More than 800 retailers attend Bestway Retail Showcase

More than 800 retailers attended the Bestway Retail Showcase held at Coventry Building Society Arena last month.

The event saw the gathering of Bestway’s retail customers from Costcutter, best-one, Bargain Booze and Extra Local symbols and fascias, as well as retailers who are considering joining the Bestway Retail group. Also present were key suppliers and the Bestway Retail specialist retail team.

A new feature this year was the Innovation Zone, which was introduced to help retailers improve sales and margin, reduce costs and see the latest innovations. Retailers were able to experience a virtual reality walk round a new Costcutter and Wine Rack store, the latest Best One and Bargain Booze stores, and blueprints for the next generation of Best One and Bargain Booze stores.

A Pop-Up Shop, designed to minimise closure periods during refits, was on display for retailers to view.

Dawood Pervez, managing director of Bestway Wholesale, said: “This year’s Showcase exceeded our expectations. To have our retailers engaged alongside our supplier partners and industry colleagues was hugely extremely valuable for all parties.

“It’s often hard for independent retailers to find time to discover the latest trends and insights to support their business but the Showcase enables them to do this and make the time really count.

“The vision behind this year’s Showcase was all about innovation and progression. We wanted to help our retailers look ahead and identify great new products and services from suppliers, whilst sharing ideas with like-minded independent business owners, who inevitably face the same challenges.

“It’s not just about new products, it is also about creating leading edge for our retailers. As digital platforms grow in importance, we were keen to highlight and showcase the latest equipment and technology to help them reduce costs (e.g. labour, energy and environmental), as well as the latest security technology.”

Retailers enjoyed interactive events, live demos, experiential zones and food tastings, incorporating ‘perfect serve’ masterclasses, cocktail-making and pairing sessions.

The Showcase saw Bestway give retailers the chance to win £1,000 credit, with two runner- up prizes of £500, whilst offering exclusive show deals to be taken advantage of on the day, leading to a 200% increase in orders taken this year versus last year.

Pervez concluded: “It was an immensely exciting and stimulating day, and I would like to extend a sincere thank you to our retailers and supply partners who helped make the day such a huge success.”