Covid in Scotland: Spar chain owner reports sales rise

The early impact of the Coronavirus pandemic helped boost sales this year for Scottish wholesaler and distributor CJ Lang, the company has reported.

The Dundee-based firm, which operates or owns more than 300 Spar stores across Scotland, said demand increased in the six weeks leading to 20 April.

It attributed the rise in part to more people using convenience stores to avoid long queues at supermarkets.

CJ Lang said turnover rose by 3.4%, to £194.2m, in the year to April.

Underlying pre-tax profits doubled to £1.5m over the same period.

Chief executive Colin McLean said: "The onset of Covid-19 at the end of the last financial year, and the subsequent months that followed, have seen the retail landscape completely change."

He added that the business had already been growing before the onset of Covid-19, in part due to its food-to-go offer and the development of its independent retailer customer base.

The family business, which was founded in 1919, employs about 2,000 staff.