CJ Lang certainly raised the bar with its third Spar Scotland Tradeshow, which welcomed retailers and company-owned store colleagues from across the country.
Aviemore’s MacDonald Hotel and Resort was packed to the rafters on September 26th as more than 800 people gathered for the annual Spar Scotland Tradeshow.
There were goody bags galore as store owners, managers and colleagues sampled the latest new products; got the lowdown on upcoming trends and legislation; and met face to face with some of the 200 suppliers attending.
SLR caught up with a selection of exhibitors to give you a flavour of the event and the multitude of products and services being showcased.
Alternative solutions
Smoking alternatives wholesaler Vape Supplier had a raft of new lines on display.
“We exhibited a whole host of next generation NPD in order to help retailers grow and evolve their category in the face of challenging legislative change,” says national accounts director Gary Routledge.
“We had our commercial director hosting presentations throughout the day, and he did workshops with retailers. It was a very busy show, but every retailer we support actually came along to have a conversation about the category and about which new products they should be stocking and seeking category guidance and seeking legislative guidance. It wasn’t your typical trade show, there was real interaction going on.”
A golden opportunity
The AU Vodka team were at the trade show, as well as at the Spar Scotland Awards in the evening.
“We exhibited our RTD cans including our newest flavour Pink Lemonade and Strawberry Daquiri and Blue Hawaiian cocktail cans,” says Keshav Sharma, Business Development Director at AU.
“In addition to this, we ran the bar in the evening, offering a full range of RTD and cocktail cans as well as our 70cl range. The bar was very popular throughout the evening!
“It was a worthwhile experience for us, which allowed us to have our product tried for the first time by some people, and gain some contacts we can work with in the future.”
Crime-tackling tech
Facewatch took its facial recognition technology to the show to demonstrate how it can be used to reduce retail crime.
“We had huge interest at the show from retailers wanting to better understand how Facewatch worked and the benefits of the system,” says Director Liam Ardern. “Simply put, Facewatch alerts store staff immediately when a known offender on our watch list enters the store, which in turn prevents them from committing a crime or harming their staff.
“It was a great show for us, and we’ve engaged with lots of potential new customers since the show.”
Curry in a hurry
Chef Praveen Kumar was on the stand to present his premium frozen Indian ready meals, which are made with ingredients from his family spice farm in India.
He says: “Our authentic Indian cuisine is listed at CJ Lang and also at independents across the nation. We got a lot of interest, especially from independent stores. We are working with a lot of them already, so it was a good opportunity for us to put a face to the name and catch up with our existing customers.
“It’s 100% a worthwhile show for retailers and exhibitors.”
Café culture – Barista Bar
Having made its debut at last year’s Spar Scotland Tradeshow, Barista Bar was back for 2024.
The Henderson Foodservice-owned concept is already the largest premium coffee-to-go brand in Northern Ireland and is quickly making a name for itself in Scotland, having been rolled out to 100 CJ Lang company-owned stores, as well as 25 independents, with more to follow.
Retailers had the opportunity to experience firsthand how Barista Bar’s quality products and proven success are driving increased footfall, customer loyalty while also offering a profitable addition to their stores.
“The Spar Scotland Tradeshow was a fantastic event for Barista Bar, marking the second year we’ve showcased our premium coffee-to-go offering in Aviemore,” said a spokesperson for the company.
“I encourage any retailer considering Barista Bar to connect with their Spar Scotland contact and embark on their own journey to experience and deliver ‘Coffee as It Should Be’.”
Crafted to perfection
Having partnered with Spar to create an exclusive beer, the Spar Scotland Trade Show provided the perfect opportunity for BrewDog to show off Sprucy Lucy. The 4.5% highly drinkable West Coast Session Pale combines seven hops to achieve unique piney notes.
Richard Garden, National Account Manager, BrewDog, comments; “The CJ Lang trade show was a great success. As well as focusing on this year’s key launch, Wingman Session IPA, it was the first time we have shared the brand-new piney ale, Sprucy Lucy, with retailers – a beer with no fewer than seven hops that was developed in partnership with Spar and available exclusively to its members. Now retailing in 12 countries across Europe, the feedback was extremely positive, with retailers showing a keen interest and eager for more information. It was also great to hear about some of the successes they are already having in-store and we’re thrilled to see the early achievements of such an important partnership, which has enabled Sprucy Lucy to come to market.”
Winter Wiiings
Retailers in need of an energy hit got the opportunity to sample Red Bull’s latest Winter edition. The Iced Vanilla Berry drink boasts refreshing eucalyptus notes, as well as energising taurine and caffeine.
“It was fantastic to be in Aviemore for the CJ Lang 2024 Trade Show, once again giving us the opportunity to connect directly with Spar Scotland retailers and showcase our portfolio and exciting new product developments. The new Red Bull Winter Edition was a highlight in our conversations with retailers, receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback on its taste and market reception since launching in September,” says Josh Hunt, National Account Manager, Red Bull.
