Scotmid chief set to take on SRC’S chair

The boss of supermarket and convenience store chain Scotmid has been named as the new chairman of trade organisation the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC).

John Brodie will take up the post with effect from 1 January, succeeding Andrew Murphy who has served as the lobby group’s chairman since January 2014.

SRC director David Lonsdale said: “I’m thrilled John has agreed to take on the role of SRC chairman. John is an industry leader with a proven track record, and I’m sure he’ll bring those skills to support the work of the SRC in advocating on behalf of all retailers and the customers they serve.

“I would like to thank Andrew Murphy for the very significant contribution he has made as chairman over the past three years. It’s been a remarkably active time for the SRC, and his championing of the importance of productivity and the need for a Scottish retail strategy have been recognised by government.”

Brodie joined Scotmid, which encompasses some 350 retail outlets and employs more than 4,000 people in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Northern England, in 1993.

He said: “Scotland’s retail industry makes an enormous economic and social contribution to our country. However, this is a crucial time for the industry and the challenges it faces have rarely been greater. Technological change and customer behaviour are evolving at pace.”

In September, Scotmid warned of a challenging backdrop as interim profits came in at flat at £2 million. 0 John Brodie has been with Scotmid since 1993