Convenience Connected 2026, a new event for the convenience sector, took place at the National Railway Museum in York on 15 October, hosted by specialist convenience insight agency Talysis. The event brought together retailers, brands, suppliers and technology partners for a day of insight, discussion and collaboration.
Speakers and Key Themes
Delegates heard from independent retailer Bobby Singh, followed by Co-op Wholesale trading director Robbie Moore, Lindt convenience & wholesale controller Alex Hillhouse, Smart Store Network representatives Jonty Edwards and Tim Fairs, and PayPoint banking & digital engagement services director Anthony Sappor. Each presentation was followed by a Q&A session.
Ed Roberts, founder and managing director of Talysis, outlined factors shaping the future of convenience and its challenges, posing the question: “If we were designing the convenience sector from scratch today, what would we build differently and what practical actions should we all begin taking tomorrow?”
Retailer and Wholesale Perspectives
Bobby Singh urged all parties to understand and help solve real problems in-store, particularly technology that works within his systems and structures. He emphasised that everything must either save time, make money or serve the customer better.
Robbie Moore stressed that the market needs real growth and shared six key areas Co-op Wholesale is focusing on within its convenience store of the future. He called on brands to make brand planning more fun for retailers and instore, and highlighted the Gen Z opportunity. Moore also underlined the importance of relevant category insights, stating that “£500 a week in the till means more to a retailer than an £18 billion category value.”
Brand and Technology Innovations
Alex Hillhouse demonstrated how Lindt is recognising the potential of convenience and showed results of addressing the channel’s complexity. He emphasised putting mission before category to increase sales and advised brands and service providers to “get more people out to depots” to understand the sector.
Jonty Edwards and Tim Fairs discussed the retail media revolution and unveiled their Smart Store Network initiative, a social media solution launching in November through 200 stores, with thousands more next year.
PayPoint and Future Plans
Anthony Sappor talked about PayPoint Engage, which uses technology in 40,000 stores to drive brand activation and generate insights. The next stage will pilot in Q1 next year, offering a shared retailer engagement platform with support across the supplier base and AI informed by convenience data.
Ed Roberts brought speakers together for a final panel discussion before networking. Bobby Singh said: “It was a real pleasure to be involved, representing independent retailers, and I look forward to attending future events. The sector has such huge potential and is delivering amazing results despite all the challenges we’re facing. Just imagine what we could achieve, if we collaborate and work together to level the playing field.”
Ed Roberts commented: “We’re delighted to have hosted such a fantastic event for the sector and we’ve had the most incredible feedback from delegates. We wanted to deliver a thought-provoking, pragmatic discussion with senior stakeholders across the convenience ecosystem and to strengthen the collaborative mindset amongst industry leaders. It’s clear from the comments we’ve received to date that we delivered this and more. We’re keen to make this an annual forum and look forward to developing Convenience Connected into a ‘must attend’ event that helps to define the future of convenience.”
