NEWS Figures demonstrate resilience of sector north of border, says report Scotmid has over 130 stores.


Scotmid braced for challenges


THE boss of Scotmid said ongoing economic uncertainty and the higher rate of VAT are likely to hamper the co-operative’s growth prospects in the coming months.


Scotmid, which includes a funeral business and Semichem on top of its convenience stores, recorded an 11% dip in operating profit to £9.1 million in the year to January 29. Turnover rose £24m to £378m, bolstered by £16m from the 51 Botterills stores Scotmid bought last year. “Prospects for growth in the year ahead will be constrained by the continuing uncertainties in the general market together with the increase in VAT,” said John Brodie. “While we remain


cautious, the business is in a strong position to meet the significant challenges that lie ahead.”


SGF bolsters membership


CONVENIENCE store trade body the Scottish Grocers’ Federation has recruited two major players to its membership. Spar, which has 330


stores across Scotland, and Booker’s symbol group Premier, which has more than 250 outlets, joined the trade group earlier this month. SGF chief executive John Drummond said the new members would add weight to the group’s lobbying efforts. “This decision will build and strengthen the relationship SGF already enjoys with Spar and ensure they are part of a unified retail voice that shapes the retail agenda,” he said. “Booker Premier is an important player in the convenience store sector in Scotland and their joining SGF will strengthen our voice to the Scottish Government.”


4 - SLTN - April 28, 2011


Scots hotels weather storm


SCOTLAND’S hotels are weath- ering the economic storm, out- performing their counterparts in the rest of the UK, a new re- port has found. Rooms yield, the industry measure of revenue, in hotels north of the border has dropped just 0.2% in the last five years, compared to a drop of 2.7% in England and a 1.1% slide in Wales, according to Hotel Brit- ain 2011 – the annual report from business advisers PKF. Revenues were also said to be higher in Scotland than other parts of the UK in each of the years covered in report (2006- 2010).


Occupancy levels, however,


were broadly similar in all parts of the UK: down 0.9% in Scotland over a five year period which saw England record a 1% slide and occupancies in hotels in Wales drop 0.5%. Aberdeen was the star per-


former when it came to rooms yield, up 2.4% in the last five years, despite a 1.7% drop in occupancy rates. With much of the city’s ac- commodation trade reliant on the oil and gas industries, PKF predicts revenues will remain strong for some time yet. In Glasgow, rooms yield has


Glasgow’s Blythswood Square recently gained five-star status from VisitScotland.


risen 0.5% since 2006, while occupancy dipped just 0.1%. And hotels in the capital have seen a 1.2% drop in rooms yield over the five years, although revenues in Edinburgh are said to have remained between 11% and 37% higher than both Glasgow and Aberdeen for each of the five years.


The Hotel Britain report cites a steady stream of visitors to the capital for helping main- tain buoyant hotel revenues. Passenger numbers at Edin- burgh airport fell by just 0.1%


between 2006 and 2010, com- pared to a 6.9% slide in passen- ger numbers at Glasgow. Alastair Rae, a partner in the real estate and hospitality sec- tor at PKF, said the figures show the “remarkable resilience” of Scotland’s hotel sector during a “prolonged, difficult period”. “Whilst occupancy levels have


fallen across the whole of the UK by around 1%, in Scotland this has not been at the expense of revenue,” he said. “A drop of just 0.2% over the last five years is an impressive


performance during what has been, by any standards, among the most difficult trading peri- ods within living memory “Perhaps the greatest roller- coaster ride has been in Ab- erdeen, which had 2.4% com- pound growth in revenues over the last five years despite a fall in occupancy of 1.7%. “Glasgow has also had a re- markable five years with oc- cupancy down just 0.1% and revenues up 0.5%. This is tes- tament to the city’s dynamic marketing initiatives targeting both the business and leisure markets.


“Edinburgh, despite the fall of 0.9% in occupancy and 1.2% in rooms yield, still has impressive numbers in terms of the value of its rooms yield figures. “Whilst nobody would pre- tend that it has been easy, the sector has held up well despite continuing difficulties in the economy. However, it is clear that we are not yet out of the woods and there is still some way to go before there is any solid return to growth in the economy.


“There is a hope that perhaps the worst is over and the hospi- tality sector can look forward to easier times ahead.”


Restaurateurs take wine sales online


RESTAURATEURS are being invited to sign up to a new web- site designed to help them boost wine sales.


The site (www.myrestauran- twines.com), which is free for hotels and restaurants to join, allows consumers to order wine they have drunk in a particular outlet and have it delivered to their home. Each participating venue has


its own ‘landing page’, from where it can sell the wines it stocks. The site also carries a link to each outlet’s website and booking system, as well as a wine of the month, suggestions on food and wine matching, information on local produce that’s in season, and a facility allowing consumers to suggest a wine and restaurant. Russell Wallace, a partner behind the website, said he


aims to have 5000 venues signed up to the site by January


The new website features links to restaurants as well as general wine information. 2012.


“This is a unique opportunity


for businesses to expand – it’s extending the customer service above and beyond what is ex- pected,” he said. “As a former restaurant manager, I have often had din- ers ask where they can buy the bottle of wine they’ve had with their meal and, in the major- ity of cases, customers are dis- appointed to hear it has to be bought in bulk by the trade. “Now I am in a position where I can fill that gap in the mar- ket, for both customers and for restaurateurs – this new con- cept will allow the business to increase its profits very easily from its own dedicated URL. “Customers will be able to buy a quality product which they have already sampled and avoid buying something they’ve never heard of from supermar- kets.”


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