Fed celebrates successful return of Scottish trade show after a decade

The Federation of Independent Retailers (The Fed) has hailed the successful return of a Scottish trade show for the first time in more than 10 years, following a well-attended event in Edinburgh at the end of January.

Held on Thursday, January 29 at Patina in Edinburgh Park, the trade show brought together close to 100 independent retailers from across Scotland, alongside a strong mix of national and local suppliers. The event marked a significant milestone for the Scotland district and demonstrated renewed appetite for face-to-face engagement and district-led activity.

Organised by Scotland district vice president Uthay Soundarajan, the trade show was open to both Fed members and non-members, offering retailers the chance to meet suppliers, discuss trading challenges, and access exclusive deals and incentives.

A wide range of suppliers supported the event, reflecting the diversity of the convenience sector. Those in attendance included Philip Morris, World of Sweets, Swizzels, Red Bull, Grenade and Au Vodka, alongside specialist and service providers such as PayPoint, Worldpay, PU Tech, InPost and Trovr, with the latter giving retailers the opportunity to discuss Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) solutions. A number of local suppliers also took part, helping to reinforce the event’s strong Scottish focus.

National President Hetal Patel and national vice president Hemanshu Patel were both in attendance, spending time speaking directly with retailers and suppliers throughout the day.

Scotland district president Hussan Lal described the event as a major step forward for the district.
“It’s a significant moment to see a Fed trade show back in Scotland after such a long gap,” he said. “The turnout showed there is real demand for this kind of event, and it was encouraging to see so many retailers and suppliers under one roof.”

Vice president Uthay Soundarajan said the success of the day had exceeded expectations: “For our first event in 10 years it was very successful,” he said. “Of course, we want to build on this in the future, host events in different locations each year and bring even more eyes to what the Fed is doing in Scotland. Both the National President and Vice President had a great day meeting members and suppliers, which really added to the atmosphere.”

For further information, please contact: ben.storey@nfrn.org.uk