>>the grocer is passionate about supporting smaller suppliers
This week you can read the latest instalment in our ambitious project to track the progress of five small suppliers as they launch innovative products in one of the world’s toughest food and drink markets.
Many experts point out that this is a market where as many as nine out of 10 new products fail in their first year. It’s early days, but we are confident our suppliers will beat that statistic. In fact, two of the products we are featuring have already taken the market by storm and a third is putting in a respectable performance.
All five suppliers have fascinating stories to tell. Just four months into our project and they have had to deal with everything from a major bit of crisis management to the heartache of an early demise (yes, one product has been withdrawn, but it will be back!). On a more positive note, one supplier had to cope with a 700% sales surge after its product was plugged by a celebrity chef!
These are extreme examples of the sorts of things suppliers have to contend with all the time - which was why we launched our project back in July. We felt that other manufacturers could draw on the experiences of our five plucky suppliers - particularly the way in which they coped with the challenges that came along.
As far as I am concerned, they have already shown that the only way to succeed in this brutally tough market is if you believe passionately in your products, are brave about investing in them and are never deterred when you suffer early teething troubles or knockbacks.
Now, everybody acknowledges that one of the key challenges facing small suppliers is how to win listings. After all, they are usually competing against much bigger rivals with much deeper pockets.And, as Jim Tierney of Bahlsen hints in his letter on this page, there is often a deep sense of frustration among smaller players at what they see as the ‘big boys’ dominating the space available in grocers and, for that matter, in The Grocer.
It’s a common criticism - and one we take very seriously. But, just as grocers do not have stretchable shelves, we do not have elastic pages. There will never be enough space to give every supplier the coverage they believe they deserve. Nevertheless, I would like to reassure Jim - and all of those who have made the same point to me privately - that we are committed to supporting the growth of innovative suppliers. And you’ll find proof of that on page 36.
A commitment to innovation
This week you can read the latest instalment in our ambitious project to track the progress of five small suppliers as they launch innovative products in one of the world’s toughest food and drink markets.
Many experts point out that this is a market where as many as nine out of 10 new products fail in their first year. It’s early days, but we are confident our suppliers will beat that statistic. In fact, two of the products we are featuring have already taken the market by storm and a third is putting in a respectable performance.
All five suppliers have fascinating stories to tell. Just four months into our project and they have had to deal with everything from a major bit of crisis management to the heartache of an early demise (yes, one product has been withdrawn, but it will be back!). On a more positive note, one supplier had to cope with a 700% sales surge after its product was plugged by a celebrity chef!
These are extreme examples of the sorts of things suppliers have to contend with all the time - which was why we launched our project back in July. We felt that other manufacturers could draw on the experiences of our five plucky suppliers - particularly the way in which they coped with the challenges that came along.
As far as I am concerned, they have already shown that the only way to succeed in this brutally tough market is if you believe passionately in your products, are brave about investing in them and are never deterred when you suffer early teething troubles or knockbacks.
Now, everybody acknowledges that one of the key challenges facing small suppliers is how to win listings. After all, they are usually competing against much bigger rivals with much deeper pockets.And, as Jim Tierney of Bahlsen hints in his letter on this page, there is often a deep sense of frustration among smaller players at what they see as the ‘big boys’ dominating the space available in grocers and, for that matter, in The Grocer.
It’s a common criticism - and one we take very seriously. But, just as grocers do not have stretchable shelves, we do not have elastic pages. There will never be enough space to give every supplier the coverage they believe they deserve. Nevertheless, I would like to reassure Jim - and all of those who have made the same point to me privately - that we are committed to supporting the growth of innovative suppliers. And you’ll find proof of that on page 36.
A commitment to innovation
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