosses shared their experiences at the annual Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) Crime Seminar. Dan Brown, owner of Pinkie Farm Convenience Store in Musselburgh, said his partner, who was 26 weeks pregnant at the time of the assault, had to go to hospital.
Scottish Grocer & Convenience Retailer

3 weeks ago | scottishgrocer.co.uk | Giles Blair

FAMILY-RUN ice cream brand Equi’s has rolled out its range of ice creams to Scotmid stores following its win in the Scotmid Scottish Favourites competition. Available across the retail group’s Lanarkshire stores, a range of Equi’s ice cream flavours are now available in Scotmid locations, including the already award-winning new Strawberry Cheesecake flavour, as well as its Sea Salt & Caramel and Pistachio Swirl variants.
Convenience in brief | Bestway, SAIP, Co-op

3 weeks ago | scottishgrocer.co.uk | Giles Blair

SCOTTISH convenience retailers are being urged by wholesaler Bestway to adopt its dual-supply hybrid store concept. It combines Costcutter or Best-one’s convenience range with the off-trade selection from Bargain Booze or Wine Rack. Bestway claims the proposition is transforming the channel, with dual-supply stores benefiting from an extensive sourcing network unmatched by any other symbol operator.
Scottish winner for Spar Frozen Fortunes

3 weeks ago | scottishgrocer.co.uk | Giles Blair

SPAR has unveiled the lucky shoppers who have grabbed the £10,000 Frozen Fortunes grand prizes, with the Scottish winner invited to Spar Renfrew to receive a cheque. Abby McNicol, 25, won the grand prize in Scotland after she and her boyfriend used her account to redeem a token in Spar Renfrew, entering her into the grand prize draw. Speaking on this massive win, Abby said: “I was completely in shock to start with.
Checkout Scotland is back

1 month ago | scottishgrocer.co.uk | Giles Blair

THE major musical event run by the GroceryAid Scotland branch promises to be back with a bang later in the year. The Scottish committee of volunteers has once again got the backing of charity chiefs to stage Checkout Scotland in Glasgow on 28 August. Previous events have featured big names such as Sophie Ellis Bextor, Example, B*witched, The View and Johnny Marr, along with DJ sets from George Bowie and Cassi, among others.
Nisa relaunches as Co-op Wholesale

1 month ago | scottishgrocer.co.uk | Giles Blair

THE Co-op Group has relaunched Nisa as Co-op Wholesale in a move it says shows its commitment to the independent retail sector while targeting other growth opportunities. The Nisa fascia brand will be retained as part of the suite of services available to Co-op’s independent retailers, with the group saying it was determined to drive increased value for store owners.