BWG Foods hosts inaugural category and innovation showcase event
€28 million generated through Ireland’s largest online retailer trade show
BWG Foods welcomed retail customers from across its SPAR, EUROSPAR, MACE and LONDIS networks to the inaugural BWG Trading, Category and Innovation Showcase, an industry-first event which took place at the Curragh Racecourse.
The showcase brought together 1,000 independent retailers and suppliers, ranging from global FMCG multinationals including Coca-Cola, Diageo, Heineken and Mondelez, to emerging and innovative brands such as Neutonic’s productivity drinks range and Uzuzu on-the-go sushi offerings. The event provided retailers with an expert and forward-looking view of how categories, foodservice and in-store execution are evolving within the convenience channel, defining trends that are set to define the sector over the next three years.
LSN, a BWG Foods business and Ireland’s leading distributor of sports nutrition products, also featured strongly, highlighting the growing opportunity for convenience retailers in this fast-expanding category. BWG retailers are currently experiencing growth of up to 120% in sports nutrition, reflecting the shift in where and how customers are purchasing these products.
A key focus of the day was food innovation and the continued evolution of deli and food-to-go. Retailers were encouraged to rethink traditional foodservice models as changing shopper habits create new opportunities across high-growth categories including novel chicken offerings, fresh beverages, healthier options and premium sandwiches. BWG outlined how demand is increasingly extending beyond the traditional lunch occasion, with shoppers seeking quality, choice and convenience throughout the day.
Presentations highlighted the increasingly competitive environment for convenience retailers, who are now competing not only with other stores, but with quick service restaurants and cafés that continue to raise consumer expectations around consistency, range and experience. The live showcase area demonstrated practical ways retailers can evolve their in-store offering, reinforcing the role of the deli as a key driver of future growth within convenience retail. It also featured high-trend and viral products opportunities such as Ready to Drink (RTD) cocktails, flavoured breads and vegetable snack boxes.
Health-led food was another central theme, with BWG outlining that health foods are no longer a passing trend but a structural and normalised part of consumer demand. The Group unveiled Uzuzu, a new sushi concept designed to tap into growing demand for healthier yet compelling food options, alongside its Greens & Co. salad bar concept, which has become a popular feature across the BWG retail network.
The event also explored emerging foodservice trends, including the continued premiumisation of convenience food within accessible price points, and the increasing role of technology, with self ordering kiosks set to become a more normalised feature within convenience foodservice environments.
In parallel with the showcase, BWG Foods hosted its annual trade show, where over €28 million in sales were generated through strong promotional activity delivered by key suppliers, underlining the continued strength of the convenience and wholesale channel.
Jamie Tevlin, Trading Director, BWG Foods, said “This showcase was about giving our independent retailers genuine foresight – not just into what is trending today, but into what will drive growth over the next three years. Convenience retail is evolving at pace, and our role is to help retailers stay ahead by translating innovation, category insight and execution best practice into clear, practical opportunities they can deploy in-store. Bringing suppliers and retailers together in this way allows us to accelerate that shared ambition.”
