THE period ahead of Christmas has often seen wholesalers and suppliers work together on trade shows bringing independent and symbol retailers to a one-stop event that provides networking opportunities, advice and information and, often, some very attractive on-the-day deals.
Both United Wholesale (Scotland) and Spar Scotland have held trade shows recently.
More than 300 retailers from across Scotland met with some of food and drink’s largest suppliers at the event organised for United Wholesale (Scotland) symbol store operation Day-Today in Glasgow.
Suppliers gave advice on merchandising, category planning and category management, and at the mock-up shop on site, the Day-Today team also spoke to retailers about the latest developments in merchandising techniques.
Retailers heard from suppliers across the sectors, including confectionery, snacks, licensed and soft drinks. Exhibitors at the event included Mondelez International, Coca-Cola, AG Barr, Pepsico, Walkers, Molson Coors, Heineken and Diageo.
Naeem Khaliq, Day-Today store controller said: “This was our biggest trade show to date and it was a great success. We’ve had excellent feedback from both suppliers and retailers on the whole experience.
“The show attracts high-profile, global brands and suppliers and we’re growing in size and popularity each year. Plans are already in place for 2015 and it’s going to be our biggest and best yet.”
At the Spar Scotland Trade Day, held at central Scotland’s Inchyra Hotel in September, Spar retailers met with a wide range of suppliers, got the opportunity to try some of Spar’s developing range of own-label products including premium food lines and heard from senior Spar and CJ Lang executives in a series of seminars on the current state of the market and Spar’s plans to grasp opportunities, make improvements to current systems, embrace technology, develop advertising platforms – including TV, and attract mums and young people.
Suppliers at the Spar Scotland Trade Day included: Allied Bakeries; Accolade Wines; Bacardi; AG Barr; BAT; Britvic; Burton’s Biscuit Co; Camelot; Card Connection; Carlsberg; CCE; Concha y Toro; Coors; Cuisine de France; E and J Gallo; Energiser; Ferrero; Fox’s; Glen Turner; Heineken; Imperial Tobacco; Invereach (Supernatural) ; KP Snacks; Mars Chocolate; Maxxium; Nestle; Newsgroup; Nicocigs; Paterson Arran; Pepsico; Monster; Pernod Ricard; SCJ; Subway; Tennent’s; Thorntons; United Biscuits; and Whyte & Mackay.
