Spar brings together sector members in Aviemore
SYMBOL group Spar Scotland has brought together members from across the UK’s convenience sector has part of its annual Tradeshow event in Aviemore.
Held at the MacDonald Hotel & Resort on Thursday 24 September, the day saw hundreds of delegates descend on the Highlands town for a packed programme of events and expansive trade show exhibition.
The day kicked off with three business sessions before it moved into the main supplier trade show, with the theme of ‘Collaboration’ at the heart of the 2026 event.
Each business presentation sought to provide an “honest assessment” of the ongoing trading headwinds facing the convenience sector from the perspective of the symbol group’s wholesaler CJ Lang & Son, including changing consumer habits, cost pressures, inflationary challenges and an increasingly competitive environment.
The day also discussed different ways in which Spar Scotland is working to support retailers to increase footfall across their stores including through food-to-go opportunities, highlighting how a strong proposition in this category can play a vital role in bringing more customers into stores.
Further to this, CJ Lang also brought attention to its ongoing consumer initiatives such as the Spin into Spring competition as well as the currently running Great Big Giveaway activation.
The trade show itself saw over 200 UK suppliers exhibit their products and highlight NPD that could support retailers in the convenience channel to drive up sales. This also gave store owners the chance to interact directly with some major FMCG brands and exchange ideas on how they can continue to develop their stores.
Sonya Harper, interim chief executive at Spar Scotland, said: “Our retailers and store managers are at the heart of SPAR Scotland, and events like this give us a valuable opportunity to listen, learn and share ideas with them.
“At the same time, the support and commitment we receive from our supplier partners is hugely important to our success.
“It was fantastic to see so many people engaging throughout the day, and I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to making Collaborate such a successful event. Collaborate was the perfect theme for this year’s event because collaboration really is at the heart of everything we do.”
