Building stronger connections between retailers and brands is becoming increasingly important in the convenience sector, as operators face ongoing cost pressures and changing shopper behaviour. Discover how *shopt is making a difference.
Retailers are reporting strong growth in categories such as food-to-go, energy drinks and value-led ranges, while also navigating challenges including rising costs and regulatory changes. These shifts are driving a need for closer, more practical collaboration between brands and independent retailers.
*shopt is aiming to support this shift through its app, which rewards retailers with cash incentives at the same time as creating a direct line of communication with brands. By combining digital engagement with in-person activity, *shopt is working to bridge the gap between brands and convenience store owners, helping both sides respond more quickly to trends and in-store needs.
A fresh format for 2026
These trends were reflected at *shopt’s latest event, held at The Distillery in Birmingham, where the company brought this collaborative approach to life.
Building on the success of previous years, the 2026 event introduced a refreshed format, including a new venue as well as dedicated retailer and brand panel sessions. Retailers from convenience stores across the UK were invited, alongside representatives from leading FMCG brands including Mars, The Magnum Ice Cream Company, PepsiCo, Asahi and Suntory.
The event focused on facilitating conversations and consisted of a series of rotational workshops, which provided retailers with a chance to sit down and engage directly with brand representatives to share thoughts and create honest discussions.
You can watch the event highlights here:
Two-way conversation
Alexa Hester, director of *shopt, celebrated the importance of bringing retailers and suppliers together, saying: “The crucial thing about this event is that it’s a two-way conversation. So often brands do big events to celebrate their new launches and their products with retailers, but it’s often one-way dialogue. This event is designed to be smaller and more intimate, giving the chance for brands and retailers to have really meaningful conversations about what they need from each other.”
Insights from the shop floor
A highlight of the event was the retailer panel, which brought together retailers to share first-hand experiences from the shop floor. Discussions focused on category performance and the trends shaping 2026, with retailers highlighting strong growth in areas such as food-to-go, energy drinks and value-led ranges, as well as shifting shopper missions and format preferences.
The panel also explored the realities of running a convenience store in the current climate, from managing rising costs to navigating regulatory changes such as the disposable vape ban. Retailers shared how they are adapting, including identifying new opportunities within disrupted categories, and making better use of in-store space.
Pricing and promotion were also high on the agenda, with retailers discussing how shoppers are responding to value offers, and what strategies are proving most effective in driving engagement, sales and loyalty.
Some retailers shared practical examples from their own stores, including initiatives designed to drive repeat visits within a single day, such as offering free coffee refills after an initial purchase to encourage customers to return and drive additional sales. These kinds of simple, experience-led promotions highlight how retailers are thinking creatively about increasing basket spend and building customer loyalty.
Importantly, the session created a space for retailers to openly share what works in their stores, what doesn’t, and where brands can better support them providing valuable, actionable insight.
Unlocking reach through digital engagement
Alongside these in-person events, *shopt is helping brands respond to retailer needs at scale through its digital platform. The app enables brands to connect with thousands of convenience retailers at scale, delivering advice, insights and rewards in a way that fits seamlessly into their day-to-day operations.
Customer reach
Julie Saxton, head of traditional trade at Mars, says: “Where *shopt steps in for us is a digital transformation that we wouldn’t normally get through physical reach that we get for our customers. The more ways we can engage in our customer set the better. We’ve got over 40,000 customers that we need to reach, *shopt has stepped in and helped us to create a digital platform to engage those customers.”
From feedback to in-store action
What sets *shopt apart is its ability to turn retailer feedback into action. Insights gathered through the platform and events such as these are used to shape practical initiatives, from category support to in-store activation to ensure retailers see real, measurable impact.
Rewards and education
Atul Sodha from Londis Harefield notes: “The positive impact that *shopt makes for our business has been key. We talked about having category pieces, banners - all the different things that would engage a retailer - and *shopt was really good at implementing a lot of those things. It’s not just about rewards, it’s also about educating us and giving us the tools to improve.”
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