Small shops and wholesalers the ‘unsung heroes’ of food industry
AS queueing to get into the supermarket becomes the norm it’s time to recognise the army of small retailers stepping up to fuel the nation – and the wholesalers that supply them, says the chief executive of CJ Lang and Son, one of the major players in Scotland’s convenience store sector.
Colin Mclean, who heads up one of Scotland’s oldest and largest independent retailing and distribution businesses, said that companies like Dundee-based CJ Lang have been stepping up to the plate amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“This is nothing new,” he said. “We were there during the ‘beast from the east’ and the public saw then that they could rely on convenience stores and local retailers. “It’s on a different scale now, of course, but the principle is the same – we’ve got the wheels, the lorries, the shops and, most importantly, the people to make sure everyone gets what they need.”
Pointing out that the “corner shop” is no longer just the place to go for a pint of milk and loaf of bread, Mr Mclean said the “unsung heroes” of the food and drink retail sector – within his own business and others across Scotland – were doing a “fantastic job”.
CJ Lang, which marked its centenary last year and services 300 Spar stores, reported an 8.9 per cent sales increase in delivered sales to independent Spar retailers for the four weeks to January 4.
Over the same period, like-for-like retail sales for its company-owned stores were up 4.4%.
These last few weeks, said Mr Mclean, have seen “record demand” thanks to good availability from suppliers and service levels of over 90%. “People don’t need to panic buy,” he said, alluding to that most sought-after commodity: toilet paper. “There’s plenty of stock in the supply chain.”
Like many other retail businesses, CJ Lang has recruited additional staff to ensure the company has enough resources to service customers. It has also reached a deal with Brakes, one of the UK’S leading foodservice wholesalers, to utilise its Dundee driver and vehicle resources to bolster its delivery and logistics capacity.
In Glasgow, wholesaler JW Filshill, which distributes to the Keystore convenience store chain and a range of other customers, has also been working closely with suppliers to ensure a consistent flow of availability for customers during the Covid-19 crisis although it has been a challenge keeping up with demand, the company said.
“Availability has been challenging but the main pressure has been volume,” commented Craig Brown, retail sales director. “There have been replenishment issues and it’s fair to say that everyone is struggling to keep up with demand.
“We have a clear business continuity plan in place that we are implementing in a phased manner to allow us to react to government daily advice.
“We’ve been working very closely with our suppliers so we can get deliveries out across the Keystore estate, delivered customers, key accounts and through our Click & Collect facility at the depot in Hillington.”
Another Glasgow-based company, Lomond – The Wholesale Food Co, run by husband-and-wife team Barbara and Sam Henderson, supplies convenience stores including Scotmid, “foodservice”
We’ve got the wheels, the lorries, the shops and, most importantly, the people
outlets such as sandwich bars and cafes, and also has a growing butchery business. “We’ve experienced both negatives and positives in trading,” said Mrs Henderson.
“We’ve obviously seen our foodservice business drop off dramatically as the outlets we service – cafes, restaurants, museums and so on – have closed. However, our butchery business has jumped and we’re working with our convenience retail customers to source local products.
“This has helped us weather the storm and we’ve also opened up our business to the public, offering a Click & Collect type of service which allows consumers to phone up and order from a limited range of products, pay over the phone then pick them up within a specified timeframe at a dedicated pick-up point.
“We’re in a position where we have a very diverse wholesale business now after moving into what’s known as
‘food to go’ in convenience stores – we’ve actually doubled the size of the business in the last three years.”
Colin Smith, chief executive of industry body the Scottish Wholesale Association, said the Covid-19 crisis had “reiterated beyond doubt” the importance of the wholesale industry to the Scottish economy.
“Our members are working round the clock to ensure vital supplies are delivered to businesses that are feeding the nation,” he said.