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Where do you see the grocery industry and competition in the market? The market is very aggressive in terms of competing for the same space. ALDI has been around for 20 years and continues to upgrade. Costco continues to open stores. We’ve seen a new focus in the independent sector as well, where it was dormant for a long period of time. There’s a lot of change happening within Coles and Woolworths. Both of those businesses are reinventing themselves with a lot of new concepts and grappling with online. There are certainly a lot of new categories driven out of Covid because customers are looking for more convenience at home. We’re in a different market now than we were 12 to 18 months ago, and all of that has changed the retailers’ view of the market and how they position themselves. The majors are chasing the convenience and the independents space that was traditionally theirs. The majors are competing in a very similar market to where we are now. The next period will tell how this plays out. There are always changes within the majors, how they change and the way they look at things. But their relentless drive in terms of product offer, the way they go to market, and a lot of the marketing approaches they take certainly create an exciting environment in terms of the future. Listening to some of the international speakers at the SPAR International Conference, we’re still a long way behind where Europe is in terms of product offer, range and convenience. The next period will see us play catch-up to where some of the other countries are in terms of the way they compete in that space. On local versus sourcing product overseas, is there much change for SPAR in the current climate? We’ve had to rely a lot on SPAR International. We’re getting many products now through Amsterdam and their facility over there, so that’s given us a wide range of products. That doesn’t stop us from dealing locally and finding partnerships with different suppliers locally. We’re operating in both spaces. We’re sourcing product ranges from overseas because, to be able to get the pricing right, as we don’t have that level of scale, we’re taking advantage of SPAR International’s model, and at the same time we’re looking locally to suppliers who can work with us. The advantage we have is we’re very close to the market. We’re nimble in what we can do, and we can make decisions quickly. Some of the innovation that the team has come up with has allowed us to differentiate our offer and to do things that maybe some of the larger companies cannot do. Our Supplier Awards have recognised both major and niche suppliers that have come on board and worked with us over a period to develop some of the product offers. In conclusion ... I’ve never been more positive about where the industry is than I am now, certainly where SPAR is in the space. The level of cooperation we get from our international colleagues, the buy-in and engagement we’re getting from our retailers in terms of putting it together ... what it has allowed us to do is to invest heavily in their businesses. When I started SPAR 10 years ago, I’d been dealing with independent retailers for quite a long time. There was a lot of feedback from retailers about what a wholesaler should do and how they should behave. There were some things that I couldn’t do at the time, but I’ve been listening over that period. I’m very fortunate that I’ve been able to take all the lessons and advice from all those independent retailers, and I’ve been able to put together a formula that really satisfies the retailer. We have a win-win partnership with our retailers. If they support us, we can invest significantly into their business, which we’ve done over a period, and we’re not encumbered by having other shareholders. It’s me and the retailers to a large degree, and certainly the ‘stakeholders’. It has allowed us to do things now that maybe I haven’t been able to do previously. However, applying all the lessons, we’ve been able to put a lot of it together, which gives me confidence that we can make a difference going forward. Visit Retail World’s website to read about the new custom-build warehouse in ‘SPAR Australia anchors new Acacia Ridge Business Park site’, and for the winners of the SPAR Supplier Awards. EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Healthy children’s cereal COLLECTIBLES Coming in 2021 We’re a global first. Wayne Holdsworth wayne@altsaints.com 0468 385 111 JUN, 2021 RETAIL WORLD 9