Regional food and drink manufacturers could be in line for a bonanza after Tesco began selling locally sourced products in a ­convenience store in England for the first time. A new Tesco Express store in Falmouth, Cornwall, is stocking 76 Cornish products, sourced by the retailer's south-west regional office - one of six new devolved buying divisions being set up to find more local products across the country. Tesco admitted getting local products into the Falmouth store had been challenging - but said it now believed the move could be replicated across its convenience estate. Tesco has 741 Express stores in England - and an aggressive opening programme - which means hundreds of small suppliers could eventually benefit from a huge new sales channel. "Dealing with smaller suppliers and seasonal produce does take more planning and a hands-on approach, but all the ordering is done through the normal Tesco systems," said Tesco Express corporate affairs manager Juliette Bishop. "I hope this is a real hit that will soon be replicated for customers in other areas." But what could be good news for manufacturers might not be for independent retailers trying to differentiate themselves from major chains by selling more local products. "This puts the onus on independent retailers to prove that if Tesco can source local goods, they can do it better," said Alexia Robinson, founder of British Food Fortnight, which begins on 22 September. "Consumers are ready for quality local products and if independents invest in local sourcing they can reap the benefits." Meanwhile, Tesco has opened a regional buying office for the north, headed up by Alistair Robinson. The brief for the new regional office was simply to sell as much local produce as possible, said Robinson. "Our core goal is to come up with mechanisms to get the right local produce into stores in a way that works for everyone," he said. "We've got to get local products on the shelf - be that in Express or Extra stores." Movers & Shakers, p12

Topics