Major suppliers, award-winning retailers and leading industry data and insight providers are coming together on May 16 in London for Convenience Store’s inaugural Convenience Performance Seminar.

As well as providing the first sight of the latest Retail Grocery Structure document and an exclusive unveiling of key findings from him!s 2012 Convenience Tracking Programme data, the event will also feature a market update from Nielsen about key trends and growth categories within the convenience sector.

In addition, speakers from major suppliers Heineken and Kraft will outline how they successfully engage with convenience retailers for mutual benefit, and the seminar will conclude with a video store tour of Knight’s Budgens of Hassocks with owner David Knight, recently crowned Convenience retailer of the Year.

Delegates will also be able to question the speaker panel for further insight, as well as time for networking with some of the country’s leading independent retailers, wholesalers and suppliers.

Convenience Store editor David Rees commented: “The convenience store sector continues to grow ahead of the grocery market, and is attracting the interest of all of the major grocery retailers in the UK. But despite intensive store development by the multiples, the vast majority of stores in the market are in independent ownership, and it is by leveraging and celebrating this independence that the sector will continue to deliver for shoppers and manufacturers alike.

“In order to maintain and secure growth in the convenience sector, suppliers, wholesalers and retailers need to develop new ways of working closely together for mutual benefit. The Convenience Performance Seminar will evaluate existing performance, celebrate recent successes, and consider areas in which the industry can improve and develop collaboratively in future.”