Turnover grew to £212.5m, up 9.4% on the previous year, against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic which has seen significant changes in shopping behaviour.

CJ Lang & Son Ltd is the wholesaler for SPAR Scotland, the largest symbol group in Scotland with over 300 convenience stores across the country.

Colin McLean, CEO of CJ Lang & Son Ltd, said: “The previous 12 months saw a significant change in the retail landscape as the impact of COVID-19 was felt.

“Like many other retailers, our primary focus has been on the well-being of our staff whilst supporting our customers in the many local Scottish communities in which we operate as changes in routine have resulted in many shoppers choosing to shop locally.

“As a genuinely Scottish business, we have been able to adapt quickly and react flexibly to the changing Scottish retail landscape and continue to provide a first-class service to our consumers, independent retail customers and local communities at a time when they have needed us most.”

He added: “In the past 12 months, we have invested over £2m in the roll out of our food-to-go offer, CJ’s, which will be in the majority of our company owned stores by the end of 2021. We also continued to grow our independent customer base, whilst making improvements to our product offer, to meet the changing customer needs within convenience retailing.

“As part of our business transformation programme, we recently announced record levels of future investment into our company owned store estate, with a major programme of store refurbishment works commencing from 2022.

“This will facilitate an improved SPAR customer offer across both chilled and produce categories. We are focused on providing our customers with excellent service, together with the best local products and an award-winning SPAR brand range.

“The Scottish retail market environment remains extremely challenging, with significant potential headwinds. Inflationary cost pressures, supply chain impacts, driver and fuel shortages have been well documented, however we remain well positioned to navigate these challenges.”

“I would like to thank all our customers and staff for their continued support,” he concluded.