Scotland has more convenience stores per head than any other part of the country, with 5368 – or one for every 973 people – a new study suggests.
The report by the Association of Convenience Stores issued the figures in a breakdown revealing there are almost 50,000 convenience stores in England, Scotland and Wales.
The total number of shops north of the Border is one of the highest, exceeded only by the north-west of England (5491), London (6118) and the south-east of England (7419).
The Scottish stores between them employ 40,116 people. Across the UK, the total workforce is in excess of 372,000, most of whom are women.
When broken down by ethnicity, 46.5% of store owners are Asian or Asian British; 44% are "white British", with "other" representing 9.5%. Some 71% were born in the UK.
