Tradeshow success for Scottish symbol group
THE Spar Scotland trade show made its triumphant return in Aviemore on 26 September as wholesaler CJ Lang & Son promised a look to the future for the symbol group.
Over 800 delegates came from across the breadth of the UK’s convenience industry to Aviemore to gain insights and meet with key suppliers in the trade and find out what the Spar Scotland symbol group had to offer.
And there was plenty to be found there, with events and talks running across the day as well as an opportunity to explore over 200 suppliers across the trade show’s exhibit.
Colin McLean, chief executive of CJ Lang & Son, said: “There have been some significant changes to our industry over the past few years, but I’m proud to see how Spar Scotland continued to be leading in the industry in many ways; literally raising the bar.
“We like to say that our customers are also our neighbours, and we’ve continued to support many charities and organisations large and small across the country in the last year.”
The theme for the Tradeshow this year was “Raising the Bar” as CJ Lang promised suppliers and delegates alike a new level of retailing excellence in Scotland, showcasing the strengths of the Spar Scotland brand along the way whilst also providing brands with a platform to showcase the benefits of their products.
Following the trade show, CJ Lang rounded out the evening with a glittering event in the Macdonald Aviemore Resort complete with dinner, entertainment and the return of the Spar Scotland Awards.
This year saw a total eight awards handed out to retailers across the Spar estate, marking those independent and company-owned stores that have excelled over the last year.
This included:
Independent Vaping Store of the Year: Spar Motherwell Road, Bellshill
Company Owned Vaping Store of the Year: Spar Culloden
Independent Spar Brand Store of the Year: Spar Lochcarron
Company Owned Spar Brand Store of the Year: Spar Glamis Centre, Glenrothes
Independent Community Store of the Year: Spar Market Pinkie Farm Convenience, Musselburgh
Company Owned Community Store of the Year: Spar Saltcoats
Independent Store of the Year: Spar David’s Kitchen, Kirkcaldy
Company Owned Store of the Year: Spar Castletown
McLean said: “As a family owned, Dundee-based business, we’re uniquely placed within the Scottish convenience marketplace to truly understand our customers.
“We’re proud to say that over 50% of our products are Scottish, supporting the economy and bringing the best of local produce to our customers.
“We’re local but also global, and when you’re a part of the Spar Scotland family, you also get the benefit of joining an international partnership, spanning more than 48 countries.”
