Oct 21, 2020 | Katherine Rich Comments
With the supply chain challenges of the March and April Covid-19 lockdown and the Auckland Alert Level 3 border problems successfully behind them, suppliers of food and groceries are now able to turn their full attention to another issue – rebuilding their businesses...
Sep 15, 2020 | Katherine Rich Comments
For most, this election will be like no other in living memory, except for those who can remember the disruptions of WWII. It’s doubtful there will be the usual discussion and scrutiny of policy, instead replaced by the focus on Covid-19 and answering the growing...
Aug 24, 2020 | Katherine Rich Comments
How to keep food on the shelf in Auckland? The short answer is to let essential food workers travel to their factories in and out of Auckland, says FGC Chief Executive Katherine Rich. For the longer explanation about changes that need to be made to the current...
Jul 24, 2020 | Katherine Rich Comments
New Zealand grocery shoppers are the most promotion-driven in the world. The latest data I’ve seen showed almost $6 in every $10 spent on groceries were sold on promotion (compared with $4 in Australia and $3 in the UK). Countdown and Foodstuffs have acknowledged...
Jul 15, 2020 | Katherine Rich Comments
The Covid-19 lockdowns forced changes on all of us, workwise and personally. But it wasn’t just in the 12 weeks we were subject to some form of social distancing. In the early weeks of Level 1 we also saw how some of those changes were sticking, and could do so well...
Jul 3, 2020 | Katherine Rich Comments
Whether people follow the grocery sector in detail or take a casual interest as shoppers, most would be aware of the transformation that has taken place in supermarket aisles over the past decade as manufacturers work hard to develop and launch healthier formulations...
Jun 26, 2020 | Katherine Rich Comments
There’s been a lot of speculation about what our post Covid-19 world will look like, and how our daily lives will change and our businesses might have to adapt. Long-term, it’s anyone’s guess, and will depend on how quickly the world can rid itself of the virus and...
Jun 3, 2020 | Katherine Rich Comments
The food and grocery industry has just experienced a period like no other. The eight or so weeks leading to our exit from COVID-19 Alert Level 3 have been a time of pressure not seen since the days of rationing during the Great Depression and World War II. As demand...
Apr 16, 2020 | Katherine Rich Comments
There have been lots of grocery heroes through the Level 4 lockdown, and I’d like to acknowledge some of them. It’s a frantic time for the sector, with suppliers and supermarkets working overtime to ensure the huge public demand for groceries is met. And with people...
Apr 3, 2020 | Katherine Rich Comments
Amid the challenges of the COVID-19 outbreak and the pressure on suppliers and retailers to keep supermarket shelves stocked, it’s essential we continue to celebrate the bright spots. One was the recent announcement of the Supreme Winner at the New Zealand Chocolate...
Apr 2, 2020 | Katherine Rich Comments
Merchandisers have been described by some as “The Silent Sales People” of retail, important team members who help supermarkets and suppliers make sure product is on the shelf at the right time to satisfy shoppers’ requirements and, of course, sell more...
Mar 4, 2020 | Katherine Rich Comments
As we all know, we don’t have to walk too far down any supermarket aisle to realise just what a huge challenge it would be to remove all plastic or non-recyclable packaging used for groceries. So many of them rely on plastic and other packaging for reasons of safety,...
