Members' Business — S6M-10747 Gordon MacDonald: Contribution of the Scottish Convenience Store Sector

That the Parliament recognises what it sees as the vital importance of the Scottish convenience sector; understands that there are 5,171 convenience stores in Scotland, providing over 49,000 local jobs, which includes 95% of staff employed on a permanent contract and 42% choosing to walk to work; commends the sector for the key services that local shops provide for communities the length and breadth of the country, such as those in the Edinburgh Pentlands constituency, including, it understands, 83% offering mobile phone top-ups, 76% offering bill payment services, 47% offering free-to-use ATMs, and 27% with Post Offices; welcomes the fact that many Scottish stores also now offer online and home delivery options for customers; notes that the vast majority of shops are open seven days a week, and, in some cases, are open 24 hours a day; understands that colleagues in the UK convenience sector worked a combined total of 12.1 million hours per week between 2022 and 2023; further understands that Scottish convenience retailers have invested £62 million in their stores over the last year, and that, at a UK level, the convenience sector contributed over £10.6 billion in gross value added (GVA) and over £9.1 billion in taxes over the same period, and congratulates the Scottish Grocers’ Federation on promoting responsible community retailing among its membership, the sector generally on what it sees as its ability to thrive, and convenience stores on continuing to be, it believes, important local community assets.