Guidance from the experts Now owned by William Reed, publisher of The Grocer, the Convenience Retailing Show will this year be bigger and better than ever, and give essential guidance on boosting profits Want help on better merchandising, expert advice on theft prevention, or just a chance to catch up on the latest in snack foods, phone top-up cards and refrigerated cabinets for the convenience sector? The Convenience Retailing Show, which opens in just over a week's time in Birmingham's NEC, will have all these things and more. Now owned by William Reed, publisher of The Grocer and Convenience Store, the show has had a complete makeover to make it bigger, better and more relevant than ever before to the independent sector. How to build more profits from a c-store business is the show's theme, according to William Reed exhibitions director David O'Beirne. "We've put our whole focus on improving the performance and profitability of convenience businesses, no matter what their size. "We know that most independent retailers are short of time and access to business improving ideas, so we have tried to help them by including information packed seminars, new educational features and an advice centre in the show. "The overall range of subjects covered by this year's event is huge. We deal with everything from e-commerce and staff issues to marketing techniques and ways to improve merchandising. "Most importantly, we have included things that retailers told us that they wanted to see covered by their show." So what will visitors see at the Convenience Retailing Show? Firstly, there'll be a huge line up of leading brands turning out in force to support the show. Big names among the nearly 200 exhibitors include Bass Take Home, Cadbury Trebor Bassett, Coca-Cola, Cott Beverages, Durex, Ferrero, GlaxoSmithKline, Mars, Nestlé, Procter & Gamble, Pedigree Masterfoods, plus Unilever Bestfoods, United Biscuits and Walkers Snack Foods. Leading tobacco companies Gallaher, Imperial Tobacco and Rothmans have stands, while toiletries and over the counter medicines will be represented by Whitehall Laboratories, Wilkinson Sword, and Wella. Several will take the opportunity to launch or showcase new products. Centrepiece of the show will be the Platform, a three day programme of informative and information-packed seminars and interviews on key subjects that affect a convenience store business. There will be no charge for attending, but seating for each session will be on a first come first served basis. Key elements of the programme are: - the Total Theft Control seminar, presented by US security expert Jack Henry, a former convenience store owner with a sound knowledge of theft techniques. He will demonstrate the theft practices of cashiers, delivery staff and shoplifters ­ and the steps retailers can take to prevent theft happening. - the Staff Session will look at how to attract, motivate and retain staff. - How to Market Your Store will provide tips on ways to attract new customers and how to turn them into regulars. Speakers include central distribution sales director Stan Whittenbury of Nisa-Today's, which provides store development and marketing initiatives among its services. - E-business for C-business will cut through the buzzwords and jargon and explain in clear terms how to use web sites, dropzones and other e-commerce technology in store. - Succession in a family business will deal with advantages and disadvantages of working in a family business. Experts and family retailers will give their views on how to make the transition from one generation to the next as painless as possible. - Merchandising, covered daily in four sessions, will include a seminar on the fundamentals of good practice and how they can be applied to a c-store business, plus members of the Association of Convenience Stores Premier Club will deliver short, punchy presentations on specific aspects. - Retail Stars, run each day, will give visitors an opportunity to take part in question and answer sessions with people who have excelled in the field of convenience retailing. Interviewees include the three winners of the Convenience Store Top Shop 2000 awards: Nick Simpson, manager of Jacksons in Hull, Ben Patel of Londis, Ramsgate, and Mavis Cunneely, manager of Dillons, Litchfield. The Platform will also provide a further vehicle for discussing issues raised at the Association of Convenience Stores' annual conference which, for the first time, is being run alongside CRS. Bringing the conference and the show together to create a single industry event along the lines of NACS Show and Exhibition in the US has been welcomed with great enthusiasm by all sectors of convenience retailing. The ACS one day conference is on Monday 12 March at Birmingham's International Conference Centre and topics include empowering your people, with a presentation from US c-store chain Nice N Easy president John MacDougall. The subject of Convenience Formats for the New Millennium will be addressed by speakers from Budgens, Javelin Group, and the Henley Centre. Achieving Our Goals by Chris Moon MBE will challenge delegates to look beyond the boundaries of self-limitation we impose upon ourselves, while Superquinn chairman Feargal Quinn and Food Standards Agency deputy chair Suzi Leather will give different perspectives on the voice of the consumer. To make a conference reservation, contact Maggie Randall on tel: 01252 515001. One of the fun parts of CRS is the number of bumper prizes that visitors can win. Look out for the following: - Top of the range Mercedes Smart & Passion car donated by Nisa-Today's (pictured). - Rollo refrigerated cabinets designed for beer multi-packs and worth £2,000 from Norpe. - Philips' 14 inch TV and video with teletext from Procter & Gamble. - Mechanical lollipop dispenser worth £150 from Chupa Chups. - Two VIP tickets for a day's motor racing as part of Autobytel Lotus Championship from Whitehall Laboratories. {{FOCUS SPECIALS }}