Tesco is set to take a third of the market share in Scotland - and the supermarket giant has reportedly applied for planning permission for 19 new superstores north of the border.
Six stores are set to open in Scotland this year, according to a Tesco spokesman.
Branches are planned for Alloa, Galashiels and Grangemouth over the coming months, with others earmarked for Stenhousemuir, Dalgety Bay, Edinburgh, Tain, Banff and Inverness.
A Tesco spokesman said: “The outcome of applications through the democratic panning process will shape our future plans.”
Tesco already has 166 shops in Scotland, including 14 Express convenience stores.
Retail analysts TNS Superpanel reported the Tesco Scottish market share at 29.7 per cent 12 months ago.
Tesco faces competition from Asda, as well as discount chains Aldi and Lidl, who have also announced Scottish expansion plans.
Sainsbury’s, which traditionally has a smaller presence in Scotland, has also benefited from increased local sourcing across its 24 Scottish stores, with more than 1000 lines coming from Scottish suppliers and the figure set to double by the end of the year.
Glenn Bowles, Tesco regional managing director, said: “Our Collect & Save Scheme, a reciprocal trading initiative with local businesses, was trailed in Huntly earlier this year and has proved successful with almost a quarter of the town’s population taking part.
“We hope to introduce this in other towns when we open new stores.”
