Chamber and committees

If you would like to and if you have anything to add to what Joanne Cairns and Ruth Boyle said. It may be that the industry leadership group is at an early stage and that no one has been invited to take part yet. The committee can follow that up.

I thank all three witnesses for the evidence that they have contributed to our inquiry. If you feel that you have anything that you were not able to share with us this morning, please feel free to send in a written response in addition to the evidence that you have already given.

I close the public part of the meeting.

Bryan Simpson, do you have anything more to say in answer to that question? Also, David Lonsdale, who was on our first panel, referred to the retail industry leadership group. I got the impression that the membership of that group has not yet been decided. Have the unions been approached? Do they have any knowledge of the retail industry leadership group? Have you been asked to become involved in that?

The retail strategy is, as it says, a strategy—in other words, it sets longer-term ambitions. Is enough being done to respond to the immediate pressures facing the retail sector? The committee was in Dumfries on Monday. Although the area has a positive story to tell with Midsteeple Quarter, its High Street, like many high streets, has large vacant units that are a struggle to let out. This morning, we heard on the radio about rising costs for businesses, including energy costs, which are going up at such a fast rate. Is enough being done to support businesses with the shorter-term pressures that they are facing?

Agenda item 2 is the continuation of our evidence gathering for our town centres and retail inquiry. Our focus today is on the new realities for the Scottish retail sector, with evidence from two panels.

I welcome to the meeting our first panel: Paul Gerrard is campaigns and public affairs director at the Co-operative Group Ltd; David Lonsdale is director of the Scottish Retail Consortium; Martin Newman is a member of the KPMG/Ipsos Retail Think Tank; and Maxine Smedley is head of stores Scotland for Boots UK Ltd. I thank the witnesses for attending.

As always, members and witnesses should keep their questions and answers as concise as possible. Not every question will be directed to every panel member, but everyone will have an opportunity to contribute.

My first question is for Paul Gerrard and Maxine Smedley. The retail sector has had a difficult time during the pandemic. As we start to emerge from Covid, what do you see as the main concerns for the retail sector? How has the experience been, and how is the recovery?

Maxine, would you like to respond? I should say that one of your store managers attended our round-table session in Dumfries this week and gave us some insight into Boots’s experience during Covid. Do you want to say a bit more about the retail sector’s recovery?

I call Colin Beattie, to be followed by Gordon MacDonald.

I will bring in Alexander Burnett, as he is planning to ask about online sales, which Paul Gerrard has just mentioned.

I call Michelle Thomson.

Thank you.

Joanne Cairns referred to job losses in the sector due to the closure of some large stores. Ruth Boyle, will you talk about that and about the changes that we are seeing in the sector? In relation to jobs, in which areas are we seeing growth and in which areas are we seeing reductions?