CJ Lang & Son Limited

SPAR Scotland, the leading symbol group in Scotland, won the coveted “Technology Initiative of the Year” award at The Grocer Gold Awards 2024 held at the iconic Royal Albert Hall in London on 2nd July 2024. The group won Technology Initiative of the Year for its rollout of an in-store digital innovation solution that includes discreet camera technology to help manage in-store ranges and availability. The rollout and implementation of the project, managed by Graham Murdoch, IT Director and Sonya Harper, Central Operations Director,  in SPAR stores across Scotland has been the group’s supplying wholesaler, CJ Lang & Son Ltd, largest investment in its history, showing shoppers and suppliers how the business is modernising and moving convenience retail forward. Judges called it a “very comprehensive ESEL solution”, while one SPAR employee testimonial stated that “in all my 26 years’ service with this company, it is, in my opinion, the biggest game-changer to date”. Chief Executive Officer Colin McLean at CJ Lang & Son said: “We are thrilled to win the Grocer Gold award for Technology Initiative of the Year. Well done to everyone in the business involved across IT, Central Operations and our team at SPAR Crosshouse, as it was a competitive category against four other finalists. “Electronic shelf edge labels (ESEL’s) have been a gamechanger for our SPAR Scotland store colleagues replacing hours of manual labour which are now reinvested into sales generating activities. In addition, ESELs are improving the shopper experience, driving productivity and helping with our sustainability goals by eliminating the use of paper at the point of sale. “We are progressively rolling ESELs out across all our company owned estate and they should be installed in all stores by the end of this year. “In addition, we have gone one step further in our SPAR Crosshouse store, near Kilmarnock by trialling leading edge camera technology which our store manager Kelly and her team can use to manage their store range and in-store availability. Whilst still very much at the trial stages, directionally, this could change the future of store operations over the years to come.” #SPARScotland #GrocerGoldAward

SPAR Garthamlock's Summer Party kicked off the school holidays in style with giveaways, discos and dancing. The store at 2 Redcastle Square celebrated the start of summer with a lively event on Friday June 28th. Held from 2pm to 4pm, customers enjoyed a variety of activities and giveaways. The first sixty lucky customers from 2pm received £5 vouchers at the till, while neighbours up to a mile from the store had received a voucher of £10 off a £25 spend redeemable exclusively for the day only. The SPAR Scotland spinning wheel was as popular as ever, with queues up and down the aisles of the shop as shoppers awaited their turn for the chance to win SPAR banded items, vouchers or goodies from suppliers such as Barista Bar and Irn Bru. The Healthy Living Programme engaged customers with insights into promoting healthier lifestyles while giving away info packs and goody bags. Store colleagues refreshed hungry visitors with samples of the Tartan Army Pie from Brownings the Bakers and Rollover kindly supported with some of their delicious hotdogs and eye-catching branded goodies. Slices of the new pizza from SPAR Scotland’s own Food-to-Go brand CJ’s were devoured as customers waited to have their faces painted or danced along to the summer tunes from the DJ. Stephen Brown, Head of Food-to-Go at SPAR Scotland, highlighted the significance of these samplings: “We were excited to offer samples of our CJ’s products and new pizza to give our customers a taste of what we have to offer. It was important for us to connect directly with the community and showcase the quality and variety of our Food-to-Go range, whether it is for breakfast, lunch or a delicious afternoon sweet treat.” SPAR Scotland is proud of contributing to the neighbourhoods which it is a part of and the Garthamlock store is at the heart of a tight knit community. During the event contributions were made of £500 each to Imagine That Performing Arts, Glasgow Athletic Football Club, and Rhythmic Dance Studio to support their activities. The highlight of the afternoon were the energetic dance performances by Rhythmic Dance Studio, stopping passersby and shoppers in their tracks to watch the dance troop. Natasha Dick, Senior Marketing Executive at SPAR Scotland, said of the event: “We were thrilled to host this summer party at SPAR Garthamlock. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with our community, offer great giveaways, and support local charities. We are grateful for the continued support from our customers and delighted to celebrate with them to kick off the summer holidays in true SPAR style.” #SPARScotland #SummerParty #CommunityEngagement

Step inside our #SLRawards Fresh & Chilled Retailer of the Year, David's Kitchen Kirkcaldy. Hungry for more of our winning stores? You can see them all at https://www.slrawards.com/.

CJ Lang are 2024 Grocer Gold Award Winners for Technology Initiative of the Year! 🎉 Consisting of the installation of interactive digital screens linked to electronic shelf-edge labels, plus discreet camera technology to manage range and in-store availability, the biggest technology investment in CJ Lang’s history is providing a tantalising three-for-one offer: modernising stores, improving the customer shopping experience and driving productivity. Read more from The Grocer here on our digital investment into stores👉 https://lnkd.in/e9j2_PiZ #SPARScotland #GrocerGoldAwards #Winners2024

We were excited to support our local Pride event for the second year running in Dundee 🌈 Dundee Pride took place on 15th June at Slessor Gardens. The day was filled with an array of artist performing, smiling faces and lots of colour! Hear from Learning & Development Manager Tom Dodkins, about our sponsorship of the event and what it means to us as a local Dundee business 🙌 #SPARScotland #PrideMonth #DundeePride #SupportingLocal

SPAR Scotland marked an exciting milestone by transforming SPAR Halbeath into a coffee lover’s paradise on June 21st. In celebration of the successful rollout of Barista Bar in 20 company-owned stores, wholesaler CJ Lang & Son Ltd and Barista Bar treated customers to an array of festivities, including an hour of complimentary hot drinks across stores. From 9am to 10am a regular Friday morning was turned into a caffeine powered experience across the country at all 20 of the new Barista Bar locations. SPAR Halbeath was a hive of activity with an in-store party to truly celebrate, treating customers to free Lorne rolls to get the day started on the right foot. Stephen Brown, Head of Food-To-Go at SPAR Scotland, said: “The addition of Barista Bar, currently exclusive in Scotland to SPAR, significantly enhances our food-to-go offering while providing a high-quality product at a competitive price. “We’re delighted so many of our customers have embraced the brand, and it compliments well with some of our local products such as our bakery ranges. The success is flowing through to our independent retailers too, many of whom are also signing on to join the Barista Bar journey.” Customers in SPAR Halbeath on Pittsburgh Road were also able to sample some of Brownings the Bakers popular new Tartan Army Pies while spinning the infamous SPAR Scotland wheel to win goodies which included vouchers, SPAR branded products and Barista Bar themed goodies. Complimentary Marie Curie biscuits were available thanks to Stuart’s Bakers & Butchers, showcasing support for SPAR Scotland’s national charity partner. As part of the event SPAR Scotland made notable charitable contributions, presenting £500 to Marie Curie as well as £500 each to two local charities, Touch Trust and TRA, reflecting the company’s ongoing commitment to community support. Natasha Dick, Senior Marketing Executive at SPAR Scotland, said: "The successful rollout of Barista Bar across our stores represents a significant enhancement to the SPAR Scotland experience. Hopefully many got to try Barista Bar for the first time today for free and it was a great way for us to say ‘thank you’ to the customers who have supported us so far. “Today’s celebration at SPAR Halbeath was a fantastic way to engage with our community and support deserving charities. We’re grateful to everyone who joined us." #SPARScotland #BaristaBar #CommunityEngagement

Pinkie Farm Convenience Store proudly celebrated its tenth anniversary on 31st May 2024. Over the past decade, the SPAR convenience store located in Musselburgh, East Lothian, has been serving its local community by providing exceptional customer service, high quality products, excellent store standards and a welcoming atmosphere. Pinkie Farm Convenience Store was built on the site of the old Pinkie Farm in 2014. Originally set up and run by Colin Smith, the store was taken over by Dan Brown in 2018, who had worked closely with Colin when the store was first opened. The store underwent a major refit in 2019, which saw the introduction of new food-to-go concepts and a significantly increased chilled range, and the store has continued to evolve since. Dan's partner, Nicole, joined the business in 2022, a pivotal year for the store as it changed its supply partners to SPAR Scotland. The store has been at the heart of its community for ten years, carrying out regular seasonal events and raising thousands of pounds for local causes and charities. Dan Brown, Managing Director, said: “We are incredibly grateful to our loyal customers and dedicated staff for their support over the past ten years. This anniversary is a testament to the hard work and commitment of our team and the trust of our local community. Our ambition is to keep evolving the store to give our community a store they can be proud of.” To commemorate the significant milestone, the store held a huge event for local shoppers to enjoy. SPAR Scotland provided shoppers with over one hundred goody bags, vouchers to save money whilst shopping in the store, the iconic SPAR Spinning Wheel with great prizes, a prize draw for 4 x £50 SPAR vouchers and face painting for children visiting. Suppliers, SPAR Brand and the Healthy Living Programme attended and provided food and drink sampling. Over the years Pinkie Farm has actively contributed to the local community through various events and during the anniversary event a donation of £250 was given to Pinkie Primary School and the charity Firststep. Brian Straiton, Independent Sales Director at SPAR Scotland, said: “Our partnership with Pinkie Farm is very important to us and to show our appreciation for the positive impact the team continue to make in Musselburgh, we provided the store and the local community with a fun birthday party. “Dan and Nicole work tirelessly to provide shoppers with the best of local produce, a clean and welcoming store and employment for local people. The store has continually adapted to meet the evolving needs of its customers, introducing new products and services while maintaining the highest of standards. Congratulations SPAR Pinkie Farm – we are excited to work with you over the next decade and beyond.” #SPARScotland #PinkieFarm #Celebrations #CommunityEngagement

It was another triumphant night for SPAR Scotland at the Scottish Local Retailer awards yesterday! Well done to the following teams and individuals who received an award last night - fantastic recognition for the hard work and commitment you are all delivering 👏 💫 SPAR Crosshouse - Bread & Bakery Retailer of the Year 💫SPAR Erskine - Store refit of the Year 💫SPAR Market David's Kitchen Glenrothes - Food-to-Go Retailer of the Year 💫SPAR Market David's Kitchen Kirkcaldy - Fresh & Chilled Retailer of the Year 💫Gerry Haughey, SPAR Garthamlock - Outstanding Achievement Award 💫Keith Fernie, SPAR Market David's Kitchen Stores - Scottish Local Retailer of the Year Well done to all of the shortlisted teams and individuals on the night too - a huge representation across SPAR Scotland. A tremendous accolade and testament to your community focused retailing and support for your customers! 💙 Are you interested in becoming a retailer with award winning symbol group SPAR Scotland? Why not give us a message 😉 https://lnkd.in/em6dPeZv #SPARScotland #Teamwork #AwardWinningSymbolGroup #ScottishLocalRetailer

We would like to wish the best of luck to all SPAR Scotland shortlisted nominees at tonight's SLR Awards👏 A huge well done - 17 nominations is absolutely outstanding! Go team SPAR Scotland 💙 Bread & Bakery Retailer of the Year ⭐ SPAR Crosshouse Scottish Brands Retailer of the Year ⭐ SPAR Jamestown ⭐ SPAR Market David's Kitchen Kirkcaldy Confectionary Retailer of the Year ⭐ SPAR Erskine Soft Drinks Retailer of the Year ⭐ SPAR Crosshouse Food-to-Go Retailer of the Year ⭐ SPAR Scourie ⭐ SPAR Garthamlock ⭐ SPAR Market David's Kitchen Glenrothes Community Retailer of the Year ⭐ SPAR Portland Street Forecourt Retailer of the Year ⭐ SPAR Jamestown Fresh & Chilled Retailer of the Year ⭐ SPAR Crosshouse ⭐ SPAR Market David's Kitchen Kirkcaldy Refit of the Year ⭐ SPAR Erskine Newstrade Retailer of the Year ⭐ SPAR West Kilbride Sustainability Retailer of the Year ⭐SPAR Drymen Off-Trade Retailer of the Year ⭐SPAR Renfrew Team of the Year ⭐SPAR Portland Street #SPARScotland #SLRAwards2024 #WellDone

Former professional Scottish footballer Colin Hendry helped launch SPAR Scotland’s latest customer campaign, Win With Every Goal, at SPAR Keith on Friday 7th June 2024. The Scottish international footballer attended the store event along with colleagues from SPAR Scotland to celebrate the campaign which has been created to run alongside the Euros. Win With Every Goal is a new online game where customers have a chance at winning instant rewards or have a shot at the £10,000 grand prize during the campaign, which kicked off on Thursday 6th June and runs until Sunday 14th July. Colin Hendry, who captained Scotland, won the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers and a treble with Rangers, said: “I think the beauty of Win With Every Goal is that it is free to play, and there is something in it for you as a player whether you get a major team or one of the smaller nations. “The campaign looks superb and there truly are some great rewards to be won. I’m sure SPAR customers will support it enthusiastically like they did last time – and I will be one of them!” Colin took the time to meet shoppers, stand for photographs and sign autographs. Paula Middleton, Head of Marketing at CJ Lang & Son Ltd, said: “We were very excited to celebrate the launch of Win With Every Goal with Colin at SPAR Keith. The launch of Euro 2024 is an exciting time for men’s Scottish football. Not only will our SPAR shoppers get to enjoy the games, but they will have the added bonus of being able to take part in our new online game across Scotland over the duration of the football tournament." There was product sampling available from JG Ross, a debut of the Tartan Army Pie from Brownings the Bakers and CJ’s food-to-go offer. Rollover Hotdog and Coca Cola also showed their support with stock samples, while the Healthy Living Programme distributed fruit out to school children visiting. In addition, SPAR Scotland have donated £1500 to local organisations in support of their role as a community retailer; £500 each to Keith Primary School, Keith Martial Arts and Keith Youth Football. More than 300 SPAR stores across all of Scotland are participating in the total reward pool of £500,000. SPAR customers can visit everygoal.co.uk to submit their details and spin a virtual wheel which will randomly select their team. Customers must then choose to win an instant reward each time their team either scores or concedes. There are 400,000+ instant rewards to be won, prizes of £200 are given away every day, and entries to the grand prize draw will see a £10,000 winner from Scotland. SPAR customers can visit everygoal.co.uk to sign up and spin a wheel which will randomly select their team. Customers will be alerted via text message each time their team scores or concedes, and they will be able to claim their reward via a digital voucher, redeemable at their nearest participating SPAR store. Win With Every Goal runs until Sunday 14th July 2024. For more information, visit everygoal.co.uk.