Speakers Confirmed: Cross Party Group on Independent Convenience Stores - Illicit Trade and SGF’s Scottish Local Shop Report 2023

Cross-Party Group for Independent Convenience Stores (AGM) - Topics: Illicit Trade and Annual Report on Scotland’s Convenience Sector

The next meeting of the Scottish Grocers’ Federation CPG will take place at 6pm on Tuesday 14th November. It will be held in person at the Scottish Parliament in Committee Room 2.  

Our speakers will include leading representatives:

  • David MacKenzie – Trading Standards Manager, Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS)

  • Denis Kerr - Assistant Director, Risk & Intelligence Service (ID North), HM Revenue & Customs

  • Professor Leigh Sparks – Deputy Principal and Professor of Retail Studies at the Institute for Retail Studies, University of Stirling

  • Anand Cheema – Store Owner, Costcutter

We will have two topics for this meeting: Illicit Trade and our annual report on the convenience sector in Scotland, SGF’s ‘Scottish Local Shop Report 2023’

Illicit Trade

Current economic conditions combined with high tax and excise duty, and strict legislation on the marketing and promotion of some high value goods, can encourage a market for illicit trade. This presents a challenge; we don’t know where these products come from, what they contain or what harm they will cause people. Furthermore, every pound spent on illicit goods is a pound taken away from those who act responsibly and fully comply to the rules.

Scottish Local Shop Report 2023

The Scottish Local Shop Report 2023 breaks down the substantial contribution of the convenience retail sector to the Scottish Economy and highlights the lifeline services many local shops provide for their communities across Scotland.

You can find it online here.

With this in mind, we would be grateful if you could attend this meeting.

Please email aidans@sgfscot.co.uk to confirm attendance if you have not already done this.

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