Retailers to benefit from five co-located shows, all demonstrating upcoming retail trends while debating factors affecting the sector
The National Convenience Show will be back at the NEC from 16-18 April this year with all the need-to-know information and insights that any retailer could want.
Owners of convenience stores, forecourt traders, independent retailers, symbol groups, off licences and wholesalers will gather at the show to see the biggest trends and product launches across the sector for the coming year. They will have the chance to review the best fresh produce and products, as well as identifying new technology and services.
Many companies will be launching their products at the show, giving visitors the first look. I VG Premium E-Liquids is one such company, with a range of new vaping flavours making their debut at National Convenience Show. Within its I VG Sweet range, new flavours Strawberry Millions and Blackcurrant Millions will be added to the portfolio, as well as Choco Haze Pancake and Jam Roly Poly, which will join the Desserts range and Strawberry Sensation and Purple Slush will join the I VG range.
Kervan Gida, Turkey’s largest soft candy producer and exporter, will launch new Dexter’s three for £1 range on stand. The company took over the well known brand of candy in January last year. It’s BEBETO 100% Halal sweets range will be showcased as well.
Also causing a stir on stand will be F’real, America’s number one brand of frozen blended milkshakes. The F’real milkshake blender will be utilised at the show, demonstrating its usability to easily whip up delicious and profit-making milkshakes in store. Visitors will be welcome to drop by for a taste of this company’s thick blended milkshakes and see how easy to use and maintain the machinery is.
Last but not least, drinks brand Boost will reveal its plans for the coming year at National Convenience Show. Al Gunn, Sales Director, said: “This year is going to be a big one for Boost; we’re introducing some exciting new products and undertaking our biggest ever distribution drive. We’re looking forward to telling show attendees more about our plans.”
With the traditional world increasingly colliding with the digital, the show will see the return of its Digital Hub, updated and improved for 2018. Pete Doyle, Founder and CEO of SocialRetail Group, will offer his advice on social media. With 28 years’ experience in retail across successful retailers including Waitrose and Marks & Spencer, he will run five 15-minute demos throughout each day. iPads will be on hand for beginners to get to grips with the basics straight away, while sessions tailored to intermediate and advanced levels will also take place, offering every level of retailer the tools that they need to successfully take the next step in their business digitally.
The Retailer Hub, invariably a bustling part of the show, will take centre stage with a stellar line-up of speakers who will impart knowledge gained with the benefits of real experience. The three-day programme features a number of household names and business owners with whom any retailer would relish a tete-a-tete. One such personality is Kate Hardcastle who has made significant improvements to businesses across the country. Speaking for the first time at the show, the 25-time award-winning business expert will be on hand to answer all queries coming her way at the National Convenience Show.
Serious landscape-changing debate will hit the stage too, with panel discussions scheduled on major events such as the impact of the Tesco/Booker and Co-op/Nisa mergers on the convenience market and what this means for shoppers and retailers. Visitors should also aim to find time for a further panel discussion on the negative downturn the sector has felt as a result of changing tobacco laws, and how clever strategies for new products to get customers through the door can make all the difference.
Products entered into the Great New Idea competition will be on display around the show, clearly marked with a sticker. Visitors will be able to get their first look at those in the running, as well as being there for the unveiling of the champion.
All this and more will be at the NEC from 16-18 April, making National Convenience Show 2018 an exhibition that retailers really can’t afford to miss. Its co-location with the UK’s biggest food and drink show Food & Drink Expo, Foodex, Farm Shop & Deli Show and the inaugural The Ingredients Show, means visitors will have an unrivalled opportunity to network with peers, suppliers and customers across the manufacturing, retail and food and drink industries. To register for free, receiving entry to all co-located shows, visit: https://www.nationalconvenienceshow.co.uk/
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Notes to editor: The National Convenience Show is co-located with four other events – The Ingredients Show, Foodex, the Farm Shop & Deli Show and Food & Drink Expo – the country’s premier food and drink event. Together they will bring together 1,500-plus suppliers from across the whole food and drink supply chain, from retailers to manufacturers, making it the place to do business in the industry.
