Bonus week’ s pay for ‘considerable efforts’ of workers

Hundreds of workers in Tayside and Fife will receive an unexpected Christmas bonus in their pay packets.

More than 24,000 staff at discount chain B&M are to get the bonus for their “considerable efforts”.

This will come in the form of a week’s extra cash in their January pay.

B&M has stores in Dundee, Forfar, Perth, Crieff, Dunfermline, Cowdenbeath, Kirkcaldy, Glenrothes and Leven.

The announcement comes as the group hiked its profit outlook thanks to strong festive trading.

B&M said full-year profits are now set to come in at between £605 million to £625m, ahead of the £578m previously expected. The firm cheered a 14% jump in sales against pre-pandemic levels in its third quarter to December 25.

On a year-on-year basis, like-for-like sales were 6.2% lower.

It took delivery of stock earlier than normal to avoid disruption.

Simon Arora, chief executive at B&M, said this helped it deliver a “very strong golden quarter”.

“Our decision to take receipt of imported Christmas stock early in the season meant we were able to provide customers with great products at great prices,” he said.

He added that despite ongoing supply chain disruption and cost pressures, “our relentless focus on value-for-money remains undiminished”.

B&M had said in November that it was fully stocked for the key Christmas period thanks to early buying efforts.

The group has 693 stores across the UK under the B&M brand.

It opened another nine new B&M stores in the UK over its third quarter, but closed two and expects to launch another 13 before the end of the financial year.

In May is reopened its Perth store, a year on from a fatal fire. It also opened a shop in Crieff.

Last year workers also received a week’s pay as a bonus – while the company boss received £30m.

“We were able to provide customers with great products at great prices

STRONG FESTIVE TRADING: B&M’S announcement of extra pay for staff comes as the group hiked its profit outlook.