The Co-operative Group has vowed to be “widely recognised as the leading supporter of local and regional food producers” by its 2015 agm, but has warned achieving this will not be easy.
The ambition was revealed in responses to motions tabled by its Central and Eastern and Wales regions at its historic agm last weekend, both of which called for an increased commitment to local sourcing.
The Co-op said it was looking to provide simplified trading terms and supply chain support to local producers, but warned this “must be done in a way to ensure it is economically viable for all concerned”.
Admitting that it only stocked local lines on an “exceptional basis”, the group revealed it had appointed a dedicated regional buyer in Scotland, Angus Bell, as part of a “pilot exercise”. If this proved successful, it would consider introducing more regional buyers.
But The Co-op warned it had identified “operational challenges” relating to local sourcing. Because it operated so many stores, any range change involved changing plans for each individual store. “As an example, changing one tin of soup can require more than 400 plans to be drawn,” it said.
However, the Co-op was meeting national needs through selection changes, adapting ranges based on the local demographics, and working to identify specific needs such as Polish, halal or gluten-free.
This last point would be where “the food business can start to stock local products on a more regular basis,” it added.
The Co-op is also talking with regional co-ops and members of the Co-operative Retail Trading Group about improving local sourcing. A number of indie co-ops have reported success with local lines. East of England Co-op saw local produce sales increase 30% last year.
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