Following the opening of the new B&M store in Springburn Shopping Centre on Saturday (27 November), SNP MSP for Glasgow and the party's candidate for the Maryhill and Springburn constituency in next May's Scottish

Parliament elections said: "I very much hope that B&M stores make a success of their new Springburn store and provide some much needed jobs stability for local staff. I urge shoppers to support all the outlets in Springburn Shopping Centre and the various other local stores nearby as much as possible.

"With any local shopping centre its a case of 'use it or lose it'. If the people of Springburn bought one additional product locally every week, it would make a real difference to hard pressed businesses.

"Having met with the owners of the Centre, I know they are working hard all the time to get new retailers to the Centre in order to provide shoppers with greater choice. The Scottish Government are also doing its bit by providing small local retailers with a small business bonus scheme, exempting 74,000

of the smallest businesses from paying business rates at all, and giving big rate discounts to many more.

"However locals also need to support the local area in order to help maintain local services and keep local jobs. With Christmas coming up this is also the ideal time to shop locally."

Note:

The new B&M store opened following the previous Coop store transferring to B&M and being closed for refurbishment.