CJ Lang & Son Ltd has hosted two well-attended supplier virtual business briefing sessions, engaging more than 200 suppliers across the UK. Held on 29 April, the sessions provided an update following the company’s last major engagement at the SPAR Scotland conference and tradeshow in Aviemore, and set the direction for the year ahead, including this year’s event on 25 September.
The briefings highlighted the business’s continued momentum, with another year-on-year growth in overall sales and depot volumes. This performance is underpinned by significant investment in its customer offer, company owned estate, operations and supply chain – all part of a wider, ongoing strategy to modernise the business and ensure it is fit for the future.
Over the past 18 months, CJ Lang has acquired 12 new convenience stores, strengthened its company-owned estate with the successful rollout of their Scottish exclusive "Barista Bar" coffee offer to more than 100 SPAR sites, and introduced Electronic Shelf Edge Labels in 114 of its SPAR Scotland company owned stores.
The business has also advanced its technology infrastructure, with the "Relex" demand planning and forecasting platform now live across their supplier network and on track to be fully operational in all 115 company-owned stores by the end of June.
As part of this rollout, CJ Lang confirmed it will be in touch with suppliers in the coming weeks to rollout supplier forecasting – a key next step in improving product availability across their network. Suppliers were invited to work closely with the business on this initiative and other joint projects to deliver even greater value to SPAR Scotland customers.
The sessions also highlighted the strong performance of recent customer engagement gamification campaigns. ‘Win With Every Goal’, delivered in partnership with SPAR RDC James Hall & Co Ltd, issued over 1.1 million instant rewards and generated more than 880,000 scratchcard plays – well above industry benchmarks. Meanwhile, their "Frozen Fortune" gamification campaign delivered over 1.5 million interactions, including daily £200 holiday voucher prizes, and an average voucher redemption rate of 28%.
CJ Lang outlined its growing focus on digital marketing, including targeted emails, localised engagement through SPAR Scotland store Facebook pages, influencer collaborations, and broader social media activity. The business reaffirmed its commitment to championing Scottish sourcing, with 50% of products on SPAR Scotland shelves coming from Scottish producers – aligning with customers’ desire for quality, value, and support for local.
Looking ahead, CJ Lang is actively inviting supplier collaboration across a range of initiatives, including a strengthened promotional calendar, an extended STV advertising campaign running through to April 2026, and first-to-market opportunities through its dedicated Media Hub. Their ‘Discover SPAR Scotland’ campaign, a targeted B2B initiative to attract new independent SPAR Scotland retailers, continues to roll out nationwide.
CJ Lang’s flagship event, the SPAR Scotland tradeshow and conference, returns to Aviemore on 25 September under the theme "Inspiring Success". This event brings together independent SPAR Scotland retailers, store managers, and FMCG suppliers to network, share insights and be inspired to grow with SPAR in Scotland. As part of its ongoing ‘journey of differentiation’, CJ Lang will use the event to energise its retail network with new ideas, partnerships and tools for future growth.
“We value the importance of working in close partnership with our suppliers to drive mutual growth and success across the Scottish marketplace," said Colin McLean, CEO, CJ Lang & Son Ltd. "These business briefings are all about transparency, collaboration and driving collective growth. With major investments now in place across stores, systems, marketing and operations, we are more focused than ever on delivering strong returns in the Scottish marketplace for our supplier community. There has never been a better time to work with CJ Lang and SPAR Scotland, and we look forward to a rewarding year ahead.”
