Karen Scott, chief executive of Scotmid Co-operative, has been appointed chair of the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC), taking over from Debbie Harding.
Scott assumed the role on 1 August, becoming only the second woman to chair the SRC since the organisation was established in 1999. She has served on the consortium's board and succeeds Harding, who had led the organisation since 2024.
The Scottish Retail Consortium is the leading trade association for Scotland's retail industry, representing a sector that employs around 228,000 people and is the country's largest private sector employer.
Scott has been chief executive of Scotmid Co-operative since 2024, having previously served as chief operating officer and earlier as head of Semichem. Headquartered near Edinburgh, Scotmid operates around 250 retail outlets across Scotland, Northern Ireland and northern England under the Scotmid Food, Semichem and Lakes & Dales Co-operative brands.
Commenting on her appointment, Scott said Scotland's retail industry continued to make an “enormous economic and social contribution” despite facing significant challenges.
“Retail is an imaginative and resilient industry which is responding positively to evolving market conditions and customer demand. However, this remains a testing time for the industry,” she said.
“Global factors and ever-increasing demands from policy makers are impacting operating costs, which has implications in terms of future employment, the vitality of our town and city centres, and the overall health of the sector.”
She said she looked forward to building on the work of her predecessor and ensuring the industry continued to have a strong voice with policymakers.
“The SRC is at the forefront of bringing retail's story to policymakers, encouraging a more coherent approach to help the industry address its challenges. I look forward to helping ensure the sector continues to have a strong voice,” Scott added.
SRC director David Lonsdale welcomed Scott's appointment, describing her as “an outstanding industry leader”.
“I'm thrilled Karen has agreed to take on the role of SRC chair. She is an outstanding industry leader and will bring those skills to support the work of the SRC in advocating on behalf of its members and the customers they serve,” he said.
Lonsdale also paid tribute to outgoing chair Debbie Harding, thanking her for her leadership during a period that included the post-pandemic recovery, the cost-of-living crisis and significant political change.
“I would like to pay huge thanks to Debbie Harding for the very significant contribution she has made to the board over the past five years and latterly as chair,” he said. “She has been a brilliant servant of the industry through remarkably active times for the SRC.”
Scott brings 38 years of retail experience to the role, including 24 years in senior leadership positions at Scotmid.