Conferences

Programme:

10.00 Registration & Coffee 10.45 Welcome & Introduction Another important year has passed for the convenience sector. Steve will consider the progress and bring us up to speed for the session ahead.   Steve Barnes Business Director IGD 10.55 Economic Horizons Are conditions still good for growth in UK convenience retailing? What do the latest performance indicators such as consumer confidence, retail sales volumes and inflation levels tell us? James will provide an economic and competitive assessment of the UK marketplace, considering what this means for convenience retailing.   James Walton Chief Economist IGD 11.30 Tracking the Market Drawing from IGD’s very latest research on the UK convenience market, Stewart will focus on the key performance measures and trends. How have symbol groups, co-operatives, forecourts and multiples fared in the latest year? Which retailers are the most innovative in the sector and what are their strategies for driving future growth?     Stewart Samuel Senior Business Analyst IGD 12.15 Industry Comment As the head of the UK's largest convenience store group, Jerry is in an unrivalled position to comment on the research findings and provide a practical assessment of what this means to the trade and its supplier base.     Jerry Marwood Managing Director Spar UK 12.30 Your Questions Answered... This is your chance to talk through the findings with the team and to explore further the insights and implications for the trade.   12.45 Networking Lunch and Breakout Session Delegates are invited to take lunch and attend a breakout session during this time. The breakout session will run once lasting approximately 30 minutes. 13.15 Global Perspectives Drawing from IGD’s international research programme, Adrian will highlight through case studies and best practice examples from around the world how convenience formats will evolve, and the likely impact of new innovations on the UK sector.     Adrian Williams Senior Business Analyst IGD 13.45 Tracking Shoppers Shopper, sales staff and branch manager feedback at the ‘moment of truth’, Tom will have the very latest results from the 2008 Convenience Shopper Tracking Programme. This insight has become a hugely valuable tool for retailers, suppliers, service-providers and distributors involved in the UK convenience sector. With 30,000 shopper interviews conducted in this year alone, Tom will tell you what it means.     Tom Fender Director HIM 14.30 Industry Comment As a regionally based operator, David Sands understands the importance of knowing what his customers expect from his stores, and developing the offer to meet those needs. David will comment on the latest research findings from him! and provide a ‘hands-on’ view of what this means for the sector.     David Sands Managing Director David Sands Ltd 14.45 Your Questions Answered... This is your chance to talk through the findings and to explore further the insights and implications for the trade and its shoppers.   15.00 Close