Foodland Supermarkets, together with Food South Australia, will deliver its first Retail Ready Program to more than 50 local food and beverage producers on Tuesday, 14 September.
Foodland, which currently supports a 95-store network across the state, will provide key learnings on how brands can scale up operations and successfully enter the retail space.
Foodland Supermarkets General Manager of Merchandise and Strategy Christopher Villani says the inaugural program was designed in collaboration with Food South Australia.
“The Foodland brand has always been synonymous with supporting South Australian businesses. This is an opportunity for us to engage with new and exciting brands and provide valuable insights that will see them establish their first commercial relationship with us at Foodland,” Mr Villani said.
“Our network is trusted, strong and reliable and we want to educate smaller operators across the food and beverage industry to understand the business fundamentals and best practices that will see their product grow in the current retail climate.”
Expert advice will be delivered on areas including financial considerations and pricing, production scale, sustainable practices, marketing and promotion, distribution and merchandising.
Area specialists from Norman Waterhouse, Moore Australia, KWP! And sustainability consultant Peter Wadewitz will present to attending delegates.
“We’re bringing together all the advisors that we trust and work with to ensure we maintain a strong business now and in the future,” Mr Villani said.
Food South Australia Chief Executive Officer Catherine Sayer says the brands were excited to take part in the workshop and explore the possibility of one day entering the retail space.
“It’s not every day that an opportunity like this presents itself. This program gives up-and-coming business owners a chance to ask all the questions you have about how to successfully create a product and brand that people will want to purchase time and time again.
“We look forward to seeing each operator learn and grow from this experience.”