SPAR Ireland has hosted a SPAR Innovation Event, showcasing the latest thinking in retailing trends, technologies, and other solutions to support retailers’ businesses due to roll out over the next 12 months. Hundreds of retailers from across Ireland gathered at the business forum in Carlow at the end of June.

Among the new solutions showcased on the day was SPAR Ireland partner BWG Foods’ new predictive AI stock management system, ShopLink Pro. This system leverages hundreds of complex data points to predict consumer demand for instore products, allowing for smarter forecasting of stock requirements. It also considers business promotions and category management to deliver 21-day, 14-day, and 7-day sales forecasts. The BWG team also revealed an innovative new HR Support service to support retailers in managing this important part of their business.

Food and beverage concepts

SPAR Ireland also showcased some of its latest food and beverage concepts, including Háo Chi Bar, The Local Tea Company, Popsicle, Pazza @ Home, and I-Scream, the exclusive ice cream offering.

Discussions on the day included presentations from SPAR and BWG Foods management focused on the continued development and expansion of the SPAR retail network across Ireland and plans to launch new offerings, including an expanded SPAR Own Brand Range.

At the event, SPAR Ireland Sales Director Colin Donnelly said, “Our network of SPAR retailers is very much a tight-knit community of like-minded businesspeople. It was fantastic to gather socially and share conversations regarding our business’s future, offerings, and iconic brand. SPAR has always been at the very forefront of retail innovation in Ireland and across the world. This meeting was the perfect platform to share ideas and to present our exciting plans.”

The guest contributions at the event included Olympic Gold Medallist and SPAR Brand Ambassador Kellie Harrington.

Source: SPAR Ireland

Read more about SPAR in Ireland

About SPAR Ireland

SPAR Ireland was established in 1963. It is operated by a leading wholesale and retail company, BWG Foods, now a subsidiary of SPAR Group Ltd Southern Africa.

With a presence across the Republic of Ireland, SPAR is one of the country’s largest convenience retail groups. In developing the business, SPAR Ireland has a long track record of recognising the strategic importance of new retail concepts. It operates three of the four SPAR formats: SPAR, EUROSPAR, and SPAR Express. These three formats bring consumers a comprehensive range of innovative products and instore offerings.