Antony Begley

The local retailing sector never stands still so it makes sense to keep on top of your options as you focus on maximising sales and profits in your business – so could it be the right time for a fresh start with a new symbol partner that better meets your specific needs? By Antony Begley…

Multi-store retailer Zahid Mukhtar has unveiled a brand-new fascia for his latest store in Kirkcaldy with help from specialist convenience consultancy the C-Store Collective. by Antony Begley Scottish retailer Zahid Mukhtar has opened his first ‘Avens Retail’ fascia store with the support of Nisa and specialist convenience consultancy the C-Store Collective. The new store on…

The ACS 2023 Forecourt Report has shown how forecourts have continued to invest heavily despite massive flux in the fuel and vehicle marketplace. By Antony Begley The freshly published 2023 Forecourt Report from the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has recognised how, despite the current flux in the fuel and vehicle marketplace, forecourt retailers are…

The UK’s leading symbol group and SLR’s reigning Symbol Group of the Year recently opened its 500th store in Scotland after a period of rapid growth. By Antony Begley Premier, the biggest symbol group in the UK with over 4,000 stores, has recently celebrated another milestone achievement by opening its 500th store in Scotland. The…

The once clean line between the grocery and convenience channels is being blurred further with Bestway taking a £200m share of Sainsbury’s while Asda plans a mega-merger of its supermarket and forecourt businesses. By Antony Begley It wasn’t that long ago that the grocery and convenience channels were considered as entirely separate entities, if not…

Cadbury Creme Egg’s ‘How Do You Not Eat Yours?’ campaign is set to return for Easter 2023. By Antony Begley. Easter wouldn’t be Easter without a Creme Egg or 12, and the iconic brand is planning a cracking Easter in 2023 by bringing back its ‘How Do You Not Eat Yours?’ campaign when the top-selling…

Sourcing Scottish, regional and local products is an excellent way of setting your store apart from the competition, supporting the local economy and improving your sustainability credentials. by Antony Begley In today’s increasingly socially aware culture, it seems clear that an increasing number of consumers are looking for more than mass-produced brands that have crossed…

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon recently opened new Capri-Sun production lines at CCEP’s East Kilbride site – and the first to see them in action that day were three SLR Rewards winners. by Antony Begley There are many great benefits to winning an SLR Reward as retailers Walter Bryson, Dan Brown and Abdul Majid discovered recently…

Remarkably, the cigar category in the UK is actually in growth by value – so does it represent the last remaining tobacco opportunity for Scotland’s local retailers? SLR talks to Alastair Williams of category champions Scandinavian Tobacco Group UK to find out. by Antony Begley It’s an inescapable fact of life that the tobacco category…

With costs rising across the board for local retailers, the old rule-of-thumb of needing to make 20% gross profit to run a profitable business no longer seems realistic – so is 30% the new minimum target level? by Antony Begley The biggest challenge facing all local retailers in Scotland these days, bar none, is rising…