Grocer Gold Awards 2022: supply chain initiative of the year

Winner: Tesco and Arla Foods - Boxed Milk

When the HGV shortage struck last year, Arla found itself unable to deliver milk to many Tesco stores. Usually Arla takes milk directly to store, but for smaller Express stores this was too challenging given the pressures. Arla and Tesco therefore put in place a trial to deliver milk through depots, a method not typically used as milk comes on tetratainers which Tesco depots are not equipped to manage.

Arla worked around this by distributing milk in cases rather than tets, optimising space within an Arla depot for a box packing facility that would pack Tesco milk into cases. These cases would then be delivered into Tesco depots with other fresh Arla products. The scheme not only improved availability, but saved 10,189 road miles a week.

“Some of the other retailers will be thinking: ‘why aren’t we doing that?’” said one judge.

Shortlisted:

• Delphis Eco - Collaborate to Zero
• Valpak – Driven by Tomorrow
• Zeus Labs - Zeus