Suppliers Dinner 2009
Over 80 retailers and suppliers recently gathered in Edinburgh for the Scottish Grocers Federation (SGF) Annual Suppliers’ Dinner.
In the afternoon Gary Cox, Head of Licensing at the Scottish Government, outlined measures included in the Alcohol etc (Scotland) Bill and the possible impact it will have on the convenience store sector. The event was then opened to the floor for retailers and suppliers to ask questions which sparked a lively and interesting discussion.
Chaired by SGF Chief Executive John Drummond, the evening consisted of a number of presentations kicked off by Katie Mackie, Public Affairs Adviser at SGF. She gave an overview of issues and events SGF have been involved in over the past year highlighting the progress made by SGF in relation to current and imminent legislation.
Tracy Dhinsa, a Keystore retailer, spoke about the highs and lows of moving from Derby with her husband and family to start a new life as a convenience retailer in Ayrshire and their subsequent decision to take the bold step and build a brand new store in Mauchline, supported by Keystore.
Jonathan Rons of HIM! addressed the suppliers in the audience and encouraged them to work together with convenience store retailers to develop sales opportunities. He referred to research which confirmed there are still huge opportunities for the convenience store sector to exploit.
The final speaker was Allene Bruce, Business Development Manager at Scotland Food and Drink. Scotland Food and Drink aims to grow the value of Scotland’s food and drink sector. Allene outlined the objectives of her organisation in relation to the Scottish Government’s food and drink policy.
Scottish Grocers Federation