WORLD FOODS SUPPLIER VIEWPOINT

Big-bag rice formats used to be targeted towards traditional ethnic consumers, but recently we have seen a big shift in this. Now, with an increase in the consumption of rice by more generic households, we’ve seen an uplift in sales as the format appeals to a wider market.

Consumers are now looking for quality, but at the best cost per serving. We are focusing a lot more on highlighting to consumers the cost benefits of dry rice, with clearer labelling regarding servings per pack, so consumers can really see how much they can save by buying bigger bags.

As the cost-of-living crisis hits, UK shoppers are having to become more savvy and they are looking to make effective swaps. Switching to dry rice from microwavable or pouch rice is an easy switch – you get the same end result, but dry rice is much cheaper per serving.

American products.

Patel says that he’s looking to find a new supplier of Indian food.

“If we were in London, we’d have a handful of suppliers at our doorstep, but because we’re based in Cambridge, not many suppliers are willing to come this far,” Patel says. “That’s the difficulty I have found with the Indian suppliers. We currently have an external supplier, but it’s not a large business. We think there’s a far greater need to expand that from a more professional organisation because customers are wanting more Indian food.”

Cooking From Scratch

Ken Singh, owner of BB Superstore in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, says his world-food offer is centred around ingredients. “We’ve got curry powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and fennel seeds,” Singh says.

“During lockdown, we introduced ingredients into our store and we’ve found that they are doing pretty well. There aren’t many stores in the area that stock anything like this. Our supplier is Lubna Foods, based in Bradford, so I have to go further from my store to buy these products.”

Singh advises fellow retailers that the ingredients he stocks have long best-before dates, which can give retailers a good idea about sales over a certain length of time without needing to throw them away. “Most of these lines have two- or three-year shelf lives. If you’re not selling them in that time frame, this product area is not for you,” he says.

Working With Suppliers

Patel says that working with suppliers has paid dividends in his business.

“Some of the suppliers we use offer sale or return, which is a good idea to test the water with customers,” Patel says. “Tell the rep how much space you want to dedicate, and just monitor it weekly. If it’s increasing, give it more space – that’s how we