Botterills Convenience Stores is on the hunt for further acquisitions following its purchase this week of fellow Scottish Spar retailer, D&M Edgar from owners Dougie and Marlene Edgar.

Chairman Jim Botterill said that after snapping up the seven-store business for an undisclosed sum, Botterills was eager to expand and would take up the search to expand its now 53-strong estate early next year.

"There will be no more acquisitions in 2007," he said. "We are going to put all our energy into integrating D&M Edgar's stores into our estate. But we will continue to seek opportunities to purchase new outlets, including existing stores operated by other independent retailers or new-build sites."

Botterills' stores are currently located in west and central Scotland, Edinburgh, Dumfries and Fife, and the acquisition will expand its reach into south Ayrshire and south-west Scotland. This would open up a new area for Botterills, Botterill said.

"The acquisition gives us a fairly good geographical belt in Scotland and there are opportunities to fill gaps in a number of towns between Castle Douglas and Glasgow," he said.

However, despite creeping further south, Botterill said he had no plans to take the chain over the border into England.

Botterill estimated the acquisition would boost the chain's turnover from £61.4m last year to more than £75m in the next 12 months. It is currently 16th in The Grocer's Top 50 independents, recording a pre-tax profit of £800,000 last year.

D&M Edgar ranked 48th in the Top 50 with a turnover of £9.3m and a profit of £164,000 last year.

Botterills will take control of D&M Edgar's stores and 100 staff in November. The standard of all of the stores was excellent, said Botterill.

Dougie and Marlene Edgar, who have run D&M Edgar for 29 years, are taking early retirement.

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