Erbacher’s rewarded with gong for Queensland’s Retailer of the Year

Operating out of an old chicken shed on the family farm for over 70 years, it would be easy to say that the success of Erbacher’s Fruit and Vegetables is due to the multigenerational relationships the family has built with its customers over the years. However, the company’s Marketing Manager, Angelina Campbell, knows that keeping the team informed and engaged also plays a big factor. Erbacher’s, based in Diddillibah on the Sunshine Coast, was Queensland’s state winner - and national runner up - in the A better choice! Shop & Win competition. The competition saw customers nominating their local store for the Retailer of the Year award and received more than 23,000 nominations nationally, with Erbacher’s receiving more than 2,000 nominations. “We’ve been operating since the 1950s, so we’re very well-known and have a strong presence in the community,” Mrs Campbell said. “A lot of our customers are loyal, long-term customers; there’s so much family around at Erbacher’s, and they form a relationship with the family, and then with their families - it’s multigenerational relationships. We pride ourselves on looking after our customers, and they treat us well in return.” But communication with staff is key, she said. “When the Shop & Win campaign started, we communicated it to our staff,” Mrs Campbell said. “We’ve learned along the way that communication is key, and we communicated and supported our team through the competition. “First, we sent out an email to everyone, and then we communicated faceto-face each day as well. We are huge for a fruit and veg store, and we have a big team – there’s around 66 people, so it can be hard to catch everyone at one time. “But, it all comes down to our team – we can communicate as much as we want, but without the team and everyone striving together, we couldn’t do it. The girls at the checkout do such a great job – they’re the ones out there telling the customers about it.”

Erbacher’s Fruit & Vegetables part owner, Stephen Erbacher, and the store’s Shop & Win prize winner, Hayley Plowright. You can meet the other prize winners on page 33.

Queensland’s Top Ten

1. Erbacher Fruit & Veg (2nd in Australia) 2. Betros Bros (5th in Australia) 3. Mega Fresh Browns Plains (8th in Australia) 4. Brady’s Fruit 5. Ashgrove Fresh Fruit Market 6. Feast on Fruit and Delicatessen 7. Top Spot Fruit Mart 8. Carina Megafresh 9. Crispy Carrot 10. Chandler Megafresh