Curated Edition 6, July 2024 by Woolworths Supplier Engagement

In this issue

Hello

Welcome to the sixth edition of Curated, where we’re marking the start of the 2025 financial year!

Thank you for your support throughout FY24. Our readership has remained steady with each new edition, we hope Curated has provided clarity and inspiration, especially while navigating a changing retail landscape and shifts in customer needs.

This edition is packed with essential updates and insightful stories. Following our FY25 Business Update, Paul's Update on page 04 is a must-read, bringing to life our Commercial Strategy with a refined focus to support priorities in the new financial year, while laying foundations for the future.

In celebration of a century of operations, we're thrilled to feature Moffatt Fresh Produce, a five-generation, family-owned business. Director Steven Moffatt shares invaluable insights gained through a century in the industry (page 08).

A lesson FY24 made apparent was that value means different things to different customers, so we’re excited to introduce our refreshed customer segments (page 14), crucial for understanding and meeting evolving consumer needs.

On page 26, we delve into operational excellence and learn about our enhanced product recall processes in conversation with Lauren Cook, Woolworths General Manager of AFG Food Safety, Quality & Regulatory Compliance.

Discover the redesigned Q.Checkout for easier access to critical customer, brand, and promotional insights to help drive decision making (page 40), and explore updates in Partner Hub, and the Supply Chain Scorecard, empowering you to benchmark your business within your category (page 37).

As always, scan the QR code to provide feedback and share what you’d like to see in future editions.

Happy reading.

Rebecca Boustead General Manager

Trade Partner Charter

We are always Customer 1st

We behave like business partners

We do what we say

We balance business sustainability & market competitiveness

We inspire and challenge each other to do better

We drive our business through the Merchandise Manager and Joint Business Plans

We make it right when we fall short

Paul's update

Dear Trade Partners,

In June, we held our Mid-Year Update to reflect on FY24 together and take our Trade Partners through our strategy for FY25.

Thank you for your continued support and collaboration throughout FY24. Feedback and engagement from our Trade Partners is highly valued, as it helps us continue to improve and prioritise where further work is needed.

Reflecting on the past year, while we faced challenges particularly in Q3, we also delivered to our customers’ needs for value and affordability, with more work to be done.

Our strategy for FY25 builds on our existing direction, with a strong focus on delivering value to our customers and delivering on our Trade Partner Charter. Our primary goal is to work in partnership with you, our Trade Partners, to deliver on our commitment to be today's fresh food people; ensuring we have the freshest stock, great value, store-level availability, and a diverse range of products.

Ensuring all Australians trust our everyday prices and are delighted by meaningful promotions remains a priority. We have transitioned from Low Price to Everyday Low Price, which can now be seen in-store and

online. We are also working with suppliers to help customers receive value through reduced shelf prices, and reduce their reliance on weekly promotions.

Another key part of our strategy is to remain your most preferred trading partner. Our Trade Partner Charter guides us in this mission, especially during challenging times. We recognise that this year presents significant opportunities for collaboration to deliver for our customers and to grow volume together.

The results of the Annual Advantage Survey again placed us as the most preferred retail partner out of the twenty in the sample, and we are grateful for your participation and feedback.

There's been a lot of public discussion about the relationship between retailers and suppliers. I would like to reassure you that we value relationships with suppliers big and small. We know positive relationships with our suppliers not only deliver the best outcomes for our business and yours, but also for our shared customers. We remain focused on making positive changes to continue to improve the way we work with our trade partners.

Our Voice of Supplier (VOS) survey, which tracks our performance over time, highlighted areas where we can still improve to meet our aspirations. Your feedback in VOS and the Annual Advantage survey has pointed out three key areas for improvement:

Range Review Processs

Despite our efforts to clarify our range review process through a deep dive series in Curated and Trade Talk, we understand there is more work to be done. We are still receiving feedback on the need for greater transparency and better communication regarding the process and its outcomes. We are committed to further refining this process to ensure a smoother and more collaborative experience.

We acknowledge that our product availability in Q3 post-Christmas could have been better. Ensuring availability and a great customer experience remains a top priority, and significant efforts are underway to address these issues. Pleasingly we have seen significant improvements in this space, but there is always more work to do. 1 2 3

Team Accessibility

We recognise the need for our team to be more responsive. To address this, we established the Commercial Support Assistant team to reduce the administrative burden and centralise support. Early feedback has been positive, indicating that this initiative is helping our partners get things done more efficiently. We are committed to continuing this transition and ensuring our team remains accessible and responsive.

PostChristmas Disruption

Our commitment to you includes improving the tools and processes to make business interactions smoother. This involves embedding joint business plans, enhancing communication, and ensuring better data utilisation. We are working to consolidate supplier databases for more effective communication, addressing issues where different departments have separate lists. This will help ensure we communicate with the right people consistently.

We hope you have noticed our ongoing commitment to improving Partner Hub, based on your consistent feedback. Recent improvements include automated image submissions to increase your speed to market, improving our team directories to make it easier to find your key contacts, and creating better visibility of Health Star Ratings online which we know customers want. We have ambitious plans for further automation and enhancements to ensure Partner Hub becomes an even more valuable resource for you.

We continue to support smaller suppliers through initiatives like the Small Supplier Commercial Report and the Seedlab program. These resources are designed to make it easier for new and existing suppliers to do business with us, offering tools, training, and support to help them succeed.

We are working to improve our catalogue of onboarding resources. Our goal is to create a seamless onboarding experience for all suppliers, including those with new team members to help them understand how Woolworths operates.

We have ambitious plans for further automation and enhancements to ensure Partner Hub becomes an even more valuable resource for you.

As we move into the new financial year, we are committed to working closely with you to deliver exceptional outcomes for our customers. We will continue to focus on reducing costs, enhancing product quality, and improving the overall shopping experience. Your partnership and support are crucial to our success, and we are dedicated to being the best trading partner we can be.

Thank you once again for your dedication and continued partnership. Your feedback and collaboration are welcomed as we strive to meet our goals and deliver on our promises to our customers.

Regards,

Paul Harker Chief Commercial OfficerSupermarkets and Metro

Our F25 Commercial Strategy

Deliver on our promise as Today’s Fresh Food people, through great value, freshness, availability and choice, to rebuild customer advocacy, whilst continuing to invest for the future.

Key delivery pillars

For Customers

Build a leading team of modern retailers, powered by world class technology and processes.

Work hard to live our customer promise of great value, freshness and availability; deliver more affordable and sustainable options and a curated range of products that makes sense to the communities we serve - all while building our offer for the future.

Be the preferred trading partner of our suppliers, through living our Trade Partner Charter.

Ina time when the average lifespan of an Australian company sits at just a decade, Moffatt Fresh Produce shines as a remarkable beacon of resilience and longevity.

Nestled in the rural area of Tarome, in the Scenic Rim region of Queensland, this family-owned business is celebrating an incredible 100 years of bringing the freshest produce to communities all over Australia.

This year, Moffatt Fresh Produce marks a century of delivering household staples like carrots, onions, celery, and pumpkin to families nationwide. To honour this significant milestone and glean insights from a five-generation, ten-decade-old business, we sat down with Steven Moffatt, Director of Moffatt Fresh Produce.

Q: Hey Steve – 100 years is no small feat. Can you take us back to the origins of Moffatt Fresh Produce and share a few key milestones in its history?

Steven: All the way back in 1924, Robert Moffatt settled in Tarome with his family and started the business. After his passing in 1938, his wife and son – who is my grandfather, Alan – took over, focusing on dairy cattle, potatoes, and legumes.

In the 1960s, Don and Greg Moffatt continued the farm, introducing carrots and pumpkins. By the 1970s, they had diversified into beans and field peas. Our focus switched to carrots in the 1990s, and in the 2010s, we pioneered electronic visual grading for carrots. Today, our carrot production is ten times what it was in the 2000s!

Our main business these days is carrots, celery, onions, and pumpkins. Our rich history means we’re very lucky to have such an experienced workforce. While the basics of farming remain, advancements in technology have helped us guarantee top quality and freshness. GPS and satellite technology, along with modern machinery, have enhanced our farming practices significantly and improved our yield, produce quality, and soil health.

Q: There have certainly been several generations involved in the business! At what point did Moffatt Fresh Produce begin supplying produce to Woolworths, and how has this relationship grown over the years?

Steven: We began indirectly supplying Woolworths in the 1970s and established a direct supply arrangement in 2012. Working closely with Woolworths allows us to bring fresh, high-quality produce to Australian families daily. Our partnership has grown over the years, and we collaborate on important issues such as sustainability and combating food waste, which is very rewarding.

It’s fantastic to commemorate such a strong, deep-rooted partnership, and the fact that both businesses celebrate 100 years in 2024 is a great milestone to celebrate and reflect on. For many decades, the team at Moffatt Fresh Produce have grown and developed their business with Woolworths to the point where they are one of our largest carrot producers today.

Great communication and transparency provide the platform for both businesses to work seamlessly together and manage the challenges that working with agricultural products can throw at us. With this strong, long-term partnership, we are really excited to see what the coming years bring, and we will be working hard to continue to drive the strategic partnership to even greater levels.

Cormac Deery

General Manager Buying Vegetables

Q: Absolutely! Speaking of which, Moffatt Fresh Produce was the first supporter of the Woolworths Reindeer Carrots initiative. Can you share more about your drivers to support the cause?

Steven: The WIRES Reindeer Carrot initiative started after the 2019 bushfires, and we were more than happy to support Woolworths’ donations of 10c from every bag sold to support wildlife rescue and habitat recovery. It’s been a meaningful way to give back to our environment.

Q: It really is, and over $1 million in donations was achieved over the last Christmas period! In your day-to-day, how do you incorporate sustainable practices in your farming operations?

Steven: We use sustainable practices like cover cropping, crop rotation, integrated pest management, and varying irrigation and water management strategies. These practices focus on maintaining nutrients in our soils, reducing water consumption, and favouring organic over chemical controls for pest, disease, and weed management.

Q: It’s clear that you’re mindful of your impact. How do you see your role in not just supplying produce, but also in supporting the wellbeing of communities across Australia?

Steven: We feel privileged and obligated to provide nutritious vegetables, contributing to the health and wellbeing of Australian families. We aim to educate and encourage daily vegetable consumption.

Q: Awesome! We’ve only brushed the surface of Moffatt's history, contributions, and evolution –but reflecting on the 100-year milestone, what are you most proud of?

Steven: Just having made it 100 years is remarkable enough in itself and something that the Moffatt family is immensely proud of. There is no greater satisfaction for me as the 4th generation farmer to see my father, the 3rd generation, be so proud of the legacy he helped to build and continue now into the 5th generation through his grandchildren. We are proud to remain family-owned and operated now and long into the future.

Q. How are you celebrating this significant anniversary, and what message would you like to share with your customers and our Trade Partner community?

Steven: We’ve introduced a new truck and trailer to our refrigerated transport fleet. It’s a tribute to the Moffatt family, specifically to Alan ‘Scott’ Moffatt, my grandfather and the key driver in establishing the Moffatt Fresh Produce business many years ago. It also pays tribute to the land on which the Moffatt family settled 100 years ago and continues to farm today. Later in the year, we will take the opportunity to celebrate 100 years with our family, friends, employees, suppliers, and customers.

Woolworths is proud of our enduring partnership with Moffatt Fresh Produce, and look forward to many more years of collaboration.

Championing

Sustainability

Our role in supporting responsible seafood practices

Woolworths has proudly been named the Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) National Community Champion for 2024 at the annual Sustainable Seafood Awards Australia.

This prestigious award acknowledges our positive impact on local communities in the 2023 calendar year.

All Woolworths Own Brand behind the counter, fresh packaged, frozen, and canned seafood is sourced from ecologically responsible sources, as defined in our Woolworths Group Seafood Sourcing Policy.

We extend our gratitude to our Trade Partners in the Seafood category for striving to contribute to positive environmental outcomes, whose collaboration and support have been instrumental in achieving this recognition.

Over the last three years, Woolworths has invested over $320,000 through the Ocean Pool Fund to support sustainable initiatives among our Trade Partners. This funding has facilitated research and development projects to enhance the sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture operations.

Alexandra Schepis, Woolworths Manager - Planet (Environment), highlighted the Ocean Pool Fund's role in advancing the environmental performance of the Australian Seafood Industry.

Established in 2021, the fund supports our Trade Partners in their journey towards sustainability by focusing on initiatives such as traceability, data capture, certification, process improvements, and education.

We are proud to report that, with funding from the Woolworths Ocean Pool Fund, the MSC has recognised two of our smaller Trade Partners at the Sustainable Seafood Awards Australia for products exclusive to Woolworths.

Alexandra Schepis Woolworths Manager –Planet (Environment)

Better Choice Fisheries

Congratulations to:

• Australian Ocean King Prawn Company, awarded Best Sustainable Seafood Business.

• Better Choice Fisheries, recognised for Best Sustainable Seafood Product –Frozen with their Australian Deepwater Raw Royal Red Prawn Meat.

These achievements underscore our suppliers' dedication to sustainability.

For instance, the Australian Ocean King Prawn Company's use of high-resolution underwater cameras supported their MSC certification in June 2023. While Better Choice Fisheries' funding facilitated the MSC certification of the deep water royal red prawn fishery.

Anne Gabriel, MSC Program Director, Oceania & Singapore, praised Woolworths for offering seafood with the MSC blue fish tick label, which gives assurance seafood comes from independently certified sustainable fisheries.

By selling seafood with the MSC blue fish tick label, Woolworths is providing its customers in every community across Australia with an easy and trustworthy choice for wildcaught sustainable seafood that's been independently certified to the MSC Fisheries Standard for a wellmanaged and sustainable fishery.

Making sustainable choices at the checkout by choosing seafood with the MSC blue fish tick label, Woolworths customers are recognising and rewarding fishing communities around the world doing the right thing to protect the future of fish in our ocean for generations to come.

Beyond just sourcing and selling sustainable seafood, retailers like Woolworths play a crucial role in actively supporting and partnering with fisheries to raise the bar on sustainability.

By investing in and collaborating with fisheries, they help to improve fishing practices, protect marine ecosystems, and ensure the long-term health and availability of our oceans' resources.

Anne Gabriel MSC Program Director, Oceania

& Singapore

Woolworths remains dedicated to continuing its leadership in sourcing ecologically responsible seafood, ensuring customers can make informed and environmentally responsible choices daily.

Woolworths Group

Ocean King Prawn Company

Introducing CREST

Woolworths Group’s revamped customer segments

In a rapidly changing retail landscape, understanding our customers has never been more crucial. With this in mind, Woolworths is excited to unveil the refresh of our customer segments - CREST by Woolworths Group.

Owen Lim Head of Customer Insights

Key change:

Larger group, younger and slightly less affluent.

Key change: Small shift towards family.

Key change: Slightly larger group, now older (more retirees).

This update, guided by our ongoing commitment to deeply understanding customer needs, will bring a greater level of detail to insights and more effective strategies for our suppliers, so together we can better deliver on what customers want.

CREST segments are built on a robust behavioural model, grouping customers based on their product choices. These segments are further enhanced through detailed studies that uncover key customer needs, attitudes, and spending preferences. Internally, we monitor and track these behaviours over time to activate and refine our strategies continuously.

Key change: Smaller group, but more family oriented.

Key change: Largely unchanged.

Our customer segments are integral to our operations and strategy, providing invaluable insights that drive our business forward. They form the basis for decision making for processes such as Range Curation, product development, and marketing and activations.

So, to dive deeper into how these changes will make an impact, we sat down with Owen Lim, Head of Customer Insights at WooliesX, and Chloe Toro, Category Development Lead – Impulse, Health & Wellness, and Fruit, to learn more about CREST.

Q: Hi Owen, can you tell us more about the key drivers behind the refresh?

Owen: Essentially, a lot has changed since we first built these segments in 2020. We've experienced a turbulent macro environment (moving out from COVID-19 and now into cost of living, experiencing extreme weather events, etc.), and new trends and behaviours are emerging (continued rise of eCommerce, consumer trend towards health and high protein products, rise of convenience). Our world has changed a lot in the last 3 or 4 years, so we have refreshed our segments to capture the latest behaviours of our customers, which ultimately helps us to understand our customers better.

Q. That makes sense! How do you anticipate these updated segments will enhance our understanding of customer behaviour?

Owen: One of the unique attributes of CREST is that it is underpinned by a series of detailed attitudinal studies that identify each segment's key needs and preferences. This provides an advantage over typical demographic and lifestage segmentation, as we can identify what each segment cares most about. When we combine this with their product and shopping preferences, we begin to build a deep understanding of our customers, which ultimately helps us to serve them better and provide the best experiences possible.

Q. And how can suppliers leverage the new CREST profiles in their planning and product development?

Owen: Trade Partners can access CREST through Q.Checkout add-ins. If you have a subscription to a subcategory, you will be able to view CREST material including

segment profiles, which contains details on each segment's attitudes and preferences in the Q.Portal. Category-specific insights are also shared through our Category Updates twice a year.

Q. Could you give examples of how profiling customer segments can uncover growth opportunities?

Owen: There are many great examples of how CREST can uncover growth opportunities, however a great way to begin using CREST is by simply profiling your category or brand using the segments. You will quickly identify which segment are your "main" shoppers, and which segments are "trialists". From there you can use the attitudinal and behavioural knowledge of each segment to identify ways to convert trialists to main shoppers (think new product lines, price points, or marketing campaigns) or ways to extend your category or brand's relationship with main shoppers (How can we get an extra item in their basket? Could we extend into a new category?).

Q. Now let’s talk numbers… How will the CREST segments help in setting and tracking performance targets for suppliers?

Owen: CREST enables Trade Partners to set differentiated growth strategies at a customer level, based on their key needs, attitudes, and preferences. This knowledge helps Trade Partners shape their growth plans by identifying potential new audiences, or ways to increase engagement with existing customers. Utilising the tools available in Q.Checkout add-ins, Trade Partners can view the size and engagement of each CREST segment, which can help set growth or penetration targets.

Q. Thanks Owen! Over to you Chloe. As the Category Development Lead – Impulse, Health & Wellness, and Fruit, how have you utilised the CREST segments in your role?

Chloe: Through our partnership with the supermarkets buying team, category development focuses on driving a localised customer offer through customer first strategies and tailored ranges, all of which is underpinned by a data led approach. CREST forms a key part of this analysis process in unlocking a foundational understanding of our customers and their unique behaviours within any given category.

Q. Can you share an example of how these segments have informed your category development strategies?

Chloe: When setting out the strategic direction for a category, the new CREST segments enable us to better understand a customer's life stage and affluence, particular subcategories and segments they over and under index in by type, general profiling elements, and what they are telling us about our supermarket through VOC. This then allows our team to then track their growth, spend, product, and brand preferences, in order to develop targeted strategies by CREST group at a category level. These strategies touch everything from store clusters, product ranging, targeted POS, to planogram layout and flow, and are able to be implemented through the Range Review process.

Q. That sounds versatile, to say the least. In what ways do the updated segments assist in identifying new product development opportunities?

Chloe: Through our work on a recent Range Curation, we identified a strong Conscious over index, and with the newly defined Fast Fuelers within this customer group, we were able to establish a need to bring in healthy, convenient, and high protein meals and functional snacks to target this key customer, with a plan to drive future incremental category growth.

Q. Awesome! And finally, what advice would you give to Trade Partners on using CREST to better align their offerings with customer expectations?

Chloe: When CREST data is unpacked at a category level, it allows you to truly understand who your brands' most engaged and less engaged customers are and why. You can often have multiple profiles that over index with your category, and it’s about understanding who best aligns with your brand, and the opportunity presented to meet their needs. Once you analyse their profiling and shopping behaviours within the focus universe, you can then identify product opportunities to fill any need gaps that may exist, enhance your current offering to cater to their unique requirements, tailor marketing campaigns, and provide an overall optimised shopping experience. Based on the customer analysis and prioritisation, partner with your Category Manager to align on the final strategy and best customer plan to take forward.

More information about CREST will be available on Partner Hub in July.

Visiting our Fruit and Vegetable

Trade Partners

In March, our Fruit and Vegetables team embarked on a trip to Queensland, where they visited several of our fresh produce Trade Partners at their farms. This journey provided an invaluable opportunity to connect faceto-face with the people who supply the highquality produce our customers love.

Many of the farms we visited have been family-owned for several generations, rich with history and tradition. The team was thrilled to hear the stories behind these farms and witness the dedication and passion that go into growing and harvesting their produce.

These visits are not just about business; they are about building and strengthening the bonds that make our partnerships so special.

The insights gained from these visits are immeasurable. By understanding the processes and challenges our Trade Partners face, we can better support them and ensure that we continue to provide the best possible products to our customers. These interactions allow us to grow together as business partners, fostering a collaborative environment that benefits everyone involved.

Here are some of the incredible farms we visited:

Barden

SPECIALISES IN HERBS, VEGETABLES, AND SALADS.

Kalfresh

PRODUCES SWEET CORN, BEANS, ONION, CARROT, MINI VINE CAPSICUM, AND ORGANICS.

Gibbs Farm

KNOWN FOR THEIR ICEBERG LETTUCE, WOMBOK, CABBAGE, KALE, CAULIFLOWER, AND CELERY.

Rugby Farms

OFFERS ICEBERG LETTUCE, WOMBOK, CORN, BEANS, AND CELERY.

Qualipac

FOCUSES ON BROCCOLI, ONION, AND PUMPKIN.

Jackwitz

GROWS CAULIFLOWER, BROCCOLI, LETTUCE, AND ONION.

Mulgowie

SPECIALISES IN CORN, AND BEANS.

Rangoon Sunrise

Where passion meets purpose (and Poke bowls)!

Rangoon Sunrise is the brainchild of founders Mimi and Chamera; a Poke bowl dressing company that’s captured the hearts and taste buds of a growing customer base.

Witha fantastic product in its authentic poke bowl dressings, a committed team, and a little help from the Seedlab Australia program, the Burmese-inspired business recently trialled in two flagship Woolies stores over two days, creating a great atmosphere in the store, with the products resonating well with customers.

Sampling at Woolworths, Mimi and her team were able to introduce their brand to new customers, moving the amount of stock they’d expect to sell in a month. We sat down with Mimi and Chamera to hear how the trial, and their business came together, and what’s next for this burgeoning brand.

Q: Hello Mimi and Chamera, and thank you for your time today. Before we get into your terrific in-store sampling, can you tell us a bit about how Rangoon Sunrise began?

Chamera: Yes! Mimi is Burmese by background, so she's very familiar with the different savoury flavours from Burma (Myanmar). And in Burmese culture, they eat a lot of different types of bowls, like mixed bowls and salads and things like that. But the flavours they use are quite unique and different.

Mimi: And they’re not seen quite often in Australia. I grew up with these amazing flavours and memories of these great tasting bowls. And then you know, you have that crazy idea, “Oh, I wish I could have that flavour dressing in pantries all across Australia.” That'd be awesome. Right? So it started from that idea. After many months of perfecting the recipe, our first big leap was in 2022 when we went out to the farmer’s markets in the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges to test the dressings and try to get a deeper understanding of what customers wanted and liked. That's how we started, through the local markets and I really am grateful for all the community support that we have been given throughout all different markets around that area.

Chamera: It’s a classic kind of way to start a business, I suppose.

Q. Absolutely! So what’s different about Rangoon Sunrise dressings? What customer ‘need’ were you addressing?

Mimi: After speaking to customers, we realised that people were completely avoiding dressings! The products available to them were packed with sugar, and there wasn’t much variety in that space.

Chamera: And Australian tastes have changed. We found people were moving away from sweet flavours to more savoury, and flavours inspired from Asia. It just happened to be that Burmese cuisine has quite a lot of savoury flavours. For our dressings, that means sesame, roasted chickpea, and we also use fermented tea leaves, which is quite a unique ingredient, but something that gives a lovely umami flavour through our dressing, as well as chilli, garlic, you know, some of the classics. People were saying, “We want to make poke bowls, but we don’t have a dressing that works.” So it's really providing that savoury flavour, and being low in sugar.

Q. Yum. But how do you go from farmer’s markets to Woolworths’ shelves?

Chamera: We signed up for Seedlab Australia. That was really helpful in making us aware of all the things we didn’t know, in order to grow our business. It was a huge help in regards to logistics and operations, understanding the expectations in terms of supply chain, and how we could supply to a major retailer in Woolworths. Even down to small things like pallet configuration and barcodes and label requirements. All the stuff you need to get right.

Then in July last year we qualified for the Seedlab Expo at Norwest, which was a fantastic opportunity. We were able to sample our products at Woolworths Support Office and make our pitch to our Category Manager.

Q. And a successful one at that! From there, you move on to an in-store sampling at Double Bay and Middle Brighton. How did that go?

Chamera: On the back of those pitch meetings, we worked with the UP! Team within Woolworths, who are really focused on bringing these kinds of innovative, more gourmet products, satisfying an unmet customer need into select stores. We were allocated the Double Bay store in Sydney, and also the Middle Brighton store in Melbourne. We set up a sampling table so customers could try the dressings in person, and we wanted to demonstrate how easy it was to make poke bowls at home.

Mimi: The experience was amazing. We were confident, and hopeful, that we would do well. But it was exceptional! We sold through a month’s worth of stock in just two days, which, as a new Trade Partner and leading into winter, exceeded our wildest expectations. And the momentum has continued on since our launch which is very exciting.

Chamera: That resonance is what we get really excited about. We’re passionate about our customers. Seeing, in person, a mother and her two young children taste the dressing, add it to their basket, and then race around the store to find ingredients to create poke bowls at home, was the most rewarding part of the whole thing.

Q. I bet! So what’s next for Rangoon Sunrise?

Chamera: We are keen to make our product available all across Australia. So that's our first thing. But we're also really excited about the opportunity to export as well. We know that there's an opportunity for us to be able to take this Australian-made product, with this Asian kind of flavour, overseas.

Thanks for your time team!

Did You Know?

By partnering with Woolworths, you have access to valuable sampling space and customer engagement backed by one of Australia’s most trusted and iconic brands.

The benefits of working directly with our Instore Sampling Team is that we only engage with our trusted agencies to ensure your products are sampled as per your brief and our In-store Sampling Team communicates directly with our stores and Commercial Teams in the lead up to your campaigns.

Woolworths Supermarkets also offers a dedicated small Trade Partner sampling program, for businesses who want to showcase their products directly into the hands of Woolworths customers.

When customers see and experience your products sampled in our stores and endorsed by Woolworths, this helps build trust, accessibility and brand recognition.

If you would like to know more about in-store sampling or the Small Trade Partner Sampling program, contact: instoresampling@woolworths.com.au or smallsupplierteam@woolworths.com.au

Majans'

Milestone Major

Majans' journey began in 1960 with the Raniga family’s modest push-cart, selling snacks door-to-door in Fiji. Over the decades, this family business has blossomed into the home of Australia’s best-selling mixed snacks, with products enjoyed around the world.

Majans’ mission has remained steadfast: to create snacks that transcend boundaries with their unique tastes, textures, and wholesome natural ingredients, igniting a new movement in snacking.

In April, the Woolworths team had the pleasure of meeting with Majans for one of our regular Joint Business Plan check-ins and to celebrate a significant milestone. Majans' flagship brands, Bhuja and Infuzions, reached a remarkable growth of 27% compared to the prior 12 months.

Majans National Sales Manager Matthew Blake says Majans' success in Woolworths Supermarkets is a testament to the tailored support and alignment from our teams.

“In October 2022, our annual retail sales reached $22 million MAT. Barry O’Leary, Woolworths’ Merchandise Manager for Snacking, told us he believed we had the potential to reach record numbers. Proudly, we surpassed our set target ahead of schedule,” shared Matthew.

“Our success was driven by unwavering team support and a well-defined strategy outlined in our plan. We strategically focused on key events that aligned with our brands, such as Diwali and Big Night In, to get new shoppers to try our products. When challenges like the potato supply issue in the snacks category arose, we were able to respond quickly and ensure a robust supply chain to meet growing demand and sustain our growth.”

Woolworths Category Manager – Chips, Annie Lombardi, attributes the great partnership with Majans to the continued joint focus on the plan on a page with the team at Majans.

“We continue to work hand-in-hand on driving initiatives that push the boundaries, taking risks and true collaboration. Matt, Ellie, and the team continue to share real

insights from their conversations with their consumers, and from their recent trip to ExpoWest about trends in categories beyond my own,” says Annie.

Annie added, “It’s exciting to see the potential NPD pipeline and to have the opportunity to provide feedback, way before the Range Review schedule and how it ladders into the key initiatives.”

Matthew added, “Annie is so collaborative and easy to work with. In a competitive category, she’s really supported our growth.”

As we look ahead, the future holds even more promise, with a FY25 plan to pursue further growth. With plans for this target to be achieved through product innovation, strong in-store presence, focus on customer events, celebrating culturally significant events, and driving growth through a well-executed sales and promotional strategy via the Majans field team and Woolworths’ store teams.

For Trade Partners looking to drive growth in FY25 and into the future, reach out to your Category Manager to work together on a tailored approach to growing your brand and meeting customer needs.

Recalls: Improvement in process support

At Woolworths, we are committed to ensuring the safety of our customers by efficiently and effectively removing products that could harm them through our recall process.

As a Trade Partner to Woolworths, you have a critical role when recalling one of your products. To ensure this process is seamless, we have recently undertaken a review to make it easier to navigate.

We spoke with Lauren Cook, Woolworths General Manager of AFG Food Safety, Quality & Regulatory Compliance, to find out a little more about the changes.

Q. Hi Lauren! Thanks for the time. Let’s start at the start… Why are product recalls so important to get right?

The safety of our customers and your consumers is our highest priority. Food recalls remove unsafe products from the supply chain. Products may be recalled for reasons such as contamination, undeclared allergens, labelling errors, or other safety issues.

Effective recalls protect the brand reputation of both our company and you, our Trade Partners. Failure to comply with recall regulations can result in legal penalties, fines, and increased scrutiny from regulatory agencies. A prompt, proactive, and efficient recall demonstrates a commitment to consumer safety. Mishandling a recall can cause lasting brand damage.

Q. Why did the team update the Trade Partner Withdrawal and Recall Manual (PWRM)? What did they change?

We recognise that recalls are not a frequent activity for our Trade Partners, and that our Trade Partners are often learning the process for the first time. Managing regulatory requirements and potentially multiple retailers' requirements can be overwhelming.

Our old processes focused on what needed to be submitted in PWRM. Based on our experience supporting Trade Partners, we have updated our processes and manuals to guide you through the entire recall process.

We hope that these changes make completing a recall a less stressful and more efficient process for both our Trade Partners and our operations teams.

Q. What's the one thing you want Trade Partners to know about Product Recall?

Woolworths is a large and complex retail supply chain. To support you, and execute recalls effectively, it is critical that we have the right information at the right time. The recall process starts from the time you first

How Woolworths can support you with Recalls.

If you need support to submit the recall the Woolworths team can help.

As soon as you have confirmed the need for a recall with your Local Food Enforcement Agency, call your Category Manager and confirm by email.

NOTE: If you are unable to reach your Commercial Manager call the: Woolworths Recall Coordinator Australia +61 85278445

(New Zealand recalls +64 27243 4315)

Inputting the recall into Partner Hub

●Your team (including weekends and out-of-hours) will need the correct Partner Hub access, which means they need to be set up by your Super User as a contact.

engage with our Commercial Team and continues until the last product is located and isolated, which for products in transit can take weeks.

One of the biggest insights that we have had around is supporting suppliers to be able to identify how many states need to be included in the scope of the recall notification. Delivering impacted stock into one state does not mean that the product is only in that state's retail network. Early engagement helps ensure that you have the right information to provide to the regulators, and that we have time to plan how best to execute your instructions across our network of distribution centres, picking facilities, and stores.

●Ensure that you confirm your ranging, especially the states and territories where your product is distributed via Woolworths. You will also require this information to complete the FSANZ notification process.

Useful Trade Partner links

Updated process on the recall page in Partner Hub.

Partner Hub help sheet for users to set up contacts.

●How

to get further support

Thank you for your support in this key process. If you need any further information or support please reach out to the recall coordinator here Withdrawal Recall.

Greenstock at Beef Week 2024

Woolworths’ red meat supply chain partner, Greenstock, and the Woolworths Meat Commercial Team made the trip to Rockhampton, Queensland in late May for the biggest event on the cattle industry calendar, Beef Week 2024.

Beef Week brings the cattle industry's players together in collaboration, innovation, and expertise to shape the future of beef production, trade, and consumption. Over the week, thousands of visitors come for events, exhibitions, educational seminars, technology demonstrations, functions, and of course, the best in red meat eating.

For Greenstock, Woolworths red-meat supply chain business, Beef Week is an opportunity to connect with Australian cattle farmers and industry leaders, share knowledge, learn from each other, and celebrate working in agriculture.

Greenstock is responsible for sourcing all the beef that ends up on Woolworths Supermarket shelves direct from Australian farmers. Every year, they purchase 144 million kilograms of Australian beef! Thank you to our dedicated Trade Partners who partner with us to put quality meat on the plates of millions of Australians every week.

Beef Week is a unique event, and it was a privilege to be able to be part of the celebration in Rockhampton for what is a strategically important industry for Australia, and a key part of our customers’ basket.

Together with the Greenstock team, I had the opportunity to spend time with our growers, processors, and other key partners, and share an appreciation for the role we play together in delivering quality protein every day to the dinner tables of our customers. Aside from walking the stockyards with our Head Cattle Buyer, Sam Ditchfield, a highlight for me was the presentation by John Gilliland who, amongst other things, is a beef farmer from Northern Ireland.

At a breakfast hosted by Greenstock, John shared the emissions reduction journey he has been on in Northern Ireland and the critical role beef producers play in delivering health, not just to consumers, but also to the environment.

Tim Dudding

Woolworths

Commercial Director

Meat

and Seafood

Supporting Variety together to make a

difference

The Woolworths NSW Operations Leadership Team recently took part in the Variety Bash, a cherished charity event that merges motoring with a noble cause. The Bash commenced in Gunnedah and concluded in Newcastle, after traversing remote and regional communities in NSW and Queensland.

Alongside 300 participants, our team proudly drove The Rocket – a creatively themed 1980 Holden Commodore adorned in a vibrant green salad motif. The Rocket was joined by the Woolies-Saurus – a 1971 Mercedes decked out with watermelon-coloured bodywork and eye-catching dinosaur spikes.

We express sincere gratitude to our Trade Partners – Lindt & Sprüngli, Nestlé, and Mondelēz International – for their generous sponsorship. Together, we raised an impressive $121,130, empowering Variety to provide vital accessibility equipment.

The Variety Bash is renowned for its festive

spirit and community impact, embodying the values of fun, excitement, and philanthropy in every mile travelled. This event brings muchneeded tourism revenue to rural areas and contributes significantly to supporting rural schools and children facing health challenges.

Throughout the Bash, participants visited local schools and organisations, witnessing firsthand the direct impact of their fundraising efforts through the provision of educational, health, and mobility equipment.

While the Bash was underway, our NSW supermarkets invited customers to contribute through wall tokens or donations at checkout. Every contribution will go towards supporting projects like modified vehicles, helping to enhance school engagement for children with mobility limitations.

If you would like to be involved in next year's event with sponsorship or involvement, there are many different opportunities which could include a day in the car with the team.

Please email justin.riley@woolworths.com.au

Healthier Choices Spotlight on

Sustainability and

Updates to Woolworths Australia’s

Preferred Primary Packaging Materials List

We have updated the Australian Preferred Materials Guidance to help Trade Partners reduce their use of the most problematic packaging materials.

As shared earlier this month, the Guide now includes a �Black' list of materials that have been flagged as the highest priority for action. This includes materials captured under state legislation, targeted on APCO's list of problematic materials to phase out, or in scope of Woolworths policies for Vendor-branded products.

To take action on problematic packaging materials and prepare for upcoming federal government regulations, view the Packaging Guidance on Partner Hub.

Trade Partners are also encouraged to:

• Consider APCO (Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation) membership to access resources that enable a transition to a circular economy for packaging.

• Adopt the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) to help customers easily and correctly dispose of or recycle packaging items.

If further guidance is needed, connect with our Commercial Sustainability Team: supplierengagement@woolworths.com.au

Reminder on secondary & tertiary packaging changes

If you are planning or implementing packaging changes that may impact how a product moves through Woolworths’ supply chain, please contact the dedicated Supply Chain Supplier Solutions Team at supplychainpartners@woolworths.com.au for support. They can help you understand any potential impacts and plan, execute, and optimise any necessary trials to ensure a smooth and successful transition.

For further information and detailed guidance on packaging change trials, please refer to Secondary & Tertiary Packaging Sustainability Considerations, available on Partner Hub.

Integrated cutlery

InJune, we reminded Trade Partners in categories likely to be impacted by Woolworths' upcoming national ban on integrated single-use plastic items in packaging. The ban will be effective 1 January 2025 due to upcoming state-based legislation.

Integrated single-use plastic items are plastic items that form part of a product’s packaging or are included within the product. Examples include plastic straws on juice boxes or plastic cutlery or utensils sealed inside, or attached to, the packaging of a meal kit, snack pack or yoghurt tub.

Trade Partners that are likely to supply relevant items will be contacted and required to confirm compliance with the upcoming national ban.

Healthier Choices

Healthier Choices metrics in Supermarkets

Supplier Connect Scorecards

From July, our Supplier Connect Scorecards will introduce Healthier Choices metrics to enable better conversations about Trade Partners' role in helping customers make Healthier Choices.

The metrics will be scored to assess the Trade Partner relative to the subcategory average, but will not be weighted towards monthly or partnership tiers.

What are the new metrics?

• Health Star Rating (HSR) on-pack coverage (eligible products): the proportion of eligible SKUs within the subcategory that displays HSR on-pack.

• Healthier sales penetration: the proportion of Trade Partner sales value within the subcategory coming from products with a HSR equivalent to 3.5 stars or higher.

The Health Star Rating helps customers make informed choices and is used by a large proportion of customers, with the majority of customers wanting to see it on more or all relevant products. Currently, HSR is displayed on ~25% of SKUs of branded products in intended categories, representing a large opportunity to shift towards the Government’s voluntary uptake targets and our customers’ expectations.

Further details will be shared in July, or you can contact your Category Manager or the Supplier Connect Team via supplierconnect@woolworths.com.au

An update on our Value Chain Emissions Program

We partner with The Sustainability Consortium, developers of THESIS on SupplyShift, to support Trade Partners in capturing emissions intensity data and, over time, its trajectory in the value chain. The program aims to meet Trade Partners on their own journey, providing both the opportunity to share progress and understand best practice.

78 Trade Partners participated in the program’s second year, expanding on the 2022 pilot. With a broader group of Trade Partners, insights, challenges, and opportunities in measuring emissions across the supply chain have been explored this year.

Positive momentum has been building so far this year, as 60% of participating Trade Partners have Scope 1 & 2 goals, and 48% have Scope 3 goals. Secondyear participants recorded higher ‘average climate KPI scores'.

56% of greenhouse gas emissions intensity assessments showed a year-on-year decrease, with reductions mainly occurring in the value chain's manufacturing and/or processing stage.

Scope 3 Emissions explained

Scope 3 carbon emissions are those derived from sources within the value chain that an organisation doesn’t own or control. For Woolworths Group, this includes all activities involved in growing, producing, manufacturing, packaging, and transporting products to our distribution centres.

Woolworths’ Scope 3 emissions are 15 times our Scope 1 and 2 emissions combined, and the resources used to produce food for our customers can have a material impact on the environment. Collective action will be key in a transition consistent with a net zero emissions future.

We plan to continue and expand the program for a third year in 2024. The program will continue to run from September to November, aligning with other retailers using the common platform.

All Woolworths Group Trade Partners are welcome to join the program. To register your interest or learn more, please email us at sustainablesourcing@woolworths.com.au

1KPI - Quantitative Key Performance Indicators primarily measures percentage of supply for information provided

Partner Hub Updates

We have made further enhancements to Partner Hub to streamline doing business with us.

Supply images early

In mid May, we added a new prompt to remind Trade Partners to provide images at the start of the enrichment process. This change is to prepare for future capability, where image data will be captured and pre-populated in the correct fields for you to review and approve in Partner Hub.

Buying team directory

Coming Soon! The Buying Contacts team directory is being updated so you can easily find your key contacts via a new search functionality. Once live, the directory will be automatically refreshed daily. Keep an eye out for further information in the coming weeks.

Need further support?

For more information, or to ask a question about the changes, raise an admin case support or to get in touch with the Partner Hub Support team.

Supply Chain Scorecard

See how your business rates against the category

The Primary Connect Supplier Solutions Team is excited to announce the upcoming launch of the new Supply Chain Scorecard within Partner Hub.

This new Scorecard rating will be based on a similar format to the existing Commercial Supplier Scorecard, with ratings of Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

The rating is dependent on the number and type of delivery non-conformance cases lodged in SCoRe.

The three performance metrics that will be used to determine this rating are:

• % of compliant deliveries;

• % of recurring non-conformance issues; and,

• If you are already supplying one of our automated DCs, we will give you a percentage rating based on the number of pallets you receive without causing an error with the automation. Critical safety cases will carry higher weighting to maintain our priority focus on safety within the supply chain network. The result of these three performance metrics will then be rolled up into an overall supplier rating.

Why are we doing this?

The new ratings will give our Trade Partners insight into how their business is performing against the category and will also allow suppliers to see how their business is performing compared to previous quarterly results.

What are the benefits?

Trade Partners can access their scorecard through Partner Hub, where they will find the SCoRe Reporting dashboard. The dashboard will be updated and emailed to primary and secondary SCoRe contacts every quarter. Once logged in, users can also filter for specific date ranges to review their performance.

If you would like further information or support, please get in touch with our Supplier Capability Team at supplychainpartners@woolworths.com.au

TRADE PARTNER OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2024

A celebration of great partnerships

Only a few months until we once again come together to recognise and celebrate the outstanding contributions of our Trade Partners. Awards will be presented in distinct categories, each recognising Trade Partners and Teams that have excelled in delivering great customer experiences and working in partnerships.

After a positive response last year, we will once again be opening up the nomination process. For five of our awards, both you and the Woolworths team have the opportunity to nominate your business, people and products for recognition on the night. Nominations will open on Tuesday 23 July.

Stay tuned for more information on the event and nominations, but in the meantime, save the date!

TUESDAY 3 DECEMBER 2024 | SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE

insights Access to

for Small Suppliers

The Small Supplier Commercial Report, fully funded for another 12 months in FY25 by Woolworths, provides Small Trade Partners with better visibility into their performance.

With detailed insights, the report helps drive informed business decisions and constructive conversations with the Commercial Team.

You will be able to access a range of metrics at product level within the dashboard, some of which are the same metrics Category Managers use when making ranging decisions.

The report is available to businesses;

• trading products other than fresh produce (i.e. fruit and vegetables)

• registered in Australia, and identified as a small business on the Small Business Identification tool;

• and have less than $10 million in annual revenue.

Small Trade Partners can access the report via the Quantium portal, or download it as an Excel file for further analysis of product insights.

Over 54% of Woolworths’ Small Trade Partners have already opted in to receive the report.

If you are eligible and haven’t signed up, please work with your Category Manager or contact the Supplier Connect Team via supplierconnect@woolworths.com.au to opt-in.

Watch now

Hear from Small Trade Partners

We asked some of our Small Trade Partners how they are using the Small Supplier Commercial Report to drive strategic planning with their Category Managers.

A new Q.Checkout is coming soon .

Quantium is launching a rebuilt and redesigned version of Q.Checkout to make insights more accessible.

Q.Checkout provides customer, brand and promotional insights to help drive decision making and enhanced collaboration between Woolworths’ Commercial Team and Trade Partners to unlock growth opportunities.

Key benefits

Rebuilt on new technology to deliver new value, more often.

To meet the evolving needs of Woolworths’ Commercial Team and Trade Partners, Q.Checkout has been rebuilt on new technology. This means, new features and enhancements are able to be released on a more ongoing basis.

With the implementation of a dedicated roadmap, Woolworths’ Commercial Team and Trade Partners can expect to get more value out of Q.Checkout in FY25 and beyond.

Redesigned to make accessing insights easier.

The new Q.Checkout has also been redesigned with a simpler and more intuitive user experience, making the insights and reports known (and loved) by Woolworths’ Commercial Team and Trade Partners more accessible.

In addition to the redesign, users will also experience several incremental enhancements!

Key enhancements

Easily track latest performance of items of interest with the Watchlist.

A new feature, the Watchlist, makes it faster to understand the latest performance of items of interest.

Users can personalise their Watchlist by tracking performance metrics for any product category or brand important to them in one place. They’ll receive a snapshot of performance updates right when they login, without having to run reports or look up items individually.

Answer a broader range of questions faster with Quick Insights.

Quick Insights provides access to the same dashboard users know and love, but with increased flexibility.

For example, users no longer need to run reports to understand how promotions and channels have contributed to growth or decline. Channel and promo filters are now available in Quick Insights, saving time.

Improved consistency to make reports easier to use.

The way reports look and behave has also been enhanced, making it easier to navigate to insights and items of interest.

Stay tuned

The investment in rebuilding and redesigning Q.Checkout is part of Quantium’s ongoing commitment to support collaboration between Woolworths’ Commercial Teams and Trade Partners – now and into the future.

Quantium is looking forward to getting the new Q.Checkout into users' hands soon, and supporting Trade Partners through the transition.

For more information on Q.Checkout, please contact our Consumer Team by emailing consumer@quantium.com.au

Don't get caught short in retail’s peak seasons:

Plan ahead with Primary Connect+

Peak retail events like Christmas, New Year, Lunar New Year, and Easter can be a time of both great opportunity and great challenge in our retail supply chains.

With increased demand and shorter lead times, it's more important than ever to have a reliable supply chain partner who can help you meet customers’ needs.

Primary Connect+ is a provider of end-to-end supply chain solutions, and we're here to help. We encourage Woolworths Trade Partners to plan ahead for the upcoming peak season by considering what supply chain and logistics needs you may have as we scale up in the lead-up to Christmas.

Primary Connect+ offers a wide range of services, including:

• Domestic transport by road, rail, and sea

• International logistics services

• Warehousing

Our team of experienced professionals can help you develop and implement a customised supply chain solution for your specific needs.

Don't wait until it's too late to start planning for the peak season. Reach out to find out how you can forward position your inventory and benefit from utilising our co-located storage.

Fill in the enquiry form at the Primary Connect+ website today and let us tailor a solution for you.