>>suppliers demand improved availability, but are they being fair?
Our reader panel survey shows how suppliers are deeply frustrated with the apparent lack of progress by some retailers in tackling availability issues in stores.
The results are worrying, if only because so much attention has been paid to this issue in the past two years that you would have thought things were getting better. Retailers are now prepared to talk about the issue, which in itself is a bit of a result, and they are taking action to resolve problems. I’m not saying they are all getting it right, but we have seen much better results coming out of The Grocer 33 shopping survey in recent months. This week, the industry was 97% available, which is a great result (just eight out of 264 lines unavailable).
Then again, should we expect more? After all, these 33 items are on what is arguably the most well-known shopping list in Britain. And the results for the category surveys we do each quarter are patchy, with frozen food standing out as the worst performer (no surprises there, I guess). It will be fascinating to see what sort of picture emerges later this month from the ECR UK and IGD availability survey. But as you can read on page 39, suppliers will need some persuading that out-of-stocks are being tackled. And they are adamant that retailers could, and should, be doing more.
Well done to all the companies featured in our annual own label suppliers survey in this week’s issue.
As you know, the key thing about this survey is that it is decided by the people who really matter - buyers. And it’s great to be able to celebrate the fact there are some fantastic relationships being forged between buyers and sellers across the industry. The grocery market remains a tough place in which to do business. Many own label firms face an uncertain future in the wake of Morrisons’ acquisition of Safeway, while the current competitive climate doesn’t make life any easier. As Robert McBride’s boss Mike Handley says: “In a deflationary market, we must do our best - for less.”
In meeting such challenges, the UK’s own label industry has rightly built a Premier League reputation. But the suppliers in our survey are those that manage to go a step further - and become Champions’ League players.
painting the new picture
Champions’ League
Our reader panel survey shows how suppliers are deeply frustrated with the apparent lack of progress by some retailers in tackling availability issues in stores.
The results are worrying, if only because so much attention has been paid to this issue in the past two years that you would have thought things were getting better. Retailers are now prepared to talk about the issue, which in itself is a bit of a result, and they are taking action to resolve problems. I’m not saying they are all getting it right, but we have seen much better results coming out of The Grocer 33 shopping survey in recent months. This week, the industry was 97% available, which is a great result (just eight out of 264 lines unavailable).
Then again, should we expect more? After all, these 33 items are on what is arguably the most well-known shopping list in Britain. And the results for the category surveys we do each quarter are patchy, with frozen food standing out as the worst performer (no surprises there, I guess). It will be fascinating to see what sort of picture emerges later this month from the ECR UK and IGD availability survey. But as you can read on page 39, suppliers will need some persuading that out-of-stocks are being tackled. And they are adamant that retailers could, and should, be doing more.
Well done to all the companies featured in our annual own label suppliers survey in this week’s issue.
As you know, the key thing about this survey is that it is decided by the people who really matter - buyers. And it’s great to be able to celebrate the fact there are some fantastic relationships being forged between buyers and sellers across the industry. The grocery market remains a tough place in which to do business. Many own label firms face an uncertain future in the wake of Morrisons’ acquisition of Safeway, while the current competitive climate doesn’t make life any easier. As Robert McBride’s boss Mike Handley says: “In a deflationary market, we must do our best - for less.”
In meeting such challenges, the UK’s own label industry has rightly built a Premier League reputation. But the suppliers in our survey are those that manage to go a step further - and become Champions’ League players.
painting the new picture
Champions’ League
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