I get invited to supplier events, which provide me with so many benefits as a retailer. The reason I get invited to supplier events actually stems from doing a roundtable with Better Retailing’s sister title RN and Lucozade. That was years ago.

Even if you put yourself out there once, it can lead to a lot of changes in your career. It’s all about engaging and communicating with the brands. That’s what opens up the opportunities of be­ing invited to panels and events. These supplier events are a chance to meet other retailers you haven’t met before, and get to know the faces behind the brands.

How attending supplier events can benefit you as a retailer

Recently, I went up to Manchester with Sun­tory Beverage & Food GB&I (SBF GB&I) to discuss its products coming out next year and how it’s doing as a company. It’s beneficial to see what’s being launched before others find out and taste-test products – this was the case for Blucozade.

Read more Lucozade product news and articles

It’s great to have direct contact with these brands for charity purposes, too – like the re­cent Orangina drive with SBF GB&I. Another ben­efit of engaging with brands is being invited to some fun events. Recently, some WiC members were invited to Wembley to watch the Lionesses versus USA in a football match. Sometimes that can be useful for just stepping outside of retail with some like-minded people. There’s general socialising taking place, but we can’t help but chat about business sometimes. However, through this you find out about others having similar problems, and can share ideas.

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