Working at IFE (International Food Exhibition) at the Excel Conference and Exhibitions Centre in London this week. We will meet hundreds of key buyers from all of the supermarkets, food service, convenience stores etc.
Quite apart from the great looking stands with products on show, there is a fascinating seminar on the future of convenience retailing carried out by Leeds Metropolitan University.
The traditional convenience store has been replaced by the multiples who are now open 24/7 so you don’t need to pop out for a pint of milk before 10pm. Now the supermarket brands are encroaching on this sector within towns with ‘top up’ type outlets. Get the thinking caps on, the smaller store needs to differentiate – there is a huge movement for customers to push to buy locally so stocking local may just be one option to consider.