Scotmid

In 1968, Leith Provident's[5] 1911 department store on Great Junction Street was still operating a then unusual overhead wire system that transported a customer's payment and dividend number from the sales assistant to the cashier, returning change and receipt.

[6][7] In 1995, Scotmid acquired the Scottish health and beauty retail chain Semi-Chem (since rebranded Semichem), followed in 1999 by the similar Northern Ireland business, Options.

[10] In 2003, Scotmid acquired Wakefield-based national distribution business, M & S Toiletries, which it sold in 2008 to Sert UK.

Trading under the name of "Botterills of Blantyre" and latterly under the SPAR banner, it ranked 19th in The Grocers Top 50 independent grocery retailers.

In 2015 Scotmid merged with the Northumbrian Seaton Valley Co-operative Society adding its shops to the Lakes & Dales chain.

The former Leith Provident Co-operative building at the west end of Great Junction Street has a distinctive domed octagonal clock tower, forming a major landmark. [ 4 ]
Relief sculpture at premises once owned by Leith Provident Co-operative Society Limited in Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh, from 1890
Semichem store in Stranraer , Dumfries and Galloway
Scotmid store in Ballantrae , South Ayrshire in 2019
A Lakes & Dales store in Seaton Delaval , Northumberland following the merger with Scotmid.