SupermarketNews Magazine | August 2020

$

10.95

August 2020 • Vol. 13 No. 8

Marketing Cut-Through In An Age of Noise (see page 24)

™

www.kiwilabels.co.nz

Licence Number: 805398

contents

4

7

8

SIGNIFICANT WORK ON REFORMULATION

BEHIND THE SCENES AT RJ'S

DOES NEW ZEALAND NEED A GROCERY CODE OF CONDUCT?

10

12

16

ATTENTION GROCERY SUPPLIERS The Food and Grocery Council is an industry association for grocery suppliers providing members networking, events, industry information and strong advocacy.

Contact us for information on the benefits of membership: katherine.rich@fgc.org.nz • Networking • Industry Updates • Conference and Events • Education and Training • Advocacy and Law Reform

food& grocery COUNCIL NEW ZEALAND

www.fgc.org.nz

BROTHER DESIGN

CHECKOUT WHAT'S NEW

COLLEGE HILL AGENCY

19

23

26

ASEAN EXPORT MARKETS:

NWWA MEET THE JUDGES

Aisle Chatter

SupermarketNews is published under license. Please direct all enquiries and correspondence to SupermarketNews. The opinions and material published in this edition of SupermarketNews are not necessarily those of the publishers unless specifically stated.

All material in this publication is copyright and may only be reproduced with the consent of the publisher. Copyright 2020

CHAIRMAN PUBLISHER GENERAL MANAGER EDITORIAL DIRECTOR EDITOR ADVERTISING SALES SENIOR DESIGNER GRAPHIC DESIGNER

ISSN No.

PETER MITCHELL Tania Walters, tania@reviewmags.com Kieran Mitchell, kieran@reviewmags.com Sarah Mitchell, sarah@reviewmags.com Caitlan Mitchell, caitlan@reviewmags.com Felicity-Anne Flack, felicity@reviewmags.com Raymund Sarmiento, raymund@reviewmags.com Debby Wei, debby@reviewmags.com

1173-3365

Suite 9, Level 3, 20 Augustus Tce, Parnell, Auckland. PO Box 37140 Parnell, Auckland Tel (09) 3040142 Fax (09) 3772794

2

I

supermarketnews.co.nz

food& grocery COUNCIL NEW ZEALAND

The NEW ZEALAND BEVERAGE COUNCIL is an industry association whose members cover all aspects of the non-alcoholic beverage market both in New Zealand and the export markets.

The Council members are spread throughout New Zealand and come together annually for a conference that covers industry issues and is addressed by international speakers. The organisation monitors product quality, sets standards for the industry and runs national competitions and awards.

THE NEW ZEALAND BEVERAGE COUNCIL (NZBC) P.O. Box 47, AUCKLAND 1140, New Zealand.

Email: info@nzbc.nz Phone: +64 9 309 6100 DDI: +64 9 302 9932

news ECOSTORE CLOSES THE LOOP Leaders in sustainability, home and body care company ecostore have announced a Permanent Bottle Recall.

The initiative was launched alongside Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage, calling on Kiwi customers to return all of its bottles to one of more than 100 collection points across the country after use.

The move is not due to a product or packaging fault, rather it is a response to the urgent need to take pressure off Aotearoa’s overwhelmed waste and recycling system. Ecostore will collect, process and remake the bottles, all here in Aotearoa. The programme is helped through support from the Ministry for the Environment’s Waste Minimisation Fund. Initial funding from the government will be used in Tamaki Makaurau.

Ecostore is committed to taking it nationwide so is funding the remainder of the programme. Ecostore Group

CEO Pablo Kraus said while Kiwis are increasingly mindful of the impact of their consumption on the environment, as we move into lockdown once again it is important to remain conscious of our plastic waste.

Kraus points to the Auckland Council report showing Council collected 27 percent more HDPE plastic during April this year (lockdown) as a reminder of this.

“Our company is guided by the principle of ‘planet before profit’, yet we know that our bottles, despite using sustainable and renewable sugar plastic, are part of the problem,’ he says. “I’m so proud of my team, led by Jemma Whiten, who have worked tirelessly over the last year to develop New Zealand’s first comprehensive closed loop system for household and personal care products through our Plastic Return Programme,” said Kraus.

Every bottle that is returned through ecostore’s plastic return programme is one less bottle the country’s beleaguered recycling plants need to deal with, with the potential to take millions of bottles out of the system in the near-term alone. n

COVID CASES LINKED AMERICOLD COOLSTORE A United States coolstore business at the centre of the COVID-19 outbreak in Auckland delivers frozen goods to supermarkets and fast food outlets. As the community transmission cluster worsens across Auckland, eleven confirmed cases of COVID-19 have now been linked to the Mt Wellington site.

The first case to test positive, known as the index case, is a person in their 50s who lives in south Auckland and works at short-term loan provider Finance Now on

Dominion Road in Mt Eden. The husband of the index case works at the coolstore facility owned by New York Stock Exchange-listed company Americold.

It was reported this morning that three more workers at the facility had tested positive for the virus. Director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield then announced that seven family members of those workers also tested positive overnight. That brings the total associated with the facility to 11.

“It’s not good. There’s a lot of people awaiting test results, they’ve got families.

There’s a lot of anxiety and concern,” said Americold managing director Richard Winnall. About half of the Mt Wellington workers had received test results and the rest were due soon while testing results at the company’s Auckland Airport plant had all come back negative.

It was revealed that surface testing is under way at the Mt Wellington coolstore to determine if the virus

could have been brought into the country on refrigerated goods.

Winnall confirmed there had been an outbreak in the past week of two cases at the company’s Melbourne facility but was adamant there was no link with the Mt Wellington cases.

He said surface testing was starting today and he believed the risk of transmission from surface contamination of refrigerated goods was improbable. Director of health Dr Bloomfield agreed that the risk was highly unlikely. n

STREAMLINING THE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE WITH SHOP’NGO The PAK’nSAVE shopping experience is set to become more convenient, technology-based, and seamless at PAK’nSAVE South Island stores.

Following the successful trial of Shop’nGO at PAK’nSAVE Wainoni, the innovative SHOP’nGO personal shopping device solution is rolling out to PAK’nSAVE South Island stores throughout the rest of 2020.

PAK’nSAVE Queenstown are one of the many South Island PAK’nSAVE stores going live this year, with the store having gone live on the August 3.

“Our new SHOP’nGO offering is designed to help our customers budget and save time in-store. Customers simply pick up a SHOP’nGO device at the entrance, scan their groceries while they shop, pack their groceries directly into their reusable bags and then head to the designated SHOP’nGO selfcheckout. We’re excited to see how we can further develop new technologies

in-store and what that looks like for our customers,” said Anthony King owner operator of PAK’nSAVE Queenstown.

SHOP’nGO, which enables shoppers to scan their groceries as they shop in store, was originally trialled at PAK’nSAVE Wainoni in 2019, and the store is now processing 18% of all its sales through SHOP’nGO. The barcode technology gives customers a more convenient and personalised shopping solution speeding up their time spent in store.

“By leveraging new technologies which enable our customers to have a more seamless experience in store, we are able to refine the overall PAK’nSAVE shopping experience.

The customer feedback following the SHOP’nGO trial at PAK’nSAVE Wainoni has been very positive and we’re excited to offer the SHOP’nGO solution at more stores for more customers to use and enjoy,” said Justin

Waddell, PAK’nSAVE Group Manager for Foodstuffs South Island.

SHOP’nGO is a barcode-scanning tool designed for customers to scan their products as they go about their supermarket shop. By scanning each product, customers can see a running total of how much they have spent giving them more control over monitoring their budget in store.

SHOP’nGO also speeds up the time

spent at checkout: Customers simply scan a QR code on their SHOP’nGO screen at the designated SHOP’nGO self-checkout lanes, prompting payment at the EFTPOS terminal.

With SHOP’nGO, there is no unloading or loading groceries onto the conveyor belt or back into the trolley.

Customers can simply pack their groceries into their reusable bags in their trolley as they shop, pay and go. n August 2020

I 3

SIGNIFICANT WORK ON REFORMULATION

With the general election looming, the NZ Food & Grocery Council (FGC) is seeking a commitment from all political parties on a number of issues of vital interest to the food and beverage sector, and one of them relates to nutrition and obesity.

Katherine Rich

Chief Executive NZ Food & Grocery Council

4

I

supermarketnews.co.nz

L

ast year, the Government received a report that could change the way we tackle our rising rate of obesity. It was from an investigation by the food industry into factors contributing to obesity, and more importantly what could be done to increase the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders.

The Food Industry Taskforce on Addressing Factors Contributing to Obesity, administered by FGC, was made up of manufacturers, retailers, and fast-food representatives. It made 51 recommendations on food and beverage formulation and innovation, employee health and wellness, community and education initiatives, food and beverage marketing, and labelling and Health Star Ratings (HSR).

The Government acknowledged the “significant” work by industry on reformulation to reduce saturated fats, trans-fats, free sugars and salt, the uptake of Health Stars, and development of nutrition policies – and asked for that work to continue to be prioritised.

And it has.

Most notable is work companies are doing both on their own and alongside the Heart Foundation to set targets for priority categories. So far, 47 voluntary targets have been set, with a focus on sugar and salt.

Recently, nutrient reduction targets have been set for pizzas, gravies/ finishing sauces, and ready meals.

There has also been a big move on another recommendation, with Out

of Home Media Association Aotearoa members voluntarily deciding to not advertise occasional food and beverage products within a 300-metre sightline of the main entrances of primary and intermediate schools.

That’s great progress, but more needs to be done, particularly around understanding the diet of today’s children.

One of the taskforce’s recommendations was aimed directly at this. It called for government to undertake a children’s National Nutrition Survey, and that’s why FGC is calling on all political parties to commit to it as a matter of urgency.

The previous survey was done in 2002 – 18 years ago!

Nutritionists, officials and the food industry agree much has changed in that time, and policy-makers are at worst flying blind or at best defaulting to more up-to-date Australian data, which of course doesn’t take into account any unique factors that might arise due to the diversity of the New Zealand population. When good nutrition is vital to good health, it beggars belief the Ministry of Health has allowed its data to become so outdated.

When last done, the Nutrition Survey collected information for 3275 children aged 5-14. It reported on, for example, how much fruit they were eating, what they ate at school and home, how much of it was fast food, how much exercise they were getting, and their intake of sugar, salt, fat, and essential vitamins and minerals

– all crucial inputs into determining what areas policymakers and industry should be targeting.

We know that in the nearly two decades since, many of the measures collected in 2002 will have changed dramatically. For a start, think of the effect of screen time on exercise. In 2002, television was still the No 1 screen in children’s lives. Not so now.

These are things we need to know more about.

I’m backed on this by two of New Zealand’s top experts on nutrition, who have also called for a fresh children’s nutrition survey. (They also want a fresh adults’ survey, which I also agree with. That hasn’t been done since 2011!)

Professor Jim Mann and Honorary Associate Professor Winsome Parnell say dietary factors and obesity have taken over as the key causes of the global burden of disease, and there’s a desperate need to see what we’re eating. As they say, we can imagine what we think New Zealanders are eating, but if we don’t have a look, then we don’t know.

FGC would also like to see political parties commit to a further awareness campaign for our HSR system, the best food guidance system in the world. But that’s enough for one article, and we don’t want to appear greedy! n

NEw

dElIcIOus plaNT-powEREd pROtEIN. so It’s EasY To bE

Good.

FIND US IN THE FREEZER www.lETSEaTplaNtbasEd.co.Nz

lET’s EaT

lET’sEatNEwzEalaND

ORdERS caN bE placED wITH yoUR TERRItORy maNagER OR custOmER sERvIcE ON 0800 800 785

internationalaisle

With the shift in customer preference towards digital communications, from 9 September 2020 Coles will no longer deliver printed catalogues to letterboxes. “Since 2000 we have delivered around 200 billion pages of weekly catalogues to letterboxes across Australia,” Cain said. Ceasing the delivery of printed catalogues would save over 10,000 tonnes of paper every year – the equivalent of an estimated 80,000 trees.

“We’re committed to being Australia’s most sustainable supermarket and reducing our reliance on paper by prioritising digital channels like coles&co is a significant step towards that goal,” Mr Cain said. n

APP READS GROCERY LABELS COLES LAUNCHES COLES&CO As Australians increasingly look online for their daily shopping inspiration, Coles is launching coles&co, a brand-new experience that will offer the very best specials alongside exclusive content to inspire customers with new products, tips and recipes.

“With COVID-19, we’ve really seen a shift to online shopping in the last few months, as lots of our customers try our contactless home delivery and Click&Collect services for the first time. We’ve also seen an increase of more than 50 percent in readership for our digital catalogue since March,” said Coles Group CEO Steven Cain.

“We are living at a time of unprecedented societal change, including a surge in the diversity of consumer tastes and dietary needs. As customers add more fresh food to their diet they’re shopping more often, and their appetite for immediacy and digital information means a weekly, one-size-fits-all, catalogue in their letterbox is no longer as relevant for them as it once was. “We’re using our digital capabilities to replace it with something more personalised. As we add new features, this could include recipes that change daily rather than weekly, as well as tailored content on food and drink trends.

“We will be investing more in digital content and capability for customers and suppliers, as well as better value by lowering the cost of breakfast, lunch and dinner, and improving our sustainability by reducing our reliance on paper.” coles&co features ‘shoppable’ specials, allowing customers to do their shopping right from the screen. Just tap on a product to add it to your basket, and then check out via our online shopping services – or save it as a shopping list to take with you when shopping in store.

Everyone has a routine to their day, from pulling out ingredients to cook a meal, sorting through their mail, or perusing through documents. To help people who are blind or low-vision complete these daily tasks faster and more easily, Google is introducing updates to its Lookout app on Android: new modes, a more accessible design, and expansion to even more Android devices.

Lookout now has two new modes: Food Label and Scan Document. With Food Label, consumers can quickly identify packaged foods by pointing their phone’s camera at the label. Lookout will guide consumers to position the food product so that it can be properly identified through its packaging or barcode. This can be particularly helpful when shoppers are putting away groceries and want to make sure you’re handling the right items that might feel the same to your touch. For example, Food Label would be able to distinguish between a can of corn and a can of green beans.

Based on feedback from the blind and low-vision community, Google are introducing an accessible design that is even more compatible with TalkBack, our Android screen reader. This includes making more space for the camera view, which makes it easier to frame the object that shoppers want more information about. In addition, we’ve changed navigation between modes to require fewer taps and less time by making it possible to scroll between them at the bottom of the screen.

With this update, Lookout will be available on all devices with more than 2GB of RAM running Android 6.0 and later. Lookout also now works in French, Italian, German and Spanish.

Expanding this app to more people and devices is part of its commitment to make the world’s information universally accessible and to build helpful products with and for people with disabilities. n

Our customers are demanding local, fresh, nutritious products more than ever . . . do you have these on your shelf ?

6

I

supermarketnews.co.nz

Behind the scenes at RJ's, Wrapped up in a quick video about the love and dedication

that goes into making each of your favourite sweet treats!

Click here to view

INTEGRATION

HQ MANAGEMENT

MOBILE APP

August 2020

I 7

DOES NEW ZEALAND NEED A GROCERY CODE OF CONDUCT?

“For several years, Australian suppliers raised allegations and complaints against the major grocery retailers in Australia relating to inappropriate use of market power by the retailers in a highly concentrated market similar to New Zealand.

This had such serious implications for the Australian grocery industry and supplier base, that it became a catalyst for the creation of the Australian Grocery Code of Conduct. In 2015 Australia launched its Grocery Code of Conduct.

“The Code aims to deliver more contractual certainty in trading relations between suppliers and supermarkets, encourage the better sharing of risk and reduce inappropriate use of market power across the value chain.

The Code sets out clear obligations to ensure key elements of Grocery Supply Agreements are discussed and agreed up front. It does not seek to impose overly restrictive rules on commercial negotiations, but rather provides commercial flexibility within a set framework of requirements and controls on behaviour.”

Source: https://www.afgc.org.au/industry-resources/ food-and-grocery-code-of-conduct In Australia, the Code of Conduct does not prevent retailers from making changes to their commercial arrangements with vendors, it simply addresses how they negotiate and the conduct they exhibit in doing so.

8

I

supermarketnews.co.nz

Has New Zealand reached such a point?

We believe that the New Zealand grocery industry is at a similar juncture, and that the recent behaviour shown by some members of the Foodstuffs North Island (FSNI) business should be urgently addressed with the implementation of a similar code of conduct, and that the retailers in New Zealand should be held accountable by an independent government appointed ombudsman or regulator to ensure they do so fairly and equitably. Now is the time to create the change necessary for protection of the hard-working supplier base in New Zealand.

So why does New Zealand require a Grocery Code of Conduct?

In 2019, FSNI articulated the desire to transform New World supermarkets to be a consumer lead world class retailer. As they are entitled to do, FSNI commenced working with its vendor network on a significant transformation of their commercial trading

model, as it applied to NewWorld and Four Square stores. The changes were clearly articulated to vendors as a simplification of the FSNI commercial model moving to a streamlined trading terms approach rather than separated head office and store level trading payments.

FSNI diligently communicated clear timelines of how this was going to take place with: • From-to transition steps, • Regular Town Hall meetings; and, • Recorded presentations for all vendors not in attendance at Town Hall meetings Twelve months on from the commencement of negotiations for the changes to the model, we are forced to ask:

Do vendors in the New Zealand grocery market have equal market power with their grocery retailers?

FSNI Negotiating Pressure In late 2019 FSNI commenced its commercial

model transformation with LEAF 1.0, the conversion of Head Office Co-op to a fixed percentage rebate amongst other things. Initially vendors were given the right to opt out of this rebate and measure of the rebate structure if it did not work for them. By March 2020 FSNI language had changed to be very clear that this was no longer the case and that to ‘opt out’ meant vendors would no longer be eligible for catalogue (trade flyer) activity. A key driver of sales opportunities through advertised promotional activity delivering increased consumer purchases, improved store compliance and elevated stock weight in retail stores for suppliers’ products.

There were three issues with this situation: 1. The option to “opt out” by vendors clearly had a penalty attached, which was seemingly not fully disclosed to vendors during the negotiation period 2. The structure of the rebate vendors were being transferred to was to have far broader ramifications in future negotiations with FSNI 3. Many vendors did not perform the necessary due diligence on the LEAF rebate, nor what it could mean or risk in future negotiations for other stages of the new commercial model Fast forward to April and May 2020, and vendors still not signed on to the LEAF 1.0 rebate were being heavily leaned on by members of the FSNI commercial team to comply.

While many businesses were struggling with the challenges of COVID-19, FSNI continued to drive forward with their commercial model agenda regardless of the market circumstances, including: • Emails demanding Centre Co-op Agreement forms were completed and returned immediately • Centre Co-op Agreement forms with backdated commencement dates • Demands for vendors to have a call with more senior members of the FSNI commercial team to justify why they have not signed the Centre Co-op Agreement • Risks of penalty for non-compliance to FSNI’s demands “If you have decided not to be part of our centralised promotional program (Project Leaf), can I please ask you to engage urgently with your respective Merchandise Manager to guide you through the full implications…” ** Direct quote from FSNI team member With the semi-conclusion of LEAF 1.0 the next wave of negotiations was commenced, namely Centralised Store Display Co-op. This new negotiation was where the lack of prior diligence by several suppliers began to influence future negotiations.

N HOGENDIJK – MANAGING PARTNER

The Centralised Co-op approach was to roll-up each vendors’ discretionary store level investment. The use of discretionary investment by vendors at store level is to activate a ‘Pay for Performance’ metric to ensure execution and compliance within each store. Pay for performance has underpinned historical sales results generated by vendors across 100% of the available off location display space in store.

In exchange for capturing these funds FSNI would compulsorily allocate only 60% of the off location display space across the New World supermarkets in exchange for 100% of the investment. Simple maths tells you that 100% does not go into 60%.

When FSNI were asked to guarantee that vendors would receive the same number and frequency of displays, they were frequently noncommittal to the majority of vendors. Similarly, when asked to guarantee compliance at store level for the investment that vendors were being asked to make, FSNI frequently refused.

With vendors being severely pressured into conceding to these demands with little to no assurances, very little time to complete the necessary level of due diligence, having just recovered from the Coronavirus lock-down and with various implied threats from FSNI for example: • range deletion, • cancelled promotional programs; and, • the inability to activate off location displays many vendors relented.

Given the implementation that has taken place by FSNI so far, it is fair to suggest that the approach and tactics used by FSNI to secure vendor agreement directly contradicts the consumer centric strategy initially outlined by FSNI. In-store displays, promotions and catalogue based activity for both major and minor consumer brands, being threatened with cancellation due to not agreeing to FSNI’s demands, is surely not in the consumers’ best interests, nor the position of a partnership so often used in language by the FSNI commercial team. “…it seems your management team are still refusing to sign with leaf so we can get on with business. This is really disappointing as it clearly shows they place little to no value on a foodstuffs relationship.” ** Direct quote from FSNI team member

So, what are the implications for the future?

We have seen several impacts for suppliers: • Retailers have the right to ask and change their business as they see fit – but suppliers also have the right to say no, and to be treated

B TIPPETT – CONSULTANT

with respect and without undue pressure • Vendors were being pressured into commercial decisions at a time when they were experiencing great duress (I.e. COVID 19, etc.)

• Implied threats of deletion, loss of promotions, display activity, etc.

• Direct loss of control by vendors of historic funds that were used at the vendors discretion to underpin sales performance with no assurances and guarantees • Terms being directly linked to category reviews and tenders, further increasing pressure on vendors to comply • Terms moving to being applied against values other than Invoice Value, which suppliers do not have any control over.

So, has there been a misuse of market power?

While asking this question of the grocery retailers’ in the worlds most concentrated retail marketplace, suppliers are also not off the hook.

Preparation, conducting the necessary due diligence and developing a strategic plan are all fundamental to reduce the impact of commercial negotiations in the current trading environment.

We encourage all New Zealand vendors to prepare thoroughly in future as the FSNI Commercial Model transformation is far from complete, with Net Net Pricing and Centralised Merchandising still to come.

As there is no Grocery Code of Conduct to help level the playing field existing in New Zealand, a thorough and complete understanding of embarking on a commercial negotiation with a retail partner to identify: • What this means to your business • The potential positive and negative impacts of any such negotiation • The appropriate negotiation strategy • Business diversification strategies are critical to determine now, rather than waiting until the pressure is being applied once again by any major customer.”

Hexis Quadrant (HQ) are an independent consulting firm working across consumer goods and retail businesses in Australia and New Zealand. With extensive experience in sales, marketing and category, they specialise in building bespoke solutions to business-critical problems that include strategy, planning, negotiations and trading terms.

Their team is made up of industry professionals that have worked at executive level and above in a range of local and international blue-chip businesses across multiple channels and markets.

Submitted By Hexis Quandrant (HQ)

D MCAULEY – CONSULTANT

August 2020

I 9

HOW DESIGN CAN SPELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUCCESS AND FAILURE

“Our job at Brother Design is to make brands successful through design.

Get it right and it can bring immediate rewards, with sales shooting up overnight. That’s the immediacy of good design, especially in a field like packaging.

L

ess effective design, however, is too often tolerated. Whether that’s due to lack of understanding, not wanting to face up to failure or being obsessed with awards, what really matters is fixing it.

Our long-standing role in the development of Foodstuffs own label giant Pams has given us huge insights into the difference between success and failure on shelf. It’s why brands like Farrah’s, Dairyworks and Tatua have trusted us to give their products the edge they need, succeeding in the face of fierce competition and tough listing criteria.

Take Farrah’s wraps, an excellent product whose potential was

10

I

supermarketnews.co.nz

unleashed by clever design. It’s an example of how crucial it is to thoroughly understand a product’s market, especially the environment where it’s purchased, to create effective design that sells. We do this via a highly-efficient, proprietary process, and it makes all the difference in the world.

Smart marketers appreciate the importance of packaging design in their marketing mix. It is, after all, the element that delivers your product into consumers’ hands. While broadcast communications, or even supposedly targeted digital advertising, are steps removed from your product, its packaging is like a person’s clothing. As the last thing consumers

see before they make a purchase decision, and sometimes the only brand communication they see at all, its role is crucial. That’s why investing in quality design is a must.”

For more information, contact Jenny McMillan, Business Development Director, Brother Design, on 021 193 2141 or visit brotherdesign.co.nz for details. n

PARBAKED PERFECTION

Premium NZ Butter based pastry with superior functionality.

www.alliedpinnacle.com April 2020

33

Good Together

New Zealand owned All Good, the brand who pioneered the Fairtrade banana category in NZ 10 years ago are ‘cutting out the middle mammal’ by introducing a range of Oat Milks to the All Good family. Among the tastiest and best quality oat milks available to Kiwis and made with real oats, their delicious and creamy oat milks offer a great alternative for consumers who are looking for a milk that’s not just good for them, but good for the planet too.

Available in two blends, its creamy Barista Oat Milk is made especially for a fantastic flat white at a cafe or at home; blended to make a super-silky microfoam for those enjoying the at-home coffee occasion. The Original Oat Milk is good for smoothies, cereal, cups of tea, baking or simply ice cold in a glass - with no compromise on taste or quality. Both products are dairy-free, soy-free, GMO-free and have no added sugar.

And just like their Fairtrade bananas, All Good Oat Milk is good for consumers and the planet - Good Together.

With its fun and bright packaging, along with their cheeky messaging of ‘cut out the middle mammal’, All Good Oat Milk is becoming a staple in fridges across NZ. Ask for All Good Oat Milk - All Good Barista Oat Milk and All Good Original Oat Milk. Available in 1L. Get in touch with your Centurion Territory Manager for more information or visit ​www.all-good.co.nz​, email ​orders@allgood.co.nz​or visit us on Instagram @allgood_nz.

Take A Taste Adventure

Hellers new Chicken Chunks range is a healthy and tasty ready-to-eat meal option, providing convenience and versatility in flavoursome chicken breast fillet pieces.

Ideal for salads, wraps and sandwiches, or even as a delicious addition to pizza and pasta, Hellers Chicken Chunks are perfect for any lunch or dinner.

It’s sure to be a firm Kiwi favourite.

Available in three mouth-watering and tasty varieties including Louisiana BBQ, Smokey Chipotle and Mango Coconut Curry, they’re set to transport your taste buds!

Perfect for increasing chilled deli sales, enjoy tasty meals in minutes, thanks to Hellers Chicken Chunks.

For more information contact 0800 435 537 or visit www.hellers.co.nz

Great For Winter Wellness

Good Buzz is out with its latest flavour of 100 percent kombucha - Orange Turmeric in 328ml and 888ml bottles.

The orange and turmeric are steeped along with the tea for that real fruit and spice infusion and then all fermented together with the kombucha culture over two weeks. This flavour is great for winter wellness but is already proving to be a crowd favourite with its orangy goodness. Good Buzz Kombucha is not from concentrate, never diluted, has no stevia or erythritol and is not pasteurised.

Brewed and bottled in Tauranga.

12

I

supermarketnews.co.nz

Big On Flavour

Perfect for vegans, vegetarians or flexitarians, Bean Supreme’s new Marinated Jackfruit range comes in a convenient ‘pulled’ format that is ready to go straight out of the pack. In two versatile flavours; Mexican Style Chilli & Lime and Southern Style Barbecue. It is big on flavour and with a texture customers will be sure to love – that means no hard bits or seeds, making it super easy to whip up a variety of tasty dishes.

Bean Supreme’s new Marinated Chilli & Lime Jackfruit is soy and grain free and vegan friendly.

New Biodegradable Wipes

Noopii has now released new biodegradable wipes adding to its lineup of baby products.

The Natural Baby Wipes are naturally soft and gentle and made with 100 percent biodegradable sustainable and renewable bamboo and New Zealand Manuka Honey.

Noopii Natural Baby Wipes are dermatologically tested and free from; chemicals, alcohol, parabens and fragrances.

This ensures they are safer and more gentle for baby’s delicate skin and packaged in recyclable plastic for a green, more environmentally responsible option.

For each pack of wipes sold a percentage of our sales is donated to Forest & Bird, New Zealand’s leading independent conservation organisation.

There are 70 wipes per pack. And keeping it local Noopii Natural Baby Wipes are proudly made in New Zealand.

Breakfast On The Go

Completely unique to the New Zealand market, Chantal Organics is introducing a deliciously organic, nutrient-dense gluten free porridge, made without grains. In two glorious flavours; Cinnamon Roll and Blackcurrant and Flax in five convenient soft plastic recyclable pouches, for breakfast on-the-go! Providing the ideal option for the health-conscious consumers.

Paleo and vegan-friendly, with no hidden nasties and ready in minutes. Each batch is made in the Hawke’s Bay with carefully selected ingredients and is full of fibre and protein. Reishi Mushroom has been included to maximise health benefits, giving a boost to the immune system, and increasing antioxidant intake.

Quality Refrigeration With Tefcold Introducing the new multi-deck chilled cabinet from our Danish supplier, Tefcold. This integral cabinet can be used for a multitude of products ranging from packed meat, dairy, milk and cheese, ready meals, produce and beer and wine. The interior and exterior is finished with a sleek dark grey and is designed to maximise the merchandising element with the customer in mind plus allowing other cases in the range to be multiplexed for an uninterrupted line up.

Your carbon footprint is improved with the natural

refrigerant and high efficiency EC fans and LED lighting. Available exclusively from Inter-Fridge who are focused on assisting you to maximise sales and optimising the total cost of ownership. 3 sizes available (1250, 1875, 2500mm) with a base plus five shelves as standard, this cabinet is well suited to the supermarket and convenience store environment.

For quality and cost efficiency contact the InterFridge team today.

Spice Up Your Pasta

Hemisphere is excited to launch a new range of flavoured Hemp Seed Oils. Using high quality hemp seed oil and all-natural flavours the culinary applications are many! Infuse your aioli, jazz up a chimichurri, drizzle over veges, spice up your pasta, pour over salads, dip your breadsticks.

Bringing awareness of hemp seed oil to a wider consumer base in the mainstream cooking aisle, these punchy flavours will be an easy and healthy way to add sought after omegas to your meals.

Pressed straight from hemp seeds, enhanced with natural flavours and an eyecatchingly green get your source of omegas 3 and 6, which are renowned for their health benefits. Not suitable for frying.

Available nationwide now via The Engagement Group or www.nzhempfoods.co.nz.

Contact Debbie at The Engagement Group, debbie@engagementgroup.co.nz, Ph. 027 241 8508, to grab yours today!

August 2020

I 13

Swoosh Of Vibrant Spice Appleby Farms Ice Cream has added a a new flavour to the range, Ginger Biscuit.

The award winning A2 ice cream team has taken their signature velvety ice cream and marbled it with Hakanoa ginger syrup. Sprinkle in some ginger bite surprises and a swoosh of vibrant spice and you’ve got a heaven-on-earth moment. Truly divine and perfect for the colder months.

Appleby Farms is locally owned and operated by two farmers and a food technologist from the top of the South, Nelson. The brand has seen huge success at previous ice cream awards with their ice cream including

the new release Ginger Biscuit, winning Gold at the 2019 NZ Ice Cream awards. For Appleby Farms, local isn’t just a place, it’s a philosophy. They own the paddocks, grow the grass, nurture their gorgeous A2 cows, and churn their delicious milk and cream into the best ice cream.

They take the whole process from cow to cone and turn it into a labour of love. No fake tastes or textures, just hand-crafted ice creams that satisfy your sensory cravings.

The ice cream is available in six other flavour Vanilla Bean, Chocolate Brownie, Coffee, Boysenberry, Passionfruit, Salted Caramel. Available in 850ml tubs.

The Art of Chocolate

Let’s Eat Plant-Based

This month, Ingham’s New Zealand is unveiling a new plantbased brand, Let’s Eat, to expand its position as a protein supplier and to meet the growing demand for plant-based products. Let’s Eat is a new frozen range of wheat and pea protein products which are ideal for vegetarian, flexitarian or meat lovers wanting to try a plant-based meal. Let’s Eat is manufactured in New Zealand and each product is Vegetarian Society approved. The product launch is being supported with a digital advertising campaign including online video ads, social and digital media, and in store support.

The brand’s main ethos is to provide high quality, tasty plant based products. To deliver on this, Let’s Eat will be focusing on further innovation, so watch this space.

For more information, visit www.letseatplantbased.co.nz. Orders can be placed with your Territory Manager or Customer Service on 0800 800 785.

Treat With A Twist

Kiwi chocolate lovers can now enjoy the distinctive taste of M&M’S Pretzel, with Mars New Zealand today announcing the sweet-and-salty treat is available across Aotearoa. This special edition brings the taste of New York down under, with M&M’S signature crispy candy shell enclosing a milk chocolate filling, packed with a delicious pretzel centre.

Mars New Zealand Marketing Director Shannon Watts said Kiwis love M&M’S moreish flavours and the new release will appeal to those looking for a bite-size treat with a twist.

“M&M’S Pretzel has won fans around the world, so we’re excited to bring this international favourite to New Zealand.

While it may sound unusual, crunchy pretzel and creamy chocolate is a dream combination and we’re excited to hear what Kiwis think,” said Watts.

14

I

supermarketnews.co.nz

At Pico, art is the blending of craft and ingredients, skill and balance, imagination and know-how. It’s what inspires the team to create Pico, a premium, dairy-free, Fairtrade, vegan, certified organic chocolate. Its artistic process begins in Central and South America where the brand works in partnership with traditional farming communities, using centuries-old growing and picking techniques to produce the finest quality cacao beans. Pico is then handcrafted by master chocolatiers in Switzerland, who balance the art and science of chocolate making with gentle precision passed down for generations. The result is a carefully crafted, decadent, chocolate masterpiece. For more information contact your Soulfresh representative or contact Soulfresh on email officenz@soulfresh.co, or phone 0800 11 37 37.

Grate News!

Angel Food’s two new dairy-free grated cheeses are game-changing for vegans and dairy-free foodies alike, making plant-based dinners easy – and they actually melt! Bringing you the same reliable flavour you know and love, our grated cheeses helps put delicious dairy-free food on the table faster.

Just pop open the bag and sprinkle away! Our dairy-free Grated Cheese is right at home in a toasted sandwich, over your mum’s salad or on top of a cheeky pasta bake.

Or if bold smoky flavours are more your thing, our new Angel Food Smoked Cheddar everything you’ve been missing from vegan cheese. Perfect on your plant-based burger pizza, or load up a spicy quesadilla, to put flavour back on the menu for the allergyconscious people in your life.”

Trans-Tasman Spirit

Do One Thing And Do It Well

The team at Culley’s found that they had quite a knack for making awesome-tasting condiments and so they’ve fully embraced that. Its whole company is dedicated to making the most epic condiments inspired by favourite cuisines from around the globe. The latest in the collection is its 10-strong Vegan Mayo Range. Something to tickle everyone’s fancy with the same Culley’s award-winning quality you know and trust, and at a price-point everyone loves.

The range is designed to liven up the category, offering more interesting flavour profiles with healthier ingredients, appealing to a wider audience [vegan friendly] and most importantly lifting the bar when it comes to taste.

Proudly the first brand to be consciously packaging these tasty condiments in an easy squeeze light-weight rPET recyclable bottles. Its user friendly for kids and adults alike, and kind to the environment. For more information visit www.culleys.co.nz.

Hunny Hunny!

Nut Brothers has released a new Vegan Hunny Coconut Nectar, a fabulous 100 percent natural sweetener and sugar substitute using coconut nectar from the coconut flower.

Containing a rich source of minerals and vitamins, with a low GI (glycemic index), Vegan Hunny has a sweet caramelised taste that makes it perfect for using in smoothies, baking, breakfasts and desserts. It is also a 1:1 substitute for sugar, maple syrup and of course honey!

“We have noticed a huge interest in plant based diets, here in New Zealand and globally there has been a recent hunger for plant based products. So we put our thinking caps on and came up with a locally packed New Zealand product that falls right within our expertise, nuts!" said Jono Wood, Director at Nut Brothers."

Its Vegan Hunny Coconut Nectar is made from coco-nuts, the nectar from the Sri Lankan coconut flower to be precise. The liquid from the coconut tree blossom is minimally processed to retain all its natural goodness into a liquid nectar. When dried this product becomes coconut sugar but the team decidedly kept theirs in a delicious liquid form so that it can easily drizzled, spread or blended into smoothies and can also be used to sweeten coffee or tea to get away from white sugar as a 1:1 replacer.

"We wanted to offer all consumers a plant-based option that had a catchy and memorable name that everyone would embrace so we called it Vegan Hunny Coconut Nectar. We hope that Vegan Hunny Coconut Nectar will become a product that everyone from Chefs to Bakers and Home cooks will love for its rich caramel taste, beautiful syrupy texture, it’s lower GI properties and obvious long term health benefits.”

Whittaker’s has come together with Australia’s iconic Bundaberg Brewed Drinks (Bundaberg), to create its new limited edition Whittaker’s Brewed Ginger Caramel 250g Block. As well as a delicious new chocolate flavour, the partnership reflects the special nature of the trans-Tasman relationship, the synergy between these two family-owned brands, and the resilience of both in working together virtually to create an exciting new product at such a challenging time.

Whittaker’s Brewed Ginger Caramel combines velvety ginger caramel, encased in Whittaker’s super smooth, 5 Roll Refined Creamy Milk chocolate. The decadent ginger caramel filling is made from Bundaberg’s ginger brew that is used to make its much-loved Ginger Beer, without the fizz. The amount of Bundaberg ginger brew provided to Whittaker’s for the chocolate is enough to make 335,600 bottles of Ginger Beer.

Iconic Brands Team Up

Lewis Road has released an exciting limited edition flavoured milk which is the result of a collaboration between two of New Zealand’s favourite brands – Lewis Road and Griffins. Introducing Lewis Road Creamery Gingernuts Flavoured Milk. The ginger-spiced milk was inspired by Lewis Road’s original Gingerbread Milk which it launched a few years ago. That was a total hit with Roadies and judging by the reaction on Lewis Road’s facebook page today since the announcement, Kiwis are going to go nuts for this one as well. Gingernuts Milk is made with Lewis Road’s permeatefree whole milk and is packaged in its 100% rPET bottles in both 300ml and 750ml.

No Cheeky Squeeks

Almost every garage in New Zealand has a can of CRC so when Onfire Design was engaged to update their iconic 556 product and extend the range it was an undertaking not taken lightly. Careful to retain existing brand equity including CRC’s trusted signature red, Onfire introduced a cleaner, modern look with easy to navigate colour banding. The launch was supported with two cheeky TVCs 'Squeeks Squeeks' and 'Tough Nuts’.

"With new packs on their way we had to produce the TVCs during COVID lock-down, no easy task with everyone working remotely and no access to talent. A rejig of the creative and some inventive ways to produce the TVCs resulted in a couple of ads that work hard,” said Onfire's Sam Allan. "With 5-56 being one of our top-selling products we are excited with the new look 5-56 and the positive response from our channel partners and endusers,” said Adam Gaskill, CRC’s Marketing Manager.

For more information, visit www.weareonfire.co.nz.

August 2020

I 15

QUALITY REPRESENTATION IS MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER.

“In these uncertain times, it is critical that your in-store and Head office representation is as strong as possible. Being proactive and adding value to the trade are strategies that will stand your business in good stead now and in the future.

COLLEGE HILL AGENCIES – PERFORMANCE 110% 60% Category

28%

22.6% 16.8%

13.1%

9.6%

Total Chilled

6.9%

Total Frozen

Total Packaged Snacks

4.7%

Total Spreads

2.3%

Total Baby Food

MAT GROWTH Source: Aztec – The Big Picture AGR. MAT Data 23/6/19 – 21/6/20.

Products included represent 95% of College Hill Agencies Total Sales.

N

ow, your ability to differentiate your brand and value proposition should be a priority and a good agency partner will have this thought front and center when planning the best approach to management of your brand. Finding that “hot button”, whether it be, made in NZ, servicing an emerging market, adding value to an existing one or helping the retailer to advance their environmental goals and promises to the consumer, your agency should be able to guide you in this respect.

As the marketplace changes your representation should evolve with the marketplace to sharpen the offer your

16

I

supermarketnews.co.nz

brand brings. Just calling on a cycle and merchandising stock on shelf, although valuable, will see your brand influence lessen and sales stagnate or decline in the medium term. Great representation in the field is about strong relationships and the ability to take advantage of opportunities as they arise. In addition, an excellent knowledge of the category dynamics and a keen eye on shelf position and space will lead to superior results. The Head Office perspective is equally important. Head office buyers want representations that add value and assist them with reaching the goals they have for the category and wider business. The days of rocking up with a sample and a smile are a thing of

the past as a data driven presentations along with customer driven insights and quality rationale become the currency upon which success is built.

College Hill Agency believes strongly that any investment in representation should be one that produces results.

We have a fantastic record of growth across multiple clients for over 30 years. Our approach is one that is based on planning and partnership with our clients. We are unapologetic about the need for our clients to invest in data as this is one of the keys to success in the marketplace. Data alone is beneficial but when combined with analysis, a brand growth plan, smart representation and focus it becomes the foundation for your brand.

Another key area for consideration when thinking about the agency relationship is how you leverage the experience in the field and the decisions at head office to make your production operation more effective and efficient.

Head Office buyers are increasingly interested in supplier on time performance and skilled production and promotional volume planning are key aspects in getting this equation right. College Hill Agencies works with its clients to produce sales forecasts and assist with new product timelines that provide production planners essential insight regarding future volumes.

If your brand is not growing or you feel like your brands performance could be improved feel free to contact Brian Phillimore or Richard Clulee for an obligation free chat about how we may be able to assist your business to achieve and maintain growth in the current environment.” n

Frustrated?

In these trying times representation makes the difference.

Let’s talk about how poor performance and lost sales don’t need to be your reality.

For superior supermarket representation & strategic account management contact: Brian Phillimore 0274 419 050, brian@cha.co.nz or Richard Clulee 0275 435 323, richard@cha.co.nz. Web: cha.co.nz

August 2020

I 17

sma AVAILABILITY IS KEY Everyone is talking about the pandemic and how it is affecting the grocery industry. While it has helped sales, it hasn’t helped all brands.

Worldwide, grocery sales grew 22 percent last year, and now, thanks to the pandemic, it has pushed online growth to new levels and the digital transformation of the FMCG sector is here for the long-haul. It hasn’t just encouraged existing online shoppers to continue, but accelerated the conversion of new online shoppers.

With over 25 years of experience in the grocery industry, the team at KML are more than aware of the importance of brands being seen online and in-store.

“Online shopping has grown which has increased trial rates and exposure for our brands,” said John Timms, general manager at KML. BNZ’s report on online shopping from the initial lockdown showed the impact of the pandemic was already visible in March with spending online for groceries and liquor spiking 42 percent.

our focus gets you results • Large team of highly engaged and skilled Field Territory Managers and Merchandisers

“With time on their hands at home during lockdown, consumers became, and will become more informed than ever before about brands and what they stand for.

This time also gives consumers an opportunity to seek alternatives, whether the decision to switch is driven by price, packaging/sustainability goals, or convenience. Most importantly for brands, is availability. If products are not available, or consistently out of stock instore or unable to be fulfilled for online orders, customers will quickly look for alternative options.”

“For example, Wet Ones antibacterial wipes did well as potentially they were in stock more than some of the bigger brands in the segment.” “The pandemic has helped sales of some of our brands, in particular, those that have a long shelf life, or products that were unable to be purchased in other channels due to the lockdown restrictions.”

Timms and the team at KML continue to urge brands to lift stock levels to help increase brand availability to new and existing consumers.

“Helping brands understand the potential differences between brokers, distributors, and agencies so that they can make the choice that is right for

them, enabling them to grow their business, is one of our key priorities.”

According to KML, understanding the consumer has never been more important. Conducting market research should be a focus for brands to know where they fit into the category and how the brand will grow sales in the category.

“There is such a lot of competition for space, shelf space, display space, etc. that always counting on being able to raise your profile visually is challenging but achievable.”

In-store marketing programmes can help draw attention to your brand and help to generate, trial and cement your marketing message in the consumer’s mind.” “Brands should work on keeping their rate of sale high through consumer marketing, and trade investment has never been more important as shelf space is at a premium.

With the supply chain challenges that the pandemic has created, consumers may be looking for alternatives to their first-choice brand, particularly if it is often unavailable.”

For more information about how to raise your in-store profile and get into more shoppers’ trolleys, contact John Timms on 021 580 159 or email John.

Timms@kml.net.nz. n

• Sales and Merchandising Support to the NZ retail market • 20+ years of experience in the NZ Grocery Market • Go-to-market Strategies • Comprehensive reporting and feedback • National Coverage www.strikeforcenz.co.nz

• Hugely experienced Management Team • Well established and satisfied portfolio of brand owners that rate KML highly in independent surveys • KML keep you informed and connected at all times • All of this delivers time, focus, and results for your brand

Call John Timms, GM on +64 21 580 159 John.Timms@kml.net.nz

18

I

supermarketnews.co.nz

STRIKEFORCE NEW ZEALAND Level 3 | 6 Kingdon Street | Newmarket | Auckland 1023 | New Zealand P.O Box 108-165 | Auckland 1150 | New Zealand Ph: +64 9 600 1450 | Fax: +64 9 600 1460

With new owners and an exciting new website, Storelink is your retail service partner of choice.

When you choose Storelink as your outsourced retail service partner, you can be assured that our passionate team will take that responsibility seriously and represent your brands as if they are our own.

Our services include: • Bespoke field sales and merchandising services • Integrated strategic and tactical planning • Maximum visibility for your brand through high store call frequency • Key Account Management

• Merchandising retail implementation • Display builds • Relays • Compliance reporting • Real time reporting • Demonstrations & Tastings

Read more about the ways in which we can tailor a solution to maximise your sales results at www.storelink.co.nz or call us 09 475 9039.

Alternatively you can email us at enquiries@storelink.co.nz.

August 2020

I 19

sma A NEW VOYAGE BEGINS

TONY TRILFORD, CEO OF SURGE SMC

The team at Surge SMC pride themselves on doing the absolute best they can for their team, clients, and customers to professionally represent, grow sales and market presence in the channels to market.

These are challenging times for the industry, as we all know, and the grocery landscape has been turned upside down by recent events and although the future remains hopeful, there is some uncertainty.

“We do not see these times as an excuse “not’ to perform, rather an invitation to be flexible and inventive and to match supply with opportunities

CREATING A GO-TOMARKET PLAN Since the initial lockdown, brands in New Zealand have experienced a significant surge in retail demand. Although this now appears to have settled down as the supply chain came to grips with what was required, supply issues will become more and more evident over the next couple of months as the global supply chain continues to be stretched, according to Strikeforce, one of New Zealand’s leading sales and merchandising agencies.

Some brands are now looking to more local supplies of raw materials while trying to mitigate the risk of supply chain shortfalls for the future. However, where this is not an option, there could be some continuing challenges as the demand in other markets restricts what is available.

With over 20 years of experience in servicing the New Zealand grocery channel, Strikeforce have proven to be a trusted business partner to many great organisations, big and small, and continue to evolve, offer and grow its capabilities to meet the requirements of clients in the ever-changing retail environment.

20

I

supermarketnews.co.nz

and market needs,” said Tony Trilford, managing director at Surge SMC. Surge SMC is fresh, a result of old and new coming together combined with proven operating systems from the old Rothford.

The company can offer clients a comprehensive suite of competencies through its new structure now offering sales, merchandising, category management, trade marketing and 3 PL storage and distribution logistics nationally via its experienced and professional crew and in-house warehousing facilities with Hansells Masterton Ltd - our partner.

Hansells Masterton Ltd have been manufacturing and distributing products in New Zealand and offshore since the 1930’s. They have a strong and reputable track record in FMCG having contract manufactured and distributed iconic brands for major companies over many years.

“At Surge SMC, our focus remains in health & wellbeing in the ambient, chilled and frozen categories and across multiple sales channels focussed on meeting the requirements of consumers by using the insights and research

we gather for our categories and through the collaboration we enjoy with retailers & suppliers here in New Zealand and elsewhere.”

Surge SMC has an energy that is infectious, the team truly love what they do and even through the day to day frustrations they can maintain the levels of enthusiasm and energy required to win.

“We understand the value of partnership and honesty and as such offer practical advice and council to our clients so that they can develop their business to optimum levels. Over the years we have found that where we work closely with the right clients and join the talents and best practice of both our crew and our clients’ we have amazing results that over time far exceed expectations.

We are looking forward to the coming years with people that want honest and solid partnerships to join us and sail through the tests of time and seek safe harbour in success.” n

Strikeforce offers sales and merchandising support, as well as key account management. Through its relationship with Strikeforce Australia, the teams’ category and retail insights are also developing, as well as experiential marketing and brand support.

“The first hurdle that we find when brands approach us, is working through the ranging process with the key accounts,” said Tim McKibbin, country manager at Strikeforce NZ. “Category managers are increasingly busier, so it is vital to ensure that everything is available to be correctly loaded once they have been approved.

For new suppliers, it is often quite daunting to ensure that you have everything to be able to smoothly range the products. Our recommendation is that you thoroughly read through the supplier information within the key accounts websites as there is some invaluable information to assist you.”

McKibbin highlights the importance for brands to ensure that its offering is in line with current market trends and meets the consumers and retailers’ expectations with regards to price, quality, and point of difference.

“Brands also need to ensure that they have a robust plan for the support of the brand around promotional support, above and below the line.”

Brands and businesses are encouraged to be realistic when it comes to timelines, especially in the current environment as everything has been stretched. It is also important to have truly clear understanding of

their costs; what investment is required to service their brands in store, the retailer margins, their cost of goods, and promotional costs for example.

“A big challenge for brands when they want to raise their profile in-store is around how to effectively utilise their promotional spend and where this will show the best return. For some brands, large above the line programs are not viable due to their cost, so it’s about thinking smarter and utilising other means to get your brand out there.

Social media is an obvious choice to try and lift your profile and working with the retailers down to store level can really help tap into their catchment to let them know about your brand in their store.”

The team at Strikeforce are able to help brands create and implement a clear go-to-market plan with a robust ATL or BTL support program.

“Brands should keep being active.

There is still exceptionally good trading going on, and when we come through this period, if you have invested time and resources now, it will pay off for the future. Ensuring that brands have continued to build and maintain relationships through the trade to be top of mind when things do ease up.”

To help to ensure your brand is making the right decisions during these uncertain times and moving forward, contact enquiries@ strikeforcenz.co.nz or Tim directly via email, tim@strikeforcenz.co.nz or phone, 021 512 355. n

S a l e s & M a r k e t i n g Crew

BACK IN MARCH 1996 a new little company

was started – Rothford International Ltd., with just one client, two guys and a long way to go. Over the years we grew, the name morphed into Rothfords and we became part of the national FMCG fabric, covering the country from Kaitaia to Invercargill.

From attending the SIAL Trade Fair in Paris (winning the SIAL D’Or for Best New Product in New Zealand and Best Meat Product in the world with our one and only client back in 1998) to being voted Best Fine Food Brokerage in the 2017 NZ Business Awards, Rothfords had a proud track record.

We have always focussed on being the best with

excellence our primary goal and trying to go the extra mile for our clients.

Now Surge SMC, we have people who give it their absolute all for our chosen partners, 100% in, no excuses!

Our focus is on excellence and sales momentum – the Surge.

Surge SMC is about honest people, honest hard work and no excuses – 100% in.

Surge SMC has excellence in bespoke systems and operations, excellence in experience, culture and skilled staff. These things are the wind in our sails, and we pride ourselves in being the Surge behind our clients’ brands, helping breathe life into their growth.

What do you need and what are you not getting at present?

We don’t pretend to be the right company for everyone and not all companies are the right ones for us – we have a strength in short shelf life, chilled, frozen and on-trend health and wellbeing foods. We know these areas well as this has been our focus for decades.

If you are tired of poor results and excuses, perhaps you should have a chat and together we might be the right fit going forward. If you want us on your boat as a reliable, trusted and experienced crew – give us a call and let’s talk.

Call Tony Trilford 0800 949 333 or visit our website www.surgesmc.co.nz August 2020

I 21

CHANGING TO LEAD IN A NEW RETAIL ENVIROMENT

“New Zealand’s sales and marketing agencies (SMA’s) have been a key feature of our retail landscape for many years. Their skills and expertise have enabled many of today’s most successful brands to grow and have been key to small manufacturers collectively being the dominant source of retail growth in the last 10 years.

Through my own clients I have seen the effectiveness of outsourcing some or all of your sales function to allow the core team to focus on other strategic priorities. Selecting your partner agency and which of their services offerings you use is a key development phase.

Agency offers vary greatly but often their field reach and influence has long been a differentiator but as 2020 has progressed, this role of this service has been challenged.

RETAIL MODELS ARE CHANGING FAST Sales agencies have long been able to partner New World and Pak n

Save stores with their independent ownership to build new brands.

Foodstuffs North Island have been clear and transparent in the last 12 months that the commercial model is changing.

The new commercial model, new insights partners and unprecedented alignment from the owners will deliver a change to the way they are working.

The underlying principles for this change, a more competitive and compelling shopper offer is hard to argue with, but the implementation has been challenging for some businesses and the long-term plan presented ensures future challenges and changes will have to be managed.

SWIMMING AGAINST THE TIDE IS NOT A LONG-TERM STRATEGY Based on the new model, the ability of SMA’s to grow brands on a store first basis is diminishing so in a year where changes have been a constant, more changes will be required. How do SMA’s remain a key feature in our industry?

FOCUS ON BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Retailer head office teams have more information and control of the offer than ever before. Building and securing relationships that add value at head office will be key. Understanding what motivates your key contacts, what they are measured on and then providing them with solutions that your field infrastructure allows you to execute with excellence should ensure your brand partners continue to grow at pace.

PUT YOU OFFER IN CONTEXT OF THE CATEGORY

Creating a selling story with a clear link to trends, growth drivers and activities will ensure you can engage your retail partners with a long-term vision and role for the offers you represent.

Category strategy and management offer the tools and practices that ensures your offers meet these emerging opportunities.

UPSKILL FIELD TEAMS TO DELIVER BUSINESS

PARTNERSHIPS Stores will continue to value the role of field teams if you deliver services and advice that facilitates growth in sales or profitability. Your team may need to learn some new tricks, for example, understanding the new tools that retailers are using to drive performance and using them to tell your story.

Your team can still be experts in the categories you operate in and therefore support our retail partners seeking to manage a complete store offer.

PUT PEOPLE AT THE HEART OF MERCHANDISING CHANGES With the widest impact on people working in our industry, the proposed changes to merchandising support have garnered the strongest reactions in our community. Whilst we will all have differing views on the effectiveness of differing solutions, as changes progress, we need to work collaboratively to put the human impacts at the centre of our thinking and look to ensure our FMCG community remains strong and supported when this process is completed.

Given their successes to date, I have no doubt that SMA’s will emerge from this period of change as a key feature of our industry and continue to deliver growth for brand partners and retailers alike.” n

By Neill Arnold, Founder & Principal Consultant, Arnold Category Consulting

Winning In Grocery Delivering the Difference • Full national coverage on a call cycle frequency that is amongst the highest in the industry • A dedicated team of Territory Managers, Merchandisers and Instore demonstrator specialists for both Foodstuffs and Countdown ensuring the workplans are appropriate for the respective banners • A passionate team who will love your brands as much as you do!

• Trade Marketing, Key Account Management Services • Weekly Reporting to all Principals from our CRM & Integrated AC Nielsen data.

• We deliver the difference

Call Alliance Marketing on 09 263 9466 to discuss your sales, merchandising & brand development needs & let us show you how we can

Delivering the Difference for you & your brands

Paul Kenny – 021 986 121 or Rob Kitson - 027 622 2554

22

I

supermarketnews.co.nz

The team at Alliance Marketing has been delivering the difference for some outstanding New Zealand and international brands since its inception in September 2014.

“Both our management and field teams have worked extremely hard to create a high performing business for brands,” said Paul Kenny from Alliance Marketing. “Our track record proves that we have, and continue, to deliver ongoing and sustainable growth for both brands and categories in which we perform.”

With 17 territory managers in its field team, and over 50 merchandisers, enable the business to provide full national coverage to all retailers.

“When selecting a trade partner to represent your brand, first ask the trade who they recommend and ask where do they rank in the independent Coalface survey. Do they fit your culture and business values?”

The Alliance Marketing team are trained and supported to not only activate sell-in of products but to ensure that they sell through.

“Our firm belief is that a sale is not made until it is in the shoppers’ basket and on its way home.”

The breadth of experience in-store enables Alliance to offer brands experience, expertise and valuable relationships across all departmental

heads including food/non-food ambient grocery, chilled and frozen, butchery, bakery and deli.

“We view our business as an extension of our partners’ business.

We offer a state-of-the-art CRM Sales & Merchandising Systems which is fully integrated with AC Nielsen scan data.”

This system ensures their partners have 100 percent accurate and reliable visibility of distribution across the Foodstuffs banners on a weekly basis, as well as a photo audit and task facilities for specific projects and NPD. “Our head office relationships, combined with trade marketing and key account expertise, enable us to develop sound strategies for our partners’ brands and ensure the field team are equipped with the best possible resources to win.”

Alliance Marketing is very proud to be delivering the difference to all their business and retail partners.

Alliance Marketing has offices in both Auckland and Christchurch.

For more information, contact Paul Kenny on 021 986121. n

Asean Export Markets: COVID-19 IMPACT UPDATE

The short-term Covid-19 related challenges to the food and beverage (F&B) sectors across ASEAN export markets are real and severe.

That said, since the outset we have seen a surge in demand from grocery channels across Asian markets as consumers stay at home and eat in.

Nada Young

Partner + Head of Client Strategy at Incite

M

ost Southeast Asian markets are still in some form of lockdown. For example, in Singapore, many employees continue to work from home and there have been tight restrictions in place in the food service sector with social distancing.

As expected, we have seen a massive spike in online grocery sales, to the point where some services have had to be suspended due to overload at key moments during the pandemic.

Grocery buyers are under a lot of pressure to keep their shelves stocked and their online platforms have been under heavy strain. Many have set purchase limits throughout the pandemic on the quantity of essential items like meat, eggs, rice and cooking oil consumers can buy in an effort to mitigate panic buying.

Restrictions on movement, as well as a surge in demand for F&B grocery items, has caused supply chain constraints in most of our markets and

everyone is having to be patient when it comes to getting orders fulfilled.

There has been a lot of congestion at the ports and air freight rates have shot through the roof, making life difficult for suppliers of shorter shelf life chilled products.

The demand is especially significant for frozen and shelf stable items. One exporter we work with has sold the equivalent of 12 months of export sales into Thailand grocery in the space of 6 weeks.

Many of our partner distributors are using this period to review their portfolios, pulling back from food service and shifting gears to focus on their grocery brands in order to keep pace with rising demand and the downturn in food service trade.

Some of the more boutique distributors we know have put a hold on all new business development for the remainder of the year, in order to keep their business afloat. We’ve lost a few distribution partnership deals for this reason, but we were lucky to have other options in the market and have engaged larger players.

Indeed, many of the larger distributors we work have an eye on the future and are using this time to look for new opportunities that meet the rising demand for grocery brands.

Brands that strike the right chord between novelty and commercial pragmatism are in demand.

In fact, we’ve been pleasantly

surprised by the enthusiastic responses we are receiving from distributors in our markets to new partnership opportunities we’ve put in front of them throughout Covid-19.

Looking at the other side of the import-export relationship and the impact F&B brand owners and exporters are facing is leading to a wild shift in priorities and budgeting. One winning strategy that we have seen is brands that commit to driving short term sales while also planning on a much longer term, multi-year, basis to build strength in export markets, diversifying their risk of being reliant on a single market to deliver enduring results.

Ultimately, the decisions that are made today will have a lasting effect on business when the situation improves. While the short-term challenges are real and severe, it’s important to continue to keep an eye on the future and what it will bring for our businesses and people after the virus has been defeated. n nadayoung@exportincite.com www.exportincite.com

August 2020

I 23

MARKETING CUT-THROUGH IN AN AGE OF NOISE

Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing but nobody else does. Industry experts have continued to advise brands not to freeze or reduce their advertising spend during this pandemic and challenging times. But where are the opportunities for brands to talk to customers and how can you capitalise on this?

24

I

supermarketnews.co.nz

K

iwi company Hypermedia is New Zealand’s largest retail focussed media company with over 1675 individual retail locations under its management. Its new Prime Retail media channel is particularly well-placed to help NZ advertisers capitalise on the changes in shopper behaviour driven by Covid-19 disruption.

Brand owners have long memories and the worry is that consumers don’t.

Companies with brands worth billions that have been around for decades do not let them die in a recession. During the 2008 recession, Procter and Gamble and other similar companies kept their advertising constant. Brands try to stay in the consumer’s mind, even if consumer spending falls as it has been shown, over and over again during recessions, that it pays to keep your brand top of mind in the consumer’s eye.

Brands need to remind consumers that they still exist, and research backs this up as looking back over many decades, in times of crisis turning off advertising slows down recovery. Brands with longevity in the market show the way as they never give advertising a miss, they maintain their position no matter how bad things get. They want to be there for the recovery.

Customers are also echoing this with various studies showing that customers want to be talked to. For example, in the UK, Weetabix has boosted its ad-spend by 15 percent. This uncertain time for consumers has led to preference for familiar brands by shoppers according to the brand.

Weetabix marketing director Francesa Theokli was reported saying “It’s been an incredibly uncertain time for consumers of late and when it comes to food at home, we’ve seen shoppers look to the comfort and reassurance that big, familiar food brands like Weetabix can bring – shown with cereals brand-value sales currently growing 70 percent faster than private label”.

Likewise, in the US, CPG giant Procter and Gamble has ramped up its advertising spend

during coronavirus.

“There are consumers that are trying products that they haven’t tried before – but they aren’t necessarily ours,” Jon Moeller, CFO at P&G told investors.

“We need to work hard to ensure that we maintain mental and physical availability to the greatest extent possible, so that those consumers return to their beloved and trusted brands – which are ours – as they’re more fully available. There’s a big upside here in terms of reminding consumers of the benefits that they’ve experienced with our brands and how they’ve met their family’s needs, which is why this is not a time to go off air.”

Not being top of mind for the consumer gives them an opportunity to be adventurous with new and different products - and perhaps like the shift from traditional brands. Building up that rapport again is not cheap nor easy so those who have stayed in the promotional market at consumer level will be the real winners.

There is a definite increase in media consumption, particularly in the online world, which is why brands should look at ways in which they can cut through the crowded online space and invest in other media channels, such as retail out-of-home advertising to talk to their consumers.

Hypermedia’s Prime Retail network currently offers access to 25 shopping centre locations from Whangarei to Christchurch and consists of 115 large printed panels with immediate proximity to supermarkets. These panels are double-sided, delivering a total of 230 saleable facings reaching 1.4 million shoppers each week. Prime Retail panel locations offer adjacency to major supermarkets, the majority being Countdown and New World.

Thanks to the pandemic, brands now have new opportunities to reach consumers and retail media has been catapulted to the forefront of the media industry during Level 3 lockdown, being one of the only channels to retain and grow its audience, with the added benefit of proximity to the point of purchase and the ability to influence shopper behaviour.

As consumers emerge from their homes for their weekly outing to the supermarket, it’s an opportune moment for brands to talk to them.

Sharp spikes in supermarket visitation, coupled with impulse purchase behaviour represent a significant sales driving and brand building opportunity for agile FMCG brands willing to act quickly. There is less distraction and noise as consumers are taking their purposeful trips, allowing brands to reach consumers with little distraction in the critical moments that lead up to making a purchasing decision.

Social distancing queues outside supermarkets give potential customers the time to engage with brands’ messaging and offers and this opportunity is one that many brands are taking advantage of. Prime Retail gives brands the chance to reach customers just before they enter a store where they will make a purchase.

Hypermedia’s network is designed to reach shoppers arriving at supermarkets, priming them for their in-store journey.

Under Alert Level 3, grocery sales have doubled in Auckland alone.

Grocery sales throughout the previous nationwide lockdown and now the second wave of regional lockdowns saw shoppers exceeding their pre-Covid household grocery budgets, often spending upwards of 40 percent more each shop. Prime Retail offers FMCG and grocery brands the chance to secure and increase their share of basket.

Various studies and analysis of the market have shown that 75 percent of consumers are expanding the range of items purchased. With people in lockdown at home, comes the increase of people in each household that have shopping preferences and requirements that pre COVID-19 were not necessarily on the spot to be catered to. As foodservice options become limited, most meals and snacks have to now, be catered within the home.

Reach out to Hypermedia to discuss how your brand can achieve cut through with impactful and successful campaigns within these unique channel opportunities. n

For more information visit covid19.govt.nz/government-actions/covid-19-alert-level/ August 2020

I 25

26

I

supermarketnews.co.nz

Jim Harré

James Rowan

Chair of Judges

NWWA MEET THE JUDGES

Jim Harre’s passion for wine runs in the family – his grandfather, father and brother were all winemakers and his other brother is involved in the wine and food industry in France. Jim has been involved in the New World Wine Awards since 2008, this being his 13th year as Chair of the Judging Panel. He also has extensive experience judging in New Zealand as well as in Australia, China, Japan, UK and the United States. His roles include Panel Chair for New Zealand Winegrowers, Chair of Judges for the China Wineluxe Competition, Chair of Judges for the Victorian Wine Competition in Australia, Chair of Judges for the International Aromatic Wine Show, Panel Chair for the International Wine Challenge in London and San Francisco International Wine Competition and a wine consultant for Air New Zealand.

Simon Fell

Simon Fell joined the Villa Maria group in 2003. He has over 25 years of winemaking experience, honed during a career that has seen him work for wineries in Bordeaux, Gers, Oregon, Napa, Chile, Western Australia and New Zealand – his base for the past 15 years. In his current role as Thornbury Winemaker in Auckland, Simon enjoys the challenges and vast possibilities of producing a range of varietal wines from New Zealand’s key winegrowing regions. He is a keen outdoorsman and, together with his Californian wife Jacqui, is an avid foodie who enjoys preparing gourmet food and wine dinners for friends and family.

James Rowan has been the senior winemaker at West Brook Winery in Auckland for the past 15 years, making wine from Matakana, Auckland, Waiheke Island, Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne and Marlborough.

He has been a senior wine judge at numerous New Zealand competitions including the Air New Zealand Wine Awards, New Zealand Wine of Year Awards, Gisborne Regional Wine Awards, the Romeo Bragato Wine Awards, New Zealand International Wine Show and the Royal Easter Show Wine Awards. James is also a senior cider judge. Over the years, James has also shared his passion and knowledge for wine with various New Zealand magazines and trade publications.

Olly Masters

Olly Masters is currently a winemaker at Misha’s Vineyard in Central Otago, as well as running his own winery/vineyard consulting business, Tripwire Consulting. Olly has formed a reputation as being one of New Zealand’s most prominent winemakers and wine judges, consistently forging some of New Zealand’s finest pinot noirs. With over 30 years’ experience in the industry, Olly has chaired the Romeo Bragato Wine Awards and is a senior wine judge at many wine competitions in New Zealand and overseas. He is based in Martinborough, where he organically farms two acres of pinot and syrah grapes.

Corey Hall

Corey Hall started his 20 plus year career in winemaking after gaining a BSc in chemistry with geology and physics from the University of Auckland.

He has worked as a winemaker in Australia, France, California and New Zealand, where he rose to Chief Winemaker during his ten-year tenure at Matua Valley. He has been making wine under his own brands Gem and Harwood Hall since leaving Matua, and is also currently a winemaker for Coopers Creek, Snapper Rock and Ward Valley Estate Wines. Corey has conducted numerous tastings with both trade and public in New Zealand, Australia and United States, and has served as Senior Judge at the New Zealand International Wine Show, Panel Chair at the Australian Small Winemakers show, and has judged on tasting panels for Cuisine, Winestate, Wine NZ and Dish magazines.

Jennifer Parr

An Oregon native and graduate of Stanford University, Jen Parr has called Wanaka home since 2008. She has extensive international winemaking experience including in the United States, France, South Africa and Australia in addition to 18 harvests in New Zealand. Jen assumed her role as Winemaker for Valli Vineyards in 2015 and also makes wine for a handful of other boutique Otago producers. Jen was recently awarded the 2020 Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine NZ Winemaker of the Year. Outside of work, Jen loves skiing, mountain biking, tramping and long walks with her dogs.

3 I I 27

August 2020 August 2020

Nadine Cross

NWWA MEET THE JUDGES

Winemaker at Peregrine since 2010, Nadine brings experience from France, California and Marlborough to the unique climate of Central Otago. Lured into winemaking by the combination of environment, travel, food and wine, it's a job she loves doing every day – and in one of the most beautiful wine regions in the world. For Nadine, winemaking is about learning: being observant and quality focused in order to let the land and environment speak through the wine, while helping lead a top-flight wine-making team.

Stu Marfell

Stu was born and raised in the Awatere Valley not far from the Vavasour Vineyard. A graduate of Lincoln University, Canterbury with a Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology, Stu joined Foley Family Wines in February 2003 as Assistant Winemaker. Stu became our Chief Winemaker in 2007 and was a Finalist at the 2008 & 2009 Young Winemaker of the Year Awards.

4 28I

supermarketnews.co.nz Isupermarketnews.co.nz

Jane Cooper

Jane is an experienced winemaker with 28 years of international experience and her own wine label, Alexia. Winemaking has allowed her to travel across the globe to Chile, the Hunter Valley, Italy and extensively throughout New Zealand. She consults at Ohau Wines on the Kapiti Coast and has just built a small urban winery and cellar door in Greytown in Wairarapa. Jane has previously judged at both the New Zealand Wine of the Year and the New Zealand Aromatic Wine competition and is the Chair of Judges for the Royal Easter Show Wine Awards.

Simon Waghorn

Simon Waghorn began his winemaking career in 1982, training at Roseworthy College in South Australia. He has been a senior winemaker for 32 years and has judged at all the major New Zealand wine competitions. Simon established his reputation with Chardonnay in Gisborne, and now makes a wide range of interesting varieties in Marlborough. Simon is the winemaker and owner of Astrolabe Wines, and his sauvignon blanc is considered an industry benchmark.

Kyle Thompson

After studying food science, Kyle Thompson began his working life in the dairy industry in microbiology and sensory evaluation. Always passionate about wine, his interest in the industry began in earnest while living overseas. After vintages in Bordeaux and Tuscany, and further winemaking study, Kyle returned to his native New Zealand and joined Saint Clair Family Estate in 2006 – just as the new winery was being built. He has a particular affinity for judging right here in his homeland as it puts his expertise to the test and allows for a good look at the quality and diverse range of New Zealand wines first-hand.

Jeff Clarke

Jeff Clarke is one of the Australasia’s most experienced winemakers and wine judges, starting his career in wine in 1976. He has been judging in New Zealand and Australian wine shows for over 30 years, including the Air New Zealand Wine Awards, Liquorland Wine Show, New World Wine Awards, and for Cuisine Magazine. He has previously worked as Chief Winemaker at Ara Wine Estate in Marlborough and as a consulting winemaker at Jackson Estate Wines Ltd.

Michael Bann

NWWA MEET THE JUDGES

Originally from Australia, Michael developed his interest in wine growing up in the family retail liquor business. He went on to study horticulture and winemaking, and worked vintages around Australia and France, before coming to New Zealand in 2006 where he met his wife and started a family. Michael has been winmaker at Rapaura Springs since 2012, and winemaker at Summerhouse wines since 2013.

He is passionate about Malborough wines and developing new varieties and styles within the region.

He is an experienced wine judge, having participated in all the major wine competitions in New Zealand, as well as a keen motorcyclist.

Nick Picone

Nick Picone has been in and around the Villa Maria group for more than twenty years, working as Group Chief Winemaker since 2015. Starting out as a teenager, Nick has made wines across New Zealand’s main winegrowing regions and has also completed harvests in Italy and the United States. Nick was the recipient of the Len Evans tutorial scholarship in 2004, helping initiate his presence in wine judging.

A regular judge in New Zealand wine shows for 15 years, Nick has also judged for Cuisine, Winestate, Dish and New Zealand Winegrowers.

Kate Radburnd

Kate Radburnd has been making wine for over 35 years and is one of New Zealand’s most lauded winemakers. After receiving an Oenology degree in her native Australia, Kate moved to New Zealand in 1983 to work as a winemaker at Vidal with legendary New Zealand winemaker George Fistonich. She joined Pask Winery in 1991 and became winemaker, joint owner and then managing director until 2017.

Her new winery venture Radburnd Cellars Ltd was established in September 2017 with the purpose of Kate making small parcels of her absolute best. A highly regarded ambassador for New Zealand wine, Kate has been a wine judge all around the globe, earned many trophies for her wines and was at the forefront of New Zealand’s Sustainable Winegrowing initiative. She was awarded the Sir George Fistonich medal in 2010, was the first female winemaker to become a fellow of New Zealand Winegrowers in 2015 and was inducted into the New Zealand Wine Hall of Fame in 2019.

Sam Kim

Auckland-based Sam Kim has been involved in the New Zealand hospitality and wine industry for over 30 years. During this time he has accumulated 23 years of experience judging for various national and global wine competitions and magazines, including the Air New Zealand Wine Awards, New Zealand International Wine Show, the Royal Easter Show Wine Awards, Decanter Asia Wine Awards, the New Zealand Aromatic Wine Competition, Spiegelau International Wine Competition, Marlborough Wine Show and Cuisine magazine. He publishes his own web-based wine magazine wineorbit.co.nz, which features reviews of both New Zealand and international wines.

Ant Mackenzie

Ant Mackenzie has worked in the New Zealand wine industry for over 25 years, holding various positions including stints as a general manager, wine consultant and wine science lecturer at Eastern Institute of Technology. He is currently working for Hãhã Wine Company as chief winemaker whilst continuing to develop his own wine brands under the Ant Mackenzie Wines banner. He enjoys keeping a finger on the pulse of New Zealand’s wine industry through awards judging, taking part in the New Zealand Wine of the Year Awards, The Royal Easter Show Wine Awards and has recently been appointed Chief Judge of the A&P Hawke’s Bay Wine Awards.

Simon Nunns

Consulting Winemaker Simon Nunns has been a senior judge in all the major New Zealand wine shows and is a highly sought-after educator and speaker. Simon also features regularly as a judging panellist for Cuisine magazine and has a passion for alternative grape varieties. He has worked vintages in both the United States and France, in the regions of Oregon, Bordeaux and Burgundy, and was the head winemaker at Coopers Creek Vineyard in Auckland for over 20 years. Simon was awarded the inaugural Jason Winter Memorial Prize for academic achievement while completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Viticulture and Oenology from Lincoln University.

I I295

August 2020 August 2020

Supplying quality Italian smallgoods to New Zealand supermarkets, hospitality trade and delicatessen wholesalers.

Call us now for authentic quality Italian smallgoods. www.ghiotti.co.nz

I

support@europeanfood.co.nz

I

09 551 7410