SPAR Scotland Collaborate Tradeshow 2026

SPAR Scotland brought retailers, store managers, suppliers, colleagues and representatives from SPAR UK, SPAR International and other industry bodies together for its annual event, with ‘Collaborate’ providing the theme for a day focused on partnership, inspiration and opportunities for the future.

Held at the MacDonald Hotel & Resort in Aviemore on Thursday 24th September 2026, the event brought together the SPAR Scotland community for a packed programme, beginning with three business sessions before moving into the main supplier tradeshow.

With collaboration at the heart of this year’s event, the business presentations provided an honest assessment of the ongoing headwinds facing the convenience sector, including changing consumer behaviour, cost pressures, inflationary challenges and an increasingly competitive retail environment.

Attention was given to key footfall drivers, including the continued growth opportunity presented by food to go, as shoppers increasingly look for convenient, quality options for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacking occasions. The presentations highlighted the role that a strong food-to-go offer can play in increasing store visits, meeting evolving customer needs and creating additional sales opportunities.

Attention was also given to campaigns designed to increase customer engagement and drive footfall, including Spin into Spring and Dream Big. The initiatives showcased how compelling customer propositions, strong execution and effective marketing can create reasons for shoppers to visit stores more frequently and engage with SPAR.

The message throughout the presentations was clear: while the convenience market continues to face significant challenges, there are also considerable opportunities for retailers who remain agile, understand their customers and make the most of the tools, campaigns and support available to them.

By sharing both the challenges and the successes, the business sessions reinforced the value of collaboration across the SPAR Scotland network — bringing retailers, suppliers and the wider business together to identify what works, learn from one another and build for future growth.

Another highlight was the welcome return of motivational speaker Alf Dunbar, who took to the stage in the afternoon to deliver an engaging and energetic presentation to SPAR Scotland’s store managers and retailers.

Known for his enthusiasm and ability to connect with audiences, Alf encouraged attendees to consider the importance of people, leadership, customer experience and working together to achieve success.

The focus on collaboration continued, when the doors opened to the main Collaborate Tradeshow, featuring almost 200 suppliers exhibiting across a wide range of categories.

The tradeshow gave retailers the opportunity to meet directly with suppliers, discover new products and innovations, explore commercial opportunities and exchange ideas about how they can continue to develop their stores and meet the changing needs of customers.

The scale of the supplier presence demonstrated the strength of the relationships behind the SPAR Scotland business, with suppliers and retailers coming together to share knowledge, build partnerships and identify opportunities for mutual growth.

Sonya Harper, Interim CEO, SPAR Scotland, said: “From the three business sessions in the morning, including the welcome return of Alf Dunbar in the afternoon session, through to the tradeshow with almost 200 suppliers, the whole day was about bringing people together, sharing ideas and looking at how we can work collectively to achieve more.

“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.”

The focus on collaboration then culminated in the SPAR Scotland Awards. The annual awards celebrate the successes of company stores, CJ Lang & Son colleagues, independent retailers and supplier partners alike, recognising the people and businesses that make an important contribution to SPAR Scotland.

The event provided a fitting platform for SPAR Scotland to recognise the importance of its relationships across the business and look ahead to the opportunities that can be created by working together.

From inspiration and business insight in the morning to innovation, products and partnerships in the afternoon, Collaborate demonstrated the value of bringing the entire SPAR Scotland community together.

The date for the 2027 SPAR Scotland tradeshow will be announced in the coming weeks.

A full list of SPAR Scotland Award winners will follow next week.