Scotland Leads UK Convenience Growth in Q1 2026
Scotland was the only UK region to record notable growth in Talysis’ Convenience Q1 2026 report, with value sales increasing by +1.3% year-on-year over the latest 52-week period, while most other regions experienced slight declines.
The wider UK convenience sector showed signs of stabilisation during Q1 2026, but continued to face pressure from inflation, regulatory changes and evolving shopper behaviour. Talysis suggested Scotland’s stronger performance may reflect differences in regional shopping habits and category mix.
This follows Talysis’ earlier Convenience 2025 review, which revealed overall convenience sales declined by -1.7% year-on-year, worsening to -2.5% in the final four weeks ending 4 January 2026. More recent data indicates some improvement, with value sales up +0.3% over the latest four weeks to 20 April 2026 and Q1 performance improving to -0.2% versus last year. However, medium and longer-term trends remain negative, with sales down -0.5% across 52 weeks and -0.6% over 12 weeks.
SGF Chief Executive, Dr Pete Cheema OBE, said: “Scotland’s local convenience stores continue to play a vital role in communities across the country, especially in rural areas and smaller neighbourhoods where access to larger retailers can be limited. For many customers, their local shop remains a trusted and reliable source for everyday essentials.
“Retailers have worked hard to evolve alongside changing consumer habits, introducing more food-to-go options, longer opening hours, and a stronger focus on locally sourced products. Many stores have also embraced new services such as parcel lockers, self-service tills, and meal deal offers to meet the demands of modern shoppers.
“While it is positive to see Scottish stores performing strongly compared to elsewhere in the UK, the reality is that retailers are operating in an increasingly difficult environment. Rising costs, ongoing inflation, growing levels of retail crime, illicit trade, and continued regulatory pressure are all creating significant challenges for the sector.”
The full report can be found here.
