Colin McLean, CEO at CJ Lang & Son, and Paul Stirling, Group Retail Director of One-O-One Convenience Stores, have signed a letter, along with 12 other Scottish headquartered retailers, asking Shona Robison MSP to introduce a permanent business rate discount for all Scottish retailers.
The joint plea to the Scottish Government’s Finance Secretary comes from retailers with 295 stores in Scotland and was organised by the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC). The letter was written in the wake of the UK Budget which confirmed retailers in England will be entitled to a 10 per cent discount on their business rate from April 2026.
David Lonsdale, Director of the SRC, said:
“This is an unequivocal message from a formidable cross section of Scottish headquartered retailers which calls on Ministers to at the very least match the business rate discount on offer to retailers in England from next Spring. Scottish Ministers have proved fleet of foot on rates previously, for example delivering more regular revaluations and ditching the mooted surtax on grocery stores. Hopefully, the Finance Secretary will take heed and act in her Budget next month to protect Scotland’s retail industry.”
The joint letter from retailers to the Finance Secretary is below:
Dear Finance Secretary,
Business Rate Discount for Retail
A thriving retail industry in Scotland is good for local and flexible jobs, the health and vitality of our town and city centres, economic growth, and ultimately for tax revenues.
That’s why as leaders of Scottish headquartered retailers we are keen to see the industry – Scotland’s largest private sector employer – benefit from a retail-specific and permanently discounted business rate, as is being introduced in England from April. We understand stores down south will receive a 10 per cent discount to the business rate they pay, a welcome recognition that the industry pays a disproportionate amount in business rates.
A retail-specific business rate discount would help us continue to invest in refurbishing our existing stores, opening new premises, and hiring store colleagues. That’s critical as it keeps shops viable and attractive to shoppers, pulling customers to retail destinations and surrounding businesses, and minimising the number of boarded-up shopfronts in our communities. When a shop thrives so does the café next door, the restaurant down the street, and the town and city centre around it.
We’re keen to ensure retail in Scotland has a bright future and continues to be a viable, attractive and cost-effective location to invest and trade in. Taxing shops on Scotland’s high streets materially more heavily than counterparts down south could see investment slip away to other parts of the UK.
As such we hope that you and Parliamentary colleagues can seize the moment in next month’s Scottish Budget to ensure all retailers in Scotland benefit from at least as competitive a business rate as is planned for down south from April.
With the right support businesses like ours can continue to invest locally, provide skilled and flexible jobs, and help strengthen high streets across the country. This would send a strong and positive signal that Scotland’s shops matter as places that employ people and anchor communities, as well as help deliver on our shared government/industry vision of making “Scotland the best place in the UK to grow a retail business”.
Yours sincerely,
Debbie Harding, Chief People & Corporate Officer, Dobbies Garden Centres (Chair of Scottish Retail Consortium)
Donald Begg, Managing Director, Begg Shoes
John Henderson, Managing Director, Born in Scotland
Billy Farrell, Director of Income Generation, Chest Heart Stroke Scotland
Colin McLean, Chief Executive Officer, CJ Lang & Son (Spar Scotland)
Graham Bell, Managing Director/Founder, guitarguitar
Paul Stirling, Group Retail Director, One O One Convenience Stores
Michael Apter, Managing Director, Paper Tiger
Kyron Keogh, Managing Director/Co-Founder, Rox – Diamonds & Thrills
Colin Temple, President, schuh
Stewart Robertson, Chief Executive, Sterling Home
Patrick Birkbeck, Managing Director, The House of Bruar
Michael Rolland, Managing Director, The Paint Shed
Karen Forret, Managing Director, Wilkies
