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February 2018 • Vol. 11 No. 2
Rising Star Paul Berney, Store Manager Countdown, Newton. (see page 26)
editorialcomment CONVENIENCE AND CONCERN Sarah Mitchell Editorial Director
sarah@reviewmags.com
Don’t get me wrong, I am all about new technology and anything that makes life easier in some way, shape or form. However, I couldn’t help but think about the new store from Amazon with no checkouts. A checkout operator is the second most common job in the USA, but with all of the self-checkout and no-checkout technology that is arriving in store, what will this mean for employees? Will they move to other areas of the store or simply be made redundant? Despite not having checkouts, the Amazon Go store does have employees who check ID for alcohol purchases (although there has been a recent development in making this automated also), greet customers, answer questions and replenish stock. Amazon Go believes that having the technology do the work allows staff to focus on customer service, however, customer service often requires a different set of skills than that of a checkout operator. Therefore, introducing new technology may not reduce the number
of jobs available in-store, but rather the job’s skillset and tasks will be of a different make up. And while self-checkouts are great for customers buying awkward and embarrassing products, customer experience is a key priority for grocers and can make or break a store whether it be automated or from humans. A few years ago, in Australia, when the price of a banana was through the roof due to recent storms which wiped out the plantation in Queensland, some customers took this opportunity to use technology to their advantage by using the self-checkout. Instead of telling the computer the product was a banana, they would push the button for apples or another significantly cheaper fruit – the technology none the wiser, allowing the customer to leave with a bunch of bananas for $2.00. But what if the technology fails and it really isn’t the customers fault, is this still considered shoplifting? Take for example, a person that may not be good with technology, and they push the product across the scanner, think they hear a beep, put it in the bag, and then that (very delightful) voice lets you know there is an ‘unexpected item in the bagging area’. So, they call over an attendant, they just swipe their ID,
punch in a code and let it go. But what if that product didn’t actually scan? Has that person just stolen goods with the assistance of a store worker? Is there a degree of obligation from the customer to ensure that the screen accurately reflects what is in the bag? Amazon Go is a system of trust, but it isn’t fool-proof. If a customer wants to return an item, they just click on the return item and they don’t even have to bring the item back into the store. This system opens up the same problem as the bananas, with customers returning items they actually meant to buy. And while Amazon’s humanity concept is welcoming, is it actually attainable? There are times when I just want a human at the checkout, as the ‘unexpected item in the bagging area’ is just frustrating as you try, firstly, to figure out what the mystery product was, then give up and have to call for help ultimately slowing down what is meant to be a convenient way to shop. With Amazon Go, only five people are allowed inside the store at one time, moving the line from the checkout to the entry door, meaning it may be a convenient way to shop, if you can get in! Enjoy the issue.
diarynotes MARCH 20-23 2018: Anuga FoodTec, Cologne, Germany APRIL 24-27 2018: FHA2018, Singapore APRIL 24-27 2018: Prowine Asia, Singapore
MAY 2-4 2018: SIAL Canada, Montréal MAY 16-18 2018: SIAL Shanghai, China JUNE 13-15 2018: SIAL Manila, Philippines
OCTOBER 21-25 2018: SIAL Paris, France OCTOBER 7-10: NACS Show 2018 Las Vegas, NV; Expo October 8-10
contents
04 News 12 International Aisle 14 Beverage News 18 Dairy vs Non-Dairy 28 Global What’s New
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14 21 26 SupermarketNews is published under license. Please direct all enquiries and correspondence to SupermarketNews. The opinions and material published in this edition of SupermarketNews are not necessarily those of the publishers unless specifically stated. All material in this publication is copyright and may only be reproduced with the consent of the publisher. Copyright 2018
EDITORIAL STAFF Mark Fullerton, mark@reviewmags.com Caitlan Mitchell, caitlan@reviewmags.com
CHAIRMAN Peter Mitchell, peter@reviewmags.com PUBLISHER Tania Walters, tania@reviewmags.com
ADVERTISING SALES Felicity-Anne Flack, felicity@reviewmags.com
GENERAL MANAGER Kieran Mitchell, kieran@reviewmags.com
SENIOR DESIGNER Raymund Sarmiento, raymund@reviewmags.com
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Sarah Mitchell, sarah@reviewmags.com
The NEW ZEALAND BEVERAGE COUNCIL is an industry association whose members cover all aspects of the non-alcoholic beverage market both in New Zealand and the export markets. The Council members are spread throughout New Zealand and come together annually for an industry conference that covers industry issues and is addressed by international speakers. The organisation monitors product quality and sets standards for the industry and runs national competitions and awards.
THE NEW ZEALAND BEVERAGE COUNCIL (NZBC) P.O. Box 47, AUCKLAND 1140, New Zealand. Email: info@nzbc.nz Phone: +64 9 309 6100 DDI: +64 9 302 9932
ATTENTION GROCERY SUPPLIERS The Food and Grocery Council is an industry association for grocery suppliers providing members networking, events, industry information and strong advocacy. Contact us for information on the benefits of membership: Katherine.rich@fgc.org.nz • Networking • Industry Updates • Conference and Events • Education and Training • Advocacy and Law Reform
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Ciaran Carroll, kez@reviewmags.com
ISSN NO. 1173-3365
Suite 9, Level 3, 20 Augustus Tce Parnell, Auckland PO Box 37140 Parnell, Auckland Tel (09) 3040142 Fax (09) 3772794
www.fgc.org.nz
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SHELVING THAT’S FLEXIBLE AND CUSTOMISABLE – WITH NO HOLES VISIBLE
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news
FOODSTUFFS NI ON THE MOVE
FOOD IN THE NUDE
Customers of the New World Bishopdale are now able to purchase fresh, delicious fruit and vegetables, nude. Well, kind of. Back in January 2017, owner Nigel Bond and his team lead by a very determined Gary May, began installing a new refrigeration shelving system for fresh produce that would allow them to display fruit and vegetables without plastic packaging. “Plastic is a useful product when it comes to protecting and labelling our food,” said Bond. “But times have changed and we are looking for ways of reducing its presence in our stores. We were really keen to go back in time when you could smell the fresh citrus and spring onions when you walked into a market – and that’s what this new programme enables us to deliver.” The new system works by misting the produce with water to keep it fresh. “Vegetables are up to 90 percent water and studies have shown that misted produce not only looks better and retains its colour and texture, it also has a higher vitamin content. “We’ve also installed a reverse osmosis system that treats the water by removing 99 percent of all bacteria and chlorine, so we are confident that the water we’re misting with, remains pure. The misting is electronically controlled and provides great instore theatre.” n
Foodstuffs North Island has announced that it is moving its primary Distribution Centre (DC) and Support Office from its long-term home in Roma Road in Mt Roskill and building an exciting and innovative complex at The Landing, Auckland Airport. Foodstuffs NI has been at its current site for 53 years and is rapidly outgrowing the space. “We’ve been an important part of New Zealanders’ lives and communities for nearly 100 years and we plan on being around for many years to come,” said chief executive Chris Quin. “To do this we need better facilities to deliver what our customers need from us for the future. We’re planning significant future growth across the business and our success depends on being nimble, efficient and continuing to attract the best talent, who work in an agile and collaborative way.”
NZ GLOBAL PLAYER
Eco-conscious millennial consumers are reshaping demand for alternative sources of protein according to the country’s largest manufacturer of vegetarian foods. According to
NEW WORLD PRESTONS OPENS February saw the opening of the newest New World in Christchurch at Prestons. Owner-operator Julia Spence said that customers were waiting eagerly for the opening and she was serving customers at the checkout non-stop on opening. “The standouts for many are things like the Produce Wall, our fresh new open layout and the new ranges of gluten-free and organic products,” said Spence. The refrigeration shelving system allows Julia and her team to display fruit and vegetables with minimal plastic packaging. Spence is one of a growing number of woman
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owners in the Foodstuffs co-operative and she’s really making a mark. “It’s so inspiring to see so many women taking up the challenge of operating these large businesses.” New World Prestons offer features extensive ranges of organic, sugar-free and gluten-free products filling a need for locals and sitting alongside the best fresh food and quality groceries. “This new supermarket sets a very high bar,” said Steve Anderson, CEO Foodstuffs South Island. “We’re constantly trying new things to ensure that we offer customers the best possible shopping experience all while being as affordable as possible and treading lightly on the environment. Julia is a top operator and we’re so excited to see her take charge of this beautiful new store.” n
It’s also proposed to consolidate three Foodstuffs facilities in Auckland into one best-in-class complex. The Co-op will continue to operate two DC’s and a Support Centre in Palmerston North and a Support Centre in Wellington. As part of these changes Foodstuffs NI is proposing to close the Rotorua DC at the end of 2020 and move those operations to the new DC. “In making the decision to build the new DC, we have been looking at all the options possible t o make the Upper North island operations as efficient as possible and fit for purpose over the next 30 years. Long term, we believe that the best option is to support our Upper North Island stores with one purpose-built Ambient DC.” n
Mark Roper, spokesperson for Life Health Foods, that growing concerns for the environment is leading this demographic to seek out other options to integrate into their diet. A nationwide survey commissioned by LHF has found that millennials aged 18-34 are the most likely demographic to adopt a mostly meat-free lifestyle in the next decade. “Among this age group, factors such as concern for animal welfare and the environment were some of the most important drivers of purchase choice; whereas if you look at older consumers, health considerations and cost of meat were the primary reasons for choosing vegetarian foods,” said Roper. He went on to say that NZ is well positioned to take advantage of this emerging trend – which has seen accelerated growth in the global meat substitute market. “Our research is showing that many consumers are not completely replacing meat in their diet – instead, they are integrating more meat-free options throughout the week. This makes the development of a plant protein market complementary to our existing agricultural exports. Currently around 80 percent of our added value vegetarian products that are sold in NZ are made here. With increased demand locally and globally, greater volumes of ingredients will be required from suppliers to meet this opportunity.” n
KML RETAIL MANAGEMENT SERVICES APPOINT NEW GM
KML have appointed John Timms to the role of General Manager. John commenced in January 2018. John brings a high level of commercial skills to the role, with over 29 years’ of extensive FMCG experience. John takes over from Andrew Clyne who has successfully led the KML business for the last two decades. Andrew will continue to work in the FMCG Industry while retaining his financial interest in the KML Business and will remain as a Director and Board Member. n
PEDIGREE PERFECTS SELFIE Pedigree have made it easy for consumers to snap a perfect selfie of their pups thanks to the launch of the SelfieSTIX app. Developed in NZ the app uses canine facial recognition technology, enabling easy application of filters to photographic pooches, bringing the difficult days of attempting to apply human filters to dog faces to an end. The app is designed to use with Pedigree SelfieSTIX, a simple device that attaches treats to any mobile
phone to encourage dogs to look at the camera and was developed by David Arcus, creative technologist at Colenso BBDO. “We looked everywhere for the tech, but it didn’t exist, so we built it,” said Arcus. “Just as you’d train a dog with repeated activity, we trained a network to recognise dog faces by feeding it thousands of images of dogs. Over time, the algorithm learned to recognise similar patterns across all the images. Now, people can accurately apply fun filters to their pooch pics for maximum impact and easily share or save their masterpieces.” n
NZ AVOS GO TO CHINA
New Zealand Avocado is excited by the opportunity to export avocados to China in the 2018 season following a successful technical audit of the regulatory system for exporting. MPI and China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) signed the protocol to agree to export requirements in November 2017, and a successful audit was the final step in enabling the export of avocados to China. The NZ industry has been seeking access for four years and through that time has been building an understanding of the
market, with exporters building relationships in the China market. “Gaining access to China for our avocados has been a key focus for the board,” said Tony Ponder, chair of NZ Avocado. “We recognised the need to commit to that market with regular visits to build relationships at a political and commercial level.” NZ Avocado will airfreight a trial shipment to Shanghai in the current season, which will be enjoyed by kiwis at a NZ Trade and Enterprise arranged event at NZ Central. Zespri staff at their China head office in Shanghai will also enjoy some avocados from the trial shipment. n
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February 2017
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news WOODLAND SUPPORTS TOP ATHLETES Woodland Free Range Eggs has announced its support for the HighPerformance Sport New Zealand Food Family. As part of HPSNZ’s Food Family, Woodland will provide fresh, quality, free-range eggs to Kiwi athletes across the country at HPSN’s national and Regional training and Performance Centres to support athlete preparation and recovery. “We are proud to be partnering with HPSNZ to provide a high
quality, natural New Zealand whole food source to our Kiwi athletes,” said Hamish Sutherland, general manager at Zeagold. “We’re so excited that our highly nutritious Woodland eggs are going to be supporting the performance of New Zealand’s elite sports men and women.” The agreement will see Woodland deliver its free-range eggs weekly for the next three years across the Tokyo Cycle. n
WANGAPEKA UP FOR SALE
Wangapeka Family Dairy, the 187-hectare Nelson dairy farm in the Tadmor Valley, is up for sale with its A2 herd and purpose-built cheese factory. Wangapeka is the creation of the Trafford family who moved from traditional farming to a holistic pasture-to-plate dairy business and today produce a range of cheeses ranging from the washed rind, European-style or jacketed cheeses, through to fresh, unripened cheeses such as feta and camembert. Currently, the farm supplies milk solely for the Wangapeka Cheese business which includes
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the fermented drinking yoghurt, kefir, which is classified as one of nature’s sought-after superfoods. The business has the potential to expand its domestic markets as well as export and an experienced cheesemaker could add new styles and types to the existing Wangapeka cheese range. Buyers interested could convert it back to a straight dairying operation capable of sustaining about 280 cows and the cheesemaking plant could be subleased to a food manufacturer who could buy part of the farm’s milk production or source milk elsewhere. n
A DECADE OF SUCCESS
Clevedon Buffalo Co. is celebrating its first decade in business with a new delicious cheese for customers to savour. The company’s owner/ operators Richard and Helen Dorrestyn have recently marked 10 years since they began farming riverine water buffalo (the first to do so in New Zealand), initially crafting their premium buffalo cheese to sell at the Clevedon Village Farmer’s Market. Fast forward 10 years and the business has 12 new products and more than nine medals for its buffalo dairy products – and it is still staying true to its values – delivering fresh, premium buffalo cheese and yoghurt into homes and restaruants nationwide. The Dorrestyn’s said there was no better way to celebrate their success than to add a new product to their award-winning range – a cherry buffalo mozzarella. Customers familiar with Clevedon Buffalo Co. will also notice a fresh update in the range’s packaging. The new logo and clean, crisp look reflect the brand values of this premium, ever-growing line of products. Helen Dorresteyn said the new addition and updated branding are just the latest highlights in what’s been a fantastic 10 years for their family-
run business. “A decade ago, we were the first people to farm milking buffalo and make buffalo mozzarella in New Zealand, it has been an extraordinary journey,” she said. “It has been tough but always rewarding as there is no substitute for finely crafted fresh buffalo milk cheeses and yoghurt. We have worked hard as team and been rewarded with recognition for our achievements with accolades for the products and loyal support from our customers. It is a dynamic and evolving business, there is such huge scope for buffalo farming and quality cheesemaking in New Zealand.” Dorresteyn says buffalo milk is becoming increasingly popular in New Zealand. Buffalo milk contains 40-50 percent more calcium and protein than cow’s milk and 40 percent less cholesterol than cow’s milk and is a popular alternative for those who suffer from CMA (cow’s milk allergy). “People who suffer from poor digestion and even eczema find buffalo milk very helpful. We’re finding more and more people are looking for buffalo milk products for these reasons.” n
NEW BOARD APPOINTMENT
Mt Cook Alpine Salmon has announced the appointment of Sarah Ottrey to its board of directors. Ottrey has senior management experience with large grocery organisations including Unilever and DB Breweries where she was Head of Marketing. She also has significant governance experience having been on the boards of Blue Sky Meats Ltd, Smiths City Group, NZ Public Trust and the Inland Revenue Risk Committee. Ottrey is currently the director of EBOS group, Comvita, Skyline Enterprises and Whitestone Cheese. “I like everything about the Mt Cook Alpine story, its growing profile and its global prospects, and of course, its unique Freshwater King Salmon product,” said Ottrey. “I look forward to bringing my skills to the table, ensuring we remain both future-focused and customer-focused while being grounded in contemporary marketing thinking.” n
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ACTION ON PACKAGING WASTE Unilever has called for the consumer goods industry to step-up its efforts to tackle the mounting challenge of ocean plastic waste and create a circular economy for plastics. One year after Unilever made its industry-leading commitment to ensure 100 percent of its plastic packaging was fully reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025, Unilever NZ managing director Nick Bangs welcomed the news that ten other companies have made similar pledges. He urged more to step forward to accelerate the industry’s
NZBC APPOINTS JONES
progress towards the circular economy and address plastic leakage into the world’s natural systems including waterways and oceans. “Addressing the issue of ocean plastic is a shared responsibility, all stakeholders in the value chain must work together in partnership to find effective solutions,” said Bangs. “There is no doubt that the response from the consumer goods industry will be amongst the most critical in determining the speed at which positive change takes place. We are at a critical juncture.” n
New Zealand Beverage Council has announced that it has appointed Stephen Jones to the New Zealand Beverage Council as its new communications and engagement manager. Jones is currently at the Auckland Museum as stakeholder communications manager and prior to this held a similar position at the Petroleum Exploration and Production Association of New Zealand as well as a number of years in Parliament. n
LEWIS ROAD LABEL ERROR
Lewis Road Creamery’s new Breakfast Drink label has mistakenly understated the sugar content in the nutritional information by including added sugars only, not the sugar that naturally occurs in milk (lactose). As a result, the total sugars in a 100ml serving are more than it first noted on the label. Based on tests of the sugar content in the chocolate flavour is 8.91g per 100ml (of which 5.98 grams is lactose, the naturally occurring sugar in milk). Lewis Road Creamery apologised for the error and voluntarily removed the products from shelves in order for them to be relabelled correctly. This was not a food safety issue, but a labelling error. n
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EVERY GREAT ENTERPRISE BEGINS WITH AN IDEA. Behind the development of The Engagement group is an idea. An idea borne of decades of understanding and experience of the dynamics of retail and the complexity and factors influencing our decisions as shoppers. This idea is summarised by the company identity and reinforces the core premise that when we are engaged, we are ready to purchase. What leads to that engagement is a coming together of functions, experience and product positioning that ensures that the key messages that influence shopper engagement are well executed and carefully managed. The founders of Engagement Group, Steve Wright and Rod Smith, have recently brought together a group of companies, experienced individuals and in-field teams that share the vision of providing end-to-end retail solutions delivering effective shopper engagement. Whether a new product launch, critical in-store auditing, sales, replenishment and merchandising, or creating exciting and innovative in-store ‘theatre’, EG delivers across the board capability, including digital marketing strategies. With extensive experience in general and FMCG retail merchandising and activation and sales and marketing experience across multiple categories, we empower our talented teams to produce their best work, enabling brands to achieve above their expectations.
brands we support. Product Placement delivers product activation, in-store sampling, events and product launch services to a range of top brands across New Zealand. Selecting, training and supporting top talent, PPL also offers assisted selling in-store to quality brands such as Nespresso.
Topline Marketing Acquired in August 2017, Topline Marketing has established itself,
The EG group of companies and personnel have an impressive history of delivering highly valued services to local and international brands in New Zealand’s best retailers. MST The Merchandiser Support Team Ltd, was established in 2004. Since that time, we have steadily grown our presence and reputation in the NZ market and now proudly support some of NZ’s finest brands. With a nation-wide team, MST provides fast response coverage that reaches every part of the NZ retail landscape
Product Placement MST acquired Product Placement in 2015 to add additional national services that we could offer the
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over 30 years, as a leader in the highly competitive FMCG field, specialising in agency, brokerage, brand management, direct sales support and merchandising. With experienced key account managers, 13 in-field sales people and a team of specialist FMCG merchandisers covering NZ supermarket retail, Topline Marketing offers EG clients with a one-stop partnership, assisting brands to access New Zealand’s
grocery, general merchandise and hardware retail footprint. This support is essential to generating growth in market share and sales.
Tribe Mobile With the shopper marketing landscape creating unprecedented ‘noise’, brands need to be up to speed with innovative ways to cut through and achieve reach and engagement. As of this year, EG also adds a new and compelling mobile marketing platform – Tribe Mobile – to ensure that our clients have the opportunity to reach shoppers, loyalty members and new demographics directly on their mobile devices and in social media channels. Tribe also provides powerful data capture capability, redemption methods, analytics and will deliver unlike anything you have seen in mobile marketing. Today, EG delivers important infield support and promotion services via its national sales, activation, merchandising teams to many wellknown and important brands. Start working with a company that cares as much about your brand as you do. Contact us today. n
“Engagement Group have been paramount in executing our sales strategy in stores. The extremely positive outcome could not have been achieved without our partnership.” - Sistema
Grow your brand with New Zealand’s most experienced retail services agency. Merchandising, product activation, sales and innovative digital marketing. The team at Engagement Group have vast experience across multiple categories. We empower our talented teams to produce their best work, enabling brands to grow beyond their expectations. Contact us today to work with a company who are as passionate about your brand as you are. Call Managing Director, Rod Smith: +64 21 938 806
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Digital February 2017
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internationalaisle NEW GEN SUPERMARKET
Woolworths has launched the new fresh and convenient supermarket experience in Sydney’s inner west. The Marrickville Metro store represents the largest individual investment by Woolworths in a store renewal since the programme began in late 2015. With an expanded fresh food offering, customers can pick their own living lettuce from a hydroponic setup, enjoy a flame-roasted chicken, select something for entertaining from the cheese cave, or peruse the macro wholefood market aisle with over 200 certified organic lines. A new ‘Ready to Go’ section at the front of the store, filled with ready meals, fresh sandwiches, salads and healthy juices also caters for time-poor customers looking for easy meal options. “Woolworths Marrickville Metro marks the next evolution of our journey to create a neighbourhood food store that provides a great shopping experience for our customers, good prices on the products they want, a great fresh offer and the convenience they are looking for,” said Woolworths Supermarkets managing director, Claire Peters. n
SWEET DEAL Nestlé has announced that it agreed to sell its U.S confectionery business to Ferrero for USD$8.2
LOTATOES IN SINGAPORE
The first international export of Lotatoes has landed in Singapore after a supply agreement was reached between T&G Global and premium supermarket chain Cold Storage. This has been regarded as an outstanding achievement by the T&G international team by executive general manager Andrew Keaney. “Seeing this innovative and award-winning product from the paddocks of Pukekohe to the supermarket shelves of South East Asia, is what I hope to be the first of many overseas markets selling Lotatoes,” said Kearney. n
billion. Nestlé’s 2016 U.S confectionery sales reached about USD$900 million. The transaction is expected to close around the end of the first quarter of 2018 following the completion of customary approvals and closing conditions. “With Ferrero, we have found an exceptional home for our US confectionery business where it will thrive,” said Nestlé CEO Mark Schneider. “At the same time, this move allows Nestlé to invest and innovate across a range of categories where we see strong future growth and hold leadership positions, such as pet care, bottled water, coffee, frozen meals and infant nutrition.” n
CHECKOUT-LESS STORE
Amazon has opened its first store with no checkout in Seattle using the most advanced shopping technology. The new checkout-free store implements a ‘Just Walk Out’ shopping experience which means customers never have to wait in line. By using the Amazon Go app to enter the store, customers can just pick up the products they want and go. The checkout-free experience is made possible by the same types of technologies used in self-driving cars. The store automatically detects when products are taken from or returned to the shelves and keeps track of them in a virtual cart. After leaving the store, the receipt is sent via email and is charged to the customers Amazon account. Inside the Amazon Go store are various food-to-go options for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks as well as grocery essentials and meal kits. n
VIOLET CRUMBLE SOLD
NEW FOOD CONCEPT
David Jones has announced it will open its first mini-supermarket in Melbourne’s South Yarra next year. Currently under construction, the 500sqm store will be the first of several standalone food stores for the company as it looks to roll-out its new food concept nationally as well as inside a number of its department stores. The focus of the stores is top-end fresh produced and pre-prepared meals, vegetables and salads targeting timepoor shoppers. “Our customers want us to provide provenance, freshness and convenience but also that our offering needs to be
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accessible to their busy lives,” said David Jones’ chief executive David Thomas. “We are confident the new David Jones Food proposition will resonate strongly with the local customer delivering a new level of food quality and experience to the area.” Recently, the store has launched its own private label food line called David Jones Food, which looks to make up a majority of products at the new small-format store, including 90 percent of its fresh food. The total investment into its food offering over three years looks to top AU$100 million. n OWNED
Australian’s beloved Violet Crumble chocolate bar has been sold by Nestlé Australia to Australian confectioner Robern Menz. Menz’ family business has been in operation for 150 years and in addition to purchasing the chocolate bar, the company has also taken over the brand’s manufacturing equipment and intellectual property. “The sale of the Violet Crumble brand to Robern Menz recognises that they are well positioned to combine their existing honeycomb manufacturing with that of Violet
Crumble and continue to invest in this well-loved brand,” said Nestlé’s confectionery unit GM Martin Brown. Production will move to South Australia where the new owners are located. n
ONFIRE APPOINTS GRANTHAM
RETAIL CHANGES AFFECT PACKAGING Seventy percent of purchase decisions are made at point-of-sale and although the new trend is e-commerce, marketing expert Mike Kresbach said that is just one part of the changing landscape when he spoke at The Packaging Conference in the USA. He offered insights into how food and beverage brands can respond to these changes by upgrading their packaging options. “Retail is still critically important to get right,” said Kresbach. “In terms of grocery, e-commerce is only two to three percent of total sales. Physical retail still really does demand our attention. And we see opportunities in aligning packaging behind these emerging channels.” This is also true in the sense that while Walmart and other big grocers, even those in New Zealand are heavily focussed on getting their online and digital platforms right, Amazon is busy expanding its physical store footprint. Many factors including
income changes, household sizes, and the rise of snacking all shifts how and where customers shop for food and beverage. “It’s had a massive impact on how consumers shop and what they buy. This dynamic is perhaps the most pressing one on our customers.” This all leads to a significant decline in the ‘big shop’ where customers would go to a big store and shop for groceries for the whole week. Foodstuffs have rolled out its Fresh Collective concept which is built on the fact that smaller baskets and frequent visits are becoming the norm. Customers aren’t necessarily spending more on food and beverage, rather they are spending the same amount across several visits. A recent USA study showed that customers were visiting up to six different stores. “So this is not about replacement, it’s really, truly about fragmentation.” With smaller baskets and more frequent visits packaging needs to be optimised. Does it fit in the basket alongside other products that the consumer needs? Does the portion size reflect the needs of a frequent shopper or a ‘once a week/fortnight’ shopper?
One of New Zealand’s leading lights in package design has a new home. Matt Grantham, formerly of Coats Design, has recently been appointed to the role of Creative Director at Onfire. Arriving with 20 years’ experience working on some of NZ’s and the UK’s biggest consumer brands, Grantham is complementing Onfire’s expertise with a number of successful projects already completed. These include Sujon, a leading brand in the frozen berries category, and Flavour Fiend, an exciting new range of Finishing Butters that’s just landed
And lastly, price. Does the price of the product allow for the customer to buy frequency or occasionally? “Convenience is a distinct channel and it demands different packaging. Ideally, the packaging should reflect the fact that it will be consumed within two hours
in supermarket aisles. “These are exciting times for Onfire,” said managing director, Sam Allan. “We’re delighted to get Matt on board, he’s one of the country’s leading designers, as can be seen in his brand and packaging work for Douwe Egberts, Hubbards, Michael Hill Jeweller and Avanti, among many others. This appointment further strengthens the agency’s brand and packaging credentials since it joined of forces with Grant Alexander in 2016.” Matt also knows he fits in perfectly with Onfire. “There’s great synergy with the Onfire team,” said Grantham. “In fact, like me, Sammo once worked alongside Rob Coats, so the two companies have much in common.” Onfire has recently added several new pieces of business so Grantham will be lighting up many more projects in 2018. Watch this space for fireworks! Call Matt or Sammo on 09 480 2036 or visit www.weareonfire.co.nz n of purchase.” Kresbach adds brands should look at packaging innovation in the same way as NPD and marketing, and apply the same level of resources. “Growth depends on new packaging, and packaging is the path for driving growth in these emerging channels.” n
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beveragenews NEW CEO FOR VILLA MARIA
Villa Maria Estate has appointed Abe Salt as CEO, who will take over from Sir George Fistonich after over 55 years at the helm. Fistonich will continue to have a hands-on role in the company as founder and president. Salt will commence as CEO officially on March 5.
DIET COKE GETS MAKEOVER In a bid to appeal to millennials The Coca-Cola Company has announced that it is updating its Diet Coke brand by unveiling a new design for the low-sugar drinks brand in the US market while also introducing four new flavours. “Throughout this relaunch journey, we wanted to be bold, think differently and be innovative in our approach,” said Rafael Acevedo, Coca-Cola North America’s group director for Diet Coke. “We’re contemporising
the Diet Coke brand and portfolio with sleek packaging and new flavours that are appealing to new audiences.” The relaunch sees the additional four ‘millennial-inspired’ flavours including Ginger Lime, Fiesty Cherry, Zesty Blood Orange and Twisted Mango. Although these new flavours have been introduced, the Diet Coke recipe has not been reformulated. Each flavour will feature a different coloured accent as part of the can’s new design. n
WINERY ASSETS FOR SALE
FONTERRA PARTNERS WITH ALIBABA
Fonterra has launched a new fresh milk product in China in partnership with Hema Fresh, Alibaba’s innovative new retail concept which combines traditional bricks-and-mortar shopping with a digital experience. The new Daily Fresh milk range is now available in Hema’s 14 stores in Shanghai and Suzhou in 750ml bottles, sourced directly from Fonterra’s farm hub in Hebei province. The product boasts unique product labels to match each day of the week in order to emphasise freshness, with stock being replenished overnight ready for each day. Initial volumes are currently around three metric tonnes daily, with plans to scale-up over time, and expand with the retailers as it rapidly grows the footprint of stores across China. President of Fonterra Greater China Christina Zhu said this new product delivers on growing domestic demand for higherquality fresh products, as part of the ‘premiumisation’ of China’s consumer categories. “Shoppers here in China are becoming increasingly sophisticated in terms of their tastes and preferences, which are being driven by rising household incomes,” said Zhu. “More than ever before, consumers are consciously seeking products that are fresh, nutritious and safe, and our new product for Hema caters to this.” n
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One of NZ’s first wineries has been placed on the market for sale. Pioneering Vidal Estate vineyard was established in Hawke’s Bay in 1905 by young Spanish migrant Anthony Joseph Vidal who planted grapes in Hastings, and set about establishing a wine empire with its base stretching across the nearby Te Awanga and Te Mata plains. Now, some 113 years later, the foundations of the Vidal empire, in a location surrounded by residential dwellings are for sale, as the brand looks to move its production plant to a new multi-million-dollar location at the Te Awa Winery and Restaurant on State Highway 50. The freehold Vidal Estate Winery property consists of some 8,592sqm of land sustaining 3,670sqm of fully working winery, along with the adjacent large-scale restaurant and function amenity trading as the Vidal Estate Winery Restaurant. “The most obvious use going forward is to continue both the winery and restaurant room operations as-is under a new name in a vertically integrated business model where the wine is made and sold on-site to guests hosted in semi-industrial character surrounds,” said Paul Garland from Bayleys. n
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“Due to Villa Maria’s success as a major player globally, my ambassador role has become extremely time consuming,” said Fistonich. “As CEO, Abe will be able to manage the important day to day operations and strategic priorities for the company. This will allow me to concentrate on my global brand ambassadorial role and drive other large projects such as the development of our new winery and retail centre in Hawkes Bay.” Salt joins Villa Maria with 15 years’ experience across the wine industry, investment banking and strategic advisory. n
Soda Brewery is 100 percent naturally brewed New Zealand made sodas that have half the sugar of other sodas. Being big beer fans, founders Chris Paykel and James Hurman learned how the brewing process converts sugar into complex and delicious flavours. Then they used the magic of brewing to create a soda that had just as much flavour, with far less sugar. In fact, the brewing process creates sodas with a more complex flavour, greater depth and dimension, and a
NEW YEAR NEW BREWS
Breweries large and small are being encouraged to get hopping and enter their best brews in this year’s New World Beer and Cider Awards. The hunt is on for brewing perfection from New Zealand and around the world, with the competition’s judges ready to put hundreds of beverages to the taste-test on behalf of thirsty New World customers. For breweries and brew brands from all corners of New Zealand, the New World Beer & Cider Awards are a chance to get noticed and promoted on a national stage. Winning brews not only get on the shelf in New World stores across the country but can also climb to the top of a customer’s shopping list. One of those entering again this year will be Hamilton’s own Good George Brewing, which became the first Triple-Gold winner in the competition’s history in 2017, including Champion wins for their Amber Ale and Drop Hop Cider. “As well as being an affirmation of our brew team’s commitment to quality, the awards saw our product get on more shelves and in more baskets of New World shoppers, which contributed to a substantial growth in sales for Good George,” said Good George CEO Race Louden. “It’s been a great vehicle to introduce new people to the brand and get our fans trying different brews within our range.” n
fuller and richer feel on the palate. Its naturally brewed sodas are 100 percent natural, preservative free, have no artificial sweeteners and have half the sugar content in 330ml than other leading regular soft drinks. There are four varieties in the range including Naturally Brewed Lemonade, Lime & Ginger Soda, Grapefruit Soda and Ginger Beer. All flavours are available in 4-packs or 10-box cartons. For more information email info@ sodabrewery.co.nz. n
FINEST INTERNATIONAL WINES ON DISPLAY
ProWine Asia (Singapore) 2018 will showcase over 300 trade exhibitors from across 30 countries in April. Not only is it a great opportunity to meet industry experts and peers, but also to establish meaningful partnerships with trade professionals and see some wonderful product innovation. The largest trade fair of its kind in Southeast Asia, ProWine Asia (Singapore) 2018 – modelled after the global formula unique to the ProWein World series and located at the hub of a thriving region, offers companies an international platform to tap on thriving market prospects and reach out to key buyers. “ProWine Asia continues to follow the highly successful global formula that is unique to the ProWein World series with its internationality of wine and spirit brands and producers,” said Mr. Marius Berlemann, ProWein Director and Global Head of Wine & Spirits, Messe Düsseldorf GmbH. “We are confident that the trade fair will continue to receive strong support and provide valuable connections for all exhibitors and visitors as we work to grow it into a definitive, must-attend trade event for this region.” ProWine Asia (Singapore) 2018, jointly organised by UBM SES and Messe Düsseldorf Asia, will feature a wide representation of international wine labels, an extensive scope of solutions and concepts for the region’s diverse consumer markets, as well as specialised masterclasses and seminars by industry speakers.
Held alongside the 21st edition of Food&HotelAsia2018, ProWine Asia (Singapore) 2018 provides an opportune setting to forge new industry networks across the synergistic wines, food and hospitality sectors. Industry professionals can also look forward to more opportunities to form promising business partnerships, establish meaningful connections with key players and learn
about the latest trends on wines and spirits. The successful launch of the inaugural ProWine Asia (Singapore) in 2016 saw 7,339 trade visitors from 43 countries, with over 80 percent of visitors reporting that they were very satisfied with the exhibition product range in accordance to their area of interest. The upcoming edition is set to raise the bar and offer a greater experience for all. n
TAP INTO THE BOOM 24 – 27 April 2018 • Singapore Expo, Hall 10 (Tuesday – Friday) 10am – 6pm daily
International Trade Fair for Wines and Spirits The 2nd edition of ProWine Asia (Singapore) is an industry platform with a showcase from 300 exhibitors. Featuring a wide selection of wines, spirits, wine accessories and services, trade professionals can look forward to establish connections, form partnerships and see the latest in wines & spirits.
Join Mailing List to receive event updates • www.prowineasia.com/sg Held alongside:
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February 2017
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Super Crunchy
Pride Of The BBQ
Speights have teamed up with another trueblue Kiwi company, Delmaine Fine Foods, to create the new Speights Sauce range. Made with Speights Fine Ales these sauces bring the iconic flavour of the deep south to the dinner table. Speights Distinction Tomato Sauce is a thick rich tomato sauce with a smooth texture and full bodied flavour. Made with a splash of Speights Distinction Ale it is the new best mate for pies and fish & chips. Speights Old Dark BBQ Sauce has a distinct malty flavour with a deep brown colour and rich gloss texture. Made with a drop of Speight’s 5 Malt Old Dark it will add a touch of class and real flavour to a BBQ or a bacon butty. For more information contact Delmaine Fine Foods on 0880 325 624.
Alderson’s new range fills a gap in the market with its locally produced sour and salty dill pickles. They are 100 percent NZ made and grown (in Auckland and Wellington) and are super crunchy and fresh. The pickles have a strong North American style flavour with no added
sugar, firming agents, colours or preservatives. But they do come with a tonne of flavour! Alderson’s salty dill pickles are available in three sizes, 985g Long Spears, 485g Long Slices and a 217g Relish in spicy and classic varieties. Host supported by Foodstuffs and currently being sold in.
On-The-Go Protein
Super thick and packed with a whopping 11g of natural protein and only 2 percent milk fat per pouch, The Collective have launched its new range of high protein Skyr yoghurt. Now with the convenience of a single serve pouch, these yoghurts are a nutritious on-the-go snack. Skyr is a traditional Icelandic dairy product that involves the process of straining the yoghurt to remove is whey, resulting in a naturally occurring protein and super thick silky yoghurt. They are gluten free, suitable for vegetarians and free from all nasties like artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.
Holy Mole!
Superb On Salads
The new Roasted Seed Toppers from Something to Crow About are the perfect complement to any salad. Convenient, ready to use and packed full of goodness. These crunchy roasted seeds are very versatile. Sprinkle over salads, roast veggies or a guilt free snack. This range is gluten free, preservative free and suitable for vegans. Something to Crow About
pride themselves in using simple natural ingredients with no nasties. Our food is handcrafted in small batches, so customers get the freshest product possible. With healthy formulations, there’s 4.5 to 5 health stars across the entire range. Available now, featuring a new convenient 120g pack size and four on trend flavour profiles.
Pink Pancakes
Marcel’s released a limited edition Red Velvet Pancake especially for Valentine’s Day. Delicious in flavour, light and fluffy in texture, the pancakes are ready to eat, just microwave to heat.
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Tio Pable has released Mole Poblano, a rich and complex paste, made from its blend of chilli’s, nuts, seeds, bit of corn tortilla and chocolate. Although traditionally cooked with chicken, Tio Pablo’s Mole Poblano is equally delicious with dark meats, or in vegetarian dishes. Mole Poblano is gluten free, dairy free and vegetarian and is made in New Zealand. For more information visit www.tiopablo.co.nz or email info@tiopablo.co.nz.
Summer In A Can
The team at Good George challenged the brewers to come up with ‘summer in a can’. If you crack open a cold Summer Days Golden Kolsch or Riot Time XPA, Good George think you’ll agree that they nailed it. Sometimes you just need the convenience of a can, and its two new variants come as 375ml cans of summer. Even better, they come in handy cases of 12. Whether at the beach or on the boat, or at a BBQ these cans are an easy and delicious way to enjoy summer.
Spicing It Up
Whittaker’s have introduced two exciting new flavours to the Artisan Collection: West Coast Buttermilk Caramelised White Chocolate with Gingerbread Biscuit, and Marlbourough Sea Salt and Caramel Brittle with Saffron in 62 percent Dark Chocolate. All of Whittaker’s NZ Artisan Collection 100g blocks feature locally sourced artisan ingredients combined with Whittaker’s delicious chocolate, creating unique flavour combinations for chocolate lovers wanting something a little bit special. “We’ve listened to our passionate dark chocolate lovers are proud to offer them a unique and delicious dark salted caramel at long last, as well as giving our buttermilk lovers a treat that’s both extremely moreish and a little bit unexpected,” said marketing manager Holly Whittaker.
Lucky Bunny!
It seems we all might be lucky bunnies this Easter with The Remarkable Chocolate Co’s Easter Range of Organic Dark Chocolate Bunnies. This up and coming artisan is renowned for its ‘remarkable’ flavours and design. Each 150g Organic Dark Chocolate Bunny has its own unique profile. One Fruity Bunny is made with velvety smooth 56 percent Single Origin Organic Dark Chocolate with a sprinkling of freeze dried raspberries. One Hot Bunny is made with velvety smooth 56 percent Single Origin Organic Dark Chocolate with Ginger and Salted Carmel Brittle. One Smooth Bunny is the purist, with velvety smooth 56 percent Single Origin Organic Dark Chocolate. New to Foodstuffs, the Remarkable Chocolate Co is making award winning chocolate bars, bark, almonds and bunnies right here in NZ as well as winning four awards in the NZ Chocolate Awards, and Gold in the Pride in Print awards.
Cherry Buffalo
Recovery Formula Matakana SuperFoods has launched an exciting new product in time for the NZ sporting season. The Recovery Formula has been specifically designed to provide athletes, gym goers and sports people of all levels with the perfect physical recovery aid. The great tasting
Recovery Formula contains an array of amazing superfoods including: organic pomegranate, organic beetroot, organic red raspberry, blackcurrant and goji berry concentrate. Along with numerous antioxidants, essential vitamins and minerals, it’s the phytonutrients (including ellagitannins) in these red and purple coloured superfoods which have been shown to aid in the speedy recovery from exercise. The Recovery
Formula is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan – perfect for those with specific dietary requirements. Just add a teaspoon of Matakana SuperFoods’ Recovery Formula to a post-workout drink or smoothie to aid recovery and reduce muscle soreness. For more information talk to your Topline rep or contact Matakana SuperFoods on 0800 422 968, email info@matakanasuperfoods.com or visit www.matakanasuperfoods.com.
To celebrate 10 years in business, Clevedon Buffalo Co have launched a new Cherry Buffalo Mozzarella to its award-winning range of cheese and yoghurts. A sister product to Clevedon Buffalo Co.’s popular existing buffalo mozzarella balls, the cherry buffalo mozzarella has a soft but resilient interior and beautiful ‘pop’ of the skin, much like a grape. Presented in brine, these tasty mini morsels of cheese are made from fresh buffalo milk, free of preservatives and are dispatched on the same day they’re manufactured. The cherry buffalo mozzarella is ideal for adding a simple, but exquisite touch to a meal, or perfect for stirring through pasta or enjoying with a cherry tomato and basil on a skewer. There has also been a fresh update in the range’s packaging, with a new logo and a clean, crisp look reflecting the brand values of this premium, ever-growing line of products.
Intense Flavour Combinations
No Ugly, Just Gorgeous
Move over Kombucha, this summer there’s a new drink on the market. No Ugly is a wellness tonic that is scientifically formulated to help consumers go from malaise to mint. There are no ugly ingredients – only good. No Ugly’s key ingredient is Enzogenzol, extracted from Pinus Radiata bark it’s a highly active antioxidant with anti-inflammatory compounds. With only 5.5 grams of sugar per 500mls, and a whole bunch of vitamins, minerals and electrolytes, a bottle a day of No Ugly will get anyone back to gorgeous in no time. Available in two flavours – refreshing Ginger and cooling Cucumber to quench the most insatiable thirst. No Ugly contributes to general health through; the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, normal energy metabolism, energy production, energy release from blood, normal psychological function, mental performance and normal electrolyte balance. For more information visit www.nougly.co.nz.
Snyder’s of Hanover Pretzel Pieces are now available in New Zealand. Generous chunks of Sourdough Hard Pretzels bursting with intense flavour combinations, like the authentic taste of Cheddar Cheese, Honey Mustard and Onion and Jalapeño. Imagine buttery caramel accented with flecks of salt on bite-sized, golden-brown sourdough pretzel pieces. Consumers will love this new, mouth-watering flavour combination with big pretzel crunch. Small bits of everyone’s favourite pretzel, delightfully coated with extraordinary flavour. For more information contact Taste HQ NZ on 09 391 9951 or email sales@tastehq.co.nz or visit www.tastehq.co.nz.
Modern Touch To Rice Another mouth-watering snack launched by Taste HQ NZ. MeReal Rice Sticks are a modern touch to rice made snack. Different and unique snack, made with brown rice, rice bran oil and hot air baked, they are light, crunchy, tasty and full of flavours. The unique mouth-watering flavours are hard to resist and perfect for light snack, lunch boxes and social gatherings. This crunchy premium rice snack will tantalise taste buds. For more information contact Taste HQ NZ on 391 9951 or email sales@tastehq.co.nz or visit www.tastehq.co.nz.
Serious About Chocolate
Serious Popcorn have introduced New Zealand’s first chocolate popcorn. Serious Popcorn Limited Edition Dark Chocolate Drizzle. With Easter around the corner, this is the perfect new take on an Easter chocolate treat. Serious Dark Chocolate Drizzle marries organic and fair-trade certified chocolate with its sweet and salty popcorn. The ingredients couldn’t be simpler: organic popcorn, minimum 55 percent organic and fairtrade cocoa, organic coconut oil, hand popped, seasoned and drizzled to foodie perfection. With no nasty chemicals, and under 250 calories per bag, this is a guilt-free Easter treat for those Serious about snacking. For more information visit www.seriouspopcorn.com.
Infused Water
Lipton’s new range of infused water helps make hydration interesting. The tea experts at Lipton have made the trend of infusing fruits and other botanicals in water available on-thego in a new hydrating range of still waters, gently infused with the subtle taste of tea, fruit and herbs for a light refreshment. The new range of Lipton Infused Waters are delicately flavoured with Watermelon with Red Fruits Tisane, Pear and Elderflower with Green Tea, and Cucumber and Mint with Green Tea. While some flavoured waters can be high in sugar or contain artificial sweeteners, Lipton Infused Waters contain no added sugar, except the tiny amount naturally occurring in the fruit and herb extracts and other natural ingredients. They also contain no artificial sweeteners, colours or preservatives, and are low in calories.
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A guide to Milk Alternatives When a consumer thinks of an alternative to cow’s milk, the first thing that comes to mind would most likely be a soy or nutbased milk. However, there are many, many options that are often overlooked or go under the radar. Vegetarian and vegan movements are gaining momentum, and increasing awareness of lactose intolerance and food allergies has driven demand for industry products. Over the next five years, anticipated demand growth for non-dairy milk, particularly from the foodservice and accommodation sectors, will assist industry growth. Aside from plant-based, there are also many animalmilk alternatives to traditional cow’s milk. “Almost 85 percent of the world’s milk supply is from cows,” said editor of the Handbook of Milk of Non-Bovine Mammals, Young Park. “But in some European countries and the US, about seven percent of the population is allergic to it. And some non-bovine species’ milk doesn’t cause those allergies, has therapeutic uses, and better nutritional value than cow’s.”
A2 Cow
A2 milk is cow’s milk that lacks a form of beta-casein proteins called A2 and instead has mostly the A2 form. It was brought to the market by The A2 Milk Company and is sold mostly in Australia, new Zealand, China, United States and the United Kingdom. Research has suggested that it is easier to digest milk containing A2 casein, but the concentration varies among different breeds of cows, with some have little to no A2 casein at all. It is the least likely ‘dairy’ milk to cause GI inflammation.
Oat
Oat milk is a tasty vegan alternative to dairy milks while also being nutritious. It is made with pre-soaked oat groats, then blended and strained. The result is milk-water tastes similar to the thin layer of cream that sits on top of a bowl of porridge. There is a café overseas that has a dedicated sub-menu to oat milk drinks including Capoatchino, Coatado, and the Macchioato. Oat milk is a mild, slightly sweet flavour profile that is a great substitute for low fat or skim milk.
Coconut
Coconut milk is the liquid that comes from the grated meat of a mature coconut. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are attributed to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. It is a popular food ingredient used in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and northern South America. It has a thick consistency and milkier in appearance than coconut water.
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In Australia, rising health consciousness has strongly boosted demand for non-dairy milk. Industry revenue for soy and almond milk is expected to increase again over the next year to over $153 million. Increasing health awareness regarding food consumption has boosted the popularity of non-dairy beverages, such as soy and almond milk. Soy milk accounts for the majority of industry revenue, due to its longstanding position in the sector and its popularity among
foodservice establishments. Smaller segments such as almond, rice and oat milk have grown rapidly, but remain small shares of industry revenue. Further afield in the USA, milk consumption per capita has been on a steady decline while the mainstreaming of plantbased dairy alternatives, or cow-alternatives like soy, almond, goat, and rice has been growing rapidly. The non-dairy category in the USA has surged to more than a billion in annual retail sales. Below are some of the usual suspects for dairy alternatives as well as some that may take a little longer to catch on.
Buffalo
Sheep
Buffalo milk is relatively common, contributing to around 13 percent of the world’s total milk production. In comparison to cow’s milk, buffalo has more fat, protein, lactose, and minerals and yields more cream, butter, and cheese thanks to its higher solids content. It is available in NZ through Clevedon Valley Buffalo Company where the milk comes from their 170-strong buffalo herd outside of Auckland. The buffalo milk is pasteurised and unhomogenised, making it thick, creamy and delicious.
Cashew
In 2016, Pinterest noted a 40 percent increase in posts about cashew milk, which is quickly on its way to becoming the new ‘it’ milk. It is, essentially, the same nutrition-wise as almond milk. However, unsweetened cashew milk has an incredibly low calorie profile, around five calories less than its almond counterpart. Fat and other nutrients, like calcium and vitamins D, E and A are equal. Cashew milk is less nutty than almond and slightly sweeter. It also tends to be creamier and thicker, with a coconut milk-like consistency and subtle taste that doesn’t overpower a dish.
New Zealand has a small but growing dairy sheep industry, and around the world, sheep’s milk accounts for about one percent of total milk production. It tops cow’s milk in many ways but mainly because of its high solids content, higher than that of goat, making it more appealing to consumers. It also has a greater concentration of all ten essential amino acids than cows. It is mostly used to make cultured dairy products such as cheese, particularly in Greece and Italy. In NZ it is available through NZ Sheep Milk Co. The product is not only delicious but also versatile and loaded with nutritional benefits.
Soy
Soy milk has long been one of the most popular of the non-dairy beverages. However, demand for dairy alternatives has increased with more consumers switching due to lifestyle or more health choices. Soy milk is typically creamier than other nondairy milk, which makes it a good substitute for dairy milk in coffee. Shifting consumer preferences have also resulted in a demand for new flavours and products. For example, Lion launched a Vitasoy Iced Coffee variety in mid-2014, in response to consumer demand for a non-dairy lactose-free iced coffee. The soy and almond milk industry have high brand loyalty among consumers, in contrast to the dairy beverage sector.
Rice
Rice milk is created from a mixture of partially milled rice and water and is considered the most hypoallergenic milk substitute, making it the preferred choice for children. Rice milk supplies some essential nutrients from the bran and germ of the grain and is a good source of B vitamins. These health concerns have caused rice milk to decline as a share of industry revenue over the past five years.
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dairyvsnon-dairy FRESH MILK ANYWHERE
NZ owned company, Wimpex Ltd, specialises in the contract blending and consumer packaging of dry, and granulated foods, with a strong reputation for quality, and reliability. The company has recently developed and introduced its own brands and product ranges, including Go Milk, an instant milk drink. This product is made from 100 percent New Zealand milk powder, sourced only from pasture-fed cows from the Canterbury region, to ensure a consistent taste. Not only is the product 100 percent natural, it is a great source of protein
and calcium. Noticing a gap in the market, the brand introduced a convenient single serve sachet, making it easy for consumers to have access to fresh milk, anywhere. The smart packaging presents itself nicely on the shelf, and each serve (8 serves per pack) makes a cup of milk, ideal for anyone traveling overseas, camping, hunting, fishing the bach or living in a remote area. With its long shelf life, this product also benefits the accommodation sector, as it would only be used in the amount required, no wastage. Easy to
use, just add water! There is currently no other product, like ‘Go Milk’ powder stick packs, on the New Zealand market. Alongside the skim and full cream milk offering is a flavored milk range, that has been formulated with children’s health in mind, and is suitable for diabetics. The Go Milk flavoured range has no added sugar, it is instead sweetened with stevia, a zero-calorie natural sweetener derived from the stevia plant. This ingredient is low in fat, with natural colours and flavours which makes this product
a healthy alternative to other sugary beverages, on the market. Go Milk flavoured range is a unique product available in Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry and Banana flavours in sachets and tin cans, great for children’s lunches, to take to work, or an anytime healthy and great tasting drink, with all the goodness of pure wholesome milk. For more information contact The Wimpex team at 51 Edmonton Rd. Hornby, Christchurch Phone 03 377 4376 or email salesnz@wimpex.co.nz. n
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AWARD-WINNING DAIRY Award-winning Clearwater’s Organic Dairy is a farm dairy where owners Bryan and Jackie Clearwater and their team produce the award-winning dairy products – including the Cream-Top-Yoghurts which are definitely a melt in the mouth delicacy. Established 15 years ago, Clearwater’s is a small NZ-owned and operated yoghurt company based in Geraldine. The milk that is produced on Clearwater’s organic dairy farm in Peel Forest, is the raw material for the products it produces in a small factory right next to the milking shed. As the latest generation of a family that arrived in New Zealand in the 1830s, Bryan and Jackie are committed to the organic principles
of farming, producing the most natural dairy products in the most sustainable way. “We believe that good and wholesome products can only be produced from the best possible raw materials,” said Jackie. “Producing products from our own organic milk, on the farm gives us that assurance.” It is Bryan and Jackie’s dream to provide delicious products, produced in the most sustainable way for a reasonable price. “We want to be known as creating New Zealand’s most natural dairy products and are serious about minimising the impact on our environment, using any resources with respect and in the least damaging way possible.” Clearwater’s yoghurts are the freshest, most natural yoghurt you can get with no added sugar, preservatives, thickeners, gelatins or additives. The brand produces four different flavours: Natural, Honey, Apple & Cinnamon and Topless, which is 100 percent fatfree. Available in 300g, 700g and 2kg pots. For more information visit www.clearwaters.co.nz or contact info@clearwaters.co.nz, 03 696 3553. n
MILKY MIX FROM OOB All kinds of wonderful ingredients make the difference between the 12 different flavours in the oob organic ice cream range. But three ingredients tie them all together – dairy, dairy and dairy. Every oob organic ice cream is made with all organic ingredients including organic whole milk and organic cream. “We’re absolutely committed to using the best quality organic ingredients, and New Zealand dairy is as good as it gets,” said Shannon Auton, co-founder of oob organic with her husband Robert. What started as a family ortanic blueberry farm at Omaha in 2001, developed into a multi-platform organic food producer in the years since. Eight years ago, oob organic launched its first ice cream – blueberry. The ice cream range has since expanded
organic ice cream
to include popular standards such as vanilla, peppermint chip, chocolate and strawberry, as well as more boutique flavours such as liquorice, orange chocolate chip and original blueberry. These delectable organic ice creams are available in 120ml, 470ml and 850ml sizes. Today, oob organic is the only brand that offer certified organic ice cream in New Zealand. Organic food is a fast-growing sector in the New Zealand market, already comprising of about 2.5 percent of the total. “It’s great to see that more and more Kiwi consumers are turning to organics,” said Auton. “We believe it’s not only good for the planet and one’s health, but also for the taste buds!” For the full range of oob organics’ ice creams visit www.oob.organic or for more information email orders@oob. co.nz. n
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dients.
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what’sinstore2018 A new government with new polices, new ministers, and new approaches will ensure 2018 is one of the busiest in the food and grocery sector for some time. The coalition parties’ wish-list of changes gives some idea where most attention will be directed: tackling obesity, changes to food labelling, taxes on ingredients and bottled water, environmental initiatives, and different export trade emphasis. These will all affect and demand the attention of the sector in some way, be it via changes to manufacturing processes, an impact on costs, or access to markets. The Food and Grocery Council, on behalf of its member companies, will work with the Government to provide information and advice on all these issues. If your company is not a member of the Food & Grocery Council we welcome new members.
Katherine Rich
Chief Executive, NZ Food & Grocery Council
In this highly competitive market, innovation and adaptability will remain key to continue to stand out from a busy crowd. As customers’ access to almost any kind of product and service becomes even more accessible globally, this level of availability and convenience, is both the biggest challenge and opportunity for retailers and suppliers throughout New Zealand. We know in 2018 that an increasing number of our customers make decisions about their food based on social and environmental issues. Countdown was the first supermarket to announce the phaseout of 350 million single-use plastic bags from stores by the end of 2018. We believe that this year, the overall industry need to continue to focus on reducing plastic and packaging across the entire store.
Our customers continue to be focused on their health and wellness. We believe that in 2018, this sector will continue to grow across the entire supermarket as customers keep looking for healthier alternatives. We are predicting a continued reduction in sugar and sodium in products with a much bigger focus on protein and plant based meals. We’re working across the store to ensure that these products are prominent and easily accessible.
Scott Davidson
General Manager Merchandise, Countdown
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Chris Quin
CEO Foodstuffs North Island
I returned to the office this year pleased to see that we are carrying considerable momentum into 2018 from 2017; and having observed that some of our key export markets and channels continue to offer significant upside. New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) is currently hosting procurement experts and buyers from Japan, India, China, South East Asia and Australia businesses and retailers. There is no doubt New Zealand manufactures and brand owners are attracting global interest, so too our infrastructure (for example the food innovation network). Elsewhere, NZTE teams are finalising exhibition and/or business attendance to Natural Products Expo West (Anaheim), Anuga (Cologne), FHA (Singapore), SIAL (Shanghai) and NRA (Chicago). It’s fair to say the first half of 2018 is set to be a wild ride. On behalf of all foodies, the HVN challenge is delivering up foods for health; the NZ Food Award categories are being revamped; and the NZIFST Conference line-up being finalised. My January holiday had me in the US and EU, and whilst there I saw huge opportunity for NZ food/beverage products in New York; big shifts in
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The last couple of years have seen Foodstuffs North Island make strong strategic progress. The team has been in together to implement fundamental organisational change and set in place a number of initiatives enabling the business to operate successfully, sustainably and with our community’s well-being at heart. One of the big customer conversations is around sustainability, which is hugely important to so many New Zealanders. To deliver what our customers want, the things that are important to them have to be critical to us as well. We’re measuring our performance in this area against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals which include energy reduction, action against climate change, waste minimisation, reducing packaging and fighting food poverty. While we have made significant and meaningful inroads into many of these, with changes such as reduced energy use and plastics, the introduction of electric vehicles and dramatic reductions in waste, the topic which excites our team in this space is our ability and willingness to help ALL New Zealanders get more out of life. Our investment in Eat My Lunch heralds a new way of dealing with a very pressing problem. But this project does double-duty. Eat My Lunch allows Foodstuffs to answer changing customer needs. We can’t wait to roll this our further and see the immediate positive impact this has on our community in tandem with the multitude of other health-based programmes we have in place such as support for the Starship Foundation, Food for Thought, Private Label product reformulation and significant donations to foodbanks and community groups around the country. Expect to see Foodstuffs North Island meet business, social and environmental challenges head on thanks to the extraordinary efforts of more than 22,000 employees, fantastic supplier relationships, focusing on customer needs and committing to treading lightly.
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shopper preferences in UK and Europe. My summary perspective is that we need to focus on the ‘soft’ stuff - branding, packaging, marketing and thinking about how to work on seeding strategies and with influencers - if we want to avoid being captured by private label and ‘commodity’ positions. We have the innovation, we have the people, and we have the products and networks. We need to focus, integrate and link our operational, selling and marketing capabilities, and really really project the advantages that are attracting the current buyers to New Zealand. Look forward to seeing you when I draw breath in June.
Craig Armstrong NZTE
We’ve seen tremendous change in our business as investments in people and property really start to pay dividends. New Zealand has weathered recent global economic uncertainty relatively well and we continue to show how innovation and a commitment to leadership in caring for our environment and community has long term benefits. The new government has heralded some exciting initiatives in regional and youth development. Investing in the regions will not only relieve pressure on our larger cities, it will mean we develop and retain good people in parts of the country which, up until now, have experienced a drain. Foodstuffs is at the heart of virtually every city, town and village in New Zealand – we see and understand the role we have to play, in partnership with Government, ensuring thousands of people have rewarding jobs and a career path, and that New Zealanders have easy access to fresh, quality, affordable groceries. We are particularly excited about the focus on youth development. Our business offers a number of training opportunities and career pathways. We stand ready and willing to work with relevant bodies to encourage young people to step up and consider working in Retail. Many of those who start with us on the shop floor end up owning a successful supermarket and go on to play a huge role in their local community. One area that does concern us is the uncertain climate we have around immigration. Businesses like ours are 24/7 operations; relying on a huge number of staff prepared to work at odd hours and in areas which can be tough but rewarding. There is a genuine shortage of skilled bakers and butchers which, if unaddressed, will impact millions of customers. Significant increases in minimum salaries in a business which is exceptionally competitive, could have long term effects on sustainability. We urge the Government to consider carefully the ramifications of policy changes in this area. While growth and development are key priorities, 2018 will see the Cooperative further cement our commitment to operating with a light touch on the environment and supporting New Zealanders who are disadvantaged.
It is only when everyone of us benefits from the bounty our country has to offer, that we can claim that New Zealand has a fair and decent society.
Steve Anderson
CEO Foodstuffs South Island
At Mondelez, we’re proud of having delivered some amazing innovation in recent years which has been incredibly popular amongst Kiwi consumers including Cadbury Dairy Milk with Oreo Vanilla and Cadbury Caramilk. While we’ve got some more great innovations lined up for 2018, you’ll see us focus on our core - Cadbury Dairy Milk. We’re really proud of the taste and quality of Cadbury Dairy Milk which is a product that many people have an emotional connection to, so we’ll be focused on how it brings people together to share. We’ll continue to do some great work with our community partners - Paralympics New Zealand and Make-A-Wish - and you’ll be hearing a lot more about our $500 million industry leading cocoa sustainability program - Cocoa Life. There’s a lot to look forward to from Mondelez New Zealand in 2018.
James Kane
Country Manager, Mondelez
2 Venues. 1 Mega Show. 24 - 27 April 2018 Singapore Expo
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February 2017
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FUTURE PROOFING
We’ve been here for nearly 100 years, and we’re getting ready for the next 100.
Chris Quin
Chief Executive FOODSTUFFS North Island
Foodstuffs North Island, or Foodies as we talk about ourselves, has been an important part of New Zealanders’ lives and a massive part of New Zealand’s success, in many communities, for nearly 100 years.
We have 22,000 team members across the North Island, and touch the lives of thousands more New Zealanders every single day. Today we’re a $7.4 billion co-op and we’re determined to earn future growth. More important than the numbers, our purpose is to make sure New Zealanders get more out of life. This guides everything we do in the co-op. We’ve been making some big changes over the past few years, guided by our strategy and customer insight. Some of these improvements include: our supply chain transformation, the new commercial operating model, the introduction of New World Clubcard, deploying SAP across the business, some fantastic new stores, online shopping, support for Kiwi children in partnership with Eat My Lunch, new and improved Pams products, our revamped Trainee Operator Programme, the opening of Fresh Collective and PAK’nSAVE Mini, plus our new values that underpin how we do things. It’s enough to make you want to take a break – but that’s not about to happen. We’re now ready to embark on the next exciting part of our strategy which is to build on our world-class supply chain and ensure we’re agile and efficient. We’ll be well set up to deliver to Upper North Island stores and customers with high product availability at the best cost. Our
much larger, world-class Ambient Distribution Centre (DC) and a bright, modern Support Centre will be on one site at The Landing, Auckland Airport. It will be the biggest DC in the history of our Coop; large enough to meet our needs for the next 30 years, and one of the biggest in New Zealand. It’ll take about three years to build and we expect to move to the new Ambient DC and Support Centre in late 2020. The new 65,000sqm Ambient DC will bring together a number of our ambient sites across the upper North Island including all our Roma Road sites. The Ambient DC will be futureready with space for us to grow, flexible enough for changes in technology, and purpose-built to seamlessly integrate transport and DC operation. A project and change like this is not just about a new office and DC, it’s about making sure New Zealanders get more out of life. The new site will empower all our teams to work in it together. The way we work together is as important than our physical surroundings, and it’s what will bring the competitive advantage and true value to our Coop and customers. We’re excited about this development and we look forward to keeping everyone posted as this key part of our platform for growth comes to life. n
MINIMISING WASTE Katherine Rich
Chief Executive NZ Food & Grocery Council
Reducing packaging waste has been a focus of grocery manufacturers for many years, and a lot of work continues to be done to consider such issues by the Food and Grocery Council’s sister bodies the Packaging Council and the Packaging Forum.
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It’s clear that over the next couple of years the Government will be taking a greater interest in minimising all forms of waste due to the elevation of Green MP Eugenie Sage as Associate Minister for the Environment. She has already taken an interest in the issue of single-use plastic bags in supermarkets and retailing that has seen proactive responses from Foodstuffs and Progressive, and has indicated that disposable coffee cups – 300 million of which Kiwis throw away every year – could be one of the next packaging issues on her list. Many New Zealanders will be very supportive of this. Her review of the Waste Minimisation Act, to see how it can be more effectively used in turning around New Zealand’s position as 10th worst nation for creating urban waste per capita, will likely point to other forms of packaging that need attention. Throughout the grocery sector, many Food & Grocery Council members have been thinking about what more they can do. OWNED
Where possible, they have redesigned or reduced packaging, and in some cases have changed the use of plastics in their offices. Of course, there’s always more work to be done and it’s surprising the places that changes can be made. A recent example was the announcement by global liquor company Pernod Ricard that it’s no longer going to use plastic straws and stirrers at its events worldwide. On the face of it that may seem like a small decision, but in terms of reduced waste over time, the impact will be major. Let’s put it into perspective: Pernod Ricard says a straw used for just 20 minutes can take more than 200 years to break down into smaller pieces, and even then often they do not fully disintegrate. It’s estimated Kiwis use and throw away 540 million plastic straws each year, but that’s about as many as are discarded every day in the United States alone! Someone has worked out that’s enough to wrap around the Earth’s circumference two-and-a-half times a day! In New Zealand, Sustainable Coastlines says straws are one of the most common items collected during beach clean-ups. Decades ago, something like
ditching straws might have been met with annoyance, even outrage, but the world has changed dramatically in terms of attitudes, and consumers and companies have changing ideas of what’s expected. Pernod Ricard, with its high profile New Zealand wine brands Brancott Estate and Stoneleigh, is sending a great signal with this move, as well as with its aim to reduce its waste to landfills from 913 tonnes to zero by 2020. Retailers, along with the phasing-out of single-use plastic bags, are innovating and making significant change around the packaging of fresh produce. Supermarket News reported recently on the South Island New World team’s look at doing their bit to reduce plastic, in a project humorously called “food in the nude” (not to be confused with Paris’s newest restaurant, O’naturel, where classic French fare is served up to diners in the nude!). New World reports that shoppers have been overwhelmingly positive in their purchase of unwrapped fruits and vegetables, to the extent that there’s even been an increase in sales – an unexpected bonus that proves going back to basics and eliminating unnecessary packaging doesn’t have to hurt the bottom line. n
techbytes
NO MORE BARCODES? According to some experts overseas, barcodes could be taken off the shelves in five to ten years in light of new invisible technology. Produced by US company Digimarc, the new barcodes look to cover the entire packaging of the product, making scanning easier as it can be read at any angle. The innovative new scanning technology has already been implemented in two US stores. “This technology is
MEET NURO
Self-driving cars don’t all have to just be people movers. Meet Nuro, a unique autonomous vehicle platform that caters more as being a small logistics platform than a passenger vehicle. The start-up company raised around $92 million to help develop its vision of autonomous transport. The small, narrow box on wheels, that is about half the size of a normal car, is designed to transport goods from a local business to a customer, or from person to person within a city or neighbourhood. The vehicle operates autonomously, and looks like a larger version of a moon rover. Customers and people can gain access to the contents via a pin pad. n
coming very soon in the UK and it will really take the hassle out of self-service checkouts,” said retail industry director for Zebra, Mark Thompson. “I believe that in five to ten years, barcodes in their current form will be gone in supermarkets.” The technology looks to reduce wait times at checkouts, with customers able to scan the code on their phones in order to pay or to find out more about a product. n
MOBILE SELFCHECKOUT Kowalski’s Markets, a grocer in the USA, has
expanded its ecommerce programme to include mobile self-checkout capabilities, which will allow shoppers to scan and pay from their phones in-store. This technology is made possible through a partnership with a USA based ecommerce technology provider GroceryKey who have helped the grocer adapt to meet modern shopping demands. n
WILL MILK CONTINUE TO WIN TOP SOURCE OF FUEL FOR ATHLETES? Plant-based milks grow, and more celebrity athletes go vegan. The winter olympics are upon us, taking place from February 9 to 25 in South Korea! It’s always an exciting time for sports enthusiasts and patriotic hearts. And with all the cheering on for the star athletes, there’s always a lot of coverage of what they eat and drink including what food and beverage companies sponsor them.
Phil Lempert
Supermarket Guru
Phil@SupermarketGuru.com
One that stands out particularly is the “Milk Life” campaign, as milk has always been praised for offering up optimal sports recovery benefits to athletes. With over a half a million followers on Facebook, and a strong social media presence on Instagram and Twitter and a long list of YouTube videos, the milk campaign has historically recruited Olympians for their cause.
And rightfully so, because studies have shown dairy can be an effective protein the body can use for muscle repair. But will athletes continue to use dairy for this purpose as more and more people move towards plant-based diets? Last month, Olympic silver medalist in women’s cycling, Dotsie Bausch, launched her ten day #plantmilkchallenge in attempt to show that dairy isn’t necessarily what fuels winning athletes. With a deep passion for animals, Bausch started a nonprofit, Compassion Champs, to help eliminate animal suffering and improve nutrition through educating people on the benefits of plant-based diets. Her following is still small, but worth paying
attention to as milk sales decline and plant-based milks grow. Last month, Fortune reported that dairy farmers are experiencing a surplus in organic milk, which had previously been in high demand. Between 2010 and 2016, Euromonitor found that total volume of milk sold in United States retail declined by 13 percent. Responding to more health-conscious consumers in higher production, now the organic dairy industry is looking to turn their milk into cheese and other products. Plant-based milks however have experienced 3% in growth, and retailers are giving these products more shelf space. And a report last year, Dairy and Dairy Alternative Beverage Trends in the U.S., conducted by Packaged Facts, predicts that plant-based milks
will make up 40 percent of the milk industry by 2020 (up from 25 percent in 2016). There’s a growing list of celebrity athletes like Venus Williams and Heather Mills going vegan. But it’s not all bad news for cow’s milk. In fact, last week at the Winter Fancy Food Show, we spoke with Bob Carroll from the California Milk Advisory Board, which has been conducting consumer research over the last couple of years and has found that shoppers are returning to real food from real people. Whole milk is growing, shoppers are opting for butter instead of margarine, and they are seeing some “bright spots” in chocolate milk sales, which has been shown in some newer studies to be an even stronger source for athletic muscle repair and fuel for competing. n February 2017
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OPERATING AT TOP PACE Welcome back to the New Year. What a summer it has been so far. I hope you all had a relaxing time with your families. The Christmas and the summer holidays have been extremely busy and we’ve seen massive sales growth across all our summer seasonal products. Thank you to our team and all of our suppliers for working around the clock to keep up with the increased demand. With Easter only six weeks away I’m sure you are like us and are still operating at top pace. Dave Chambers
Managing Director Countdown
We are looking forward to seeing some of you at the Countdown Golf Day this month. We are fortunate to be able to work with the Rotary Club of Parnell again who help us organise this fantastic event. We are proud to donate all the proceeds from the auction to support Dementia Auckland. Over the past 14 years, with your help, we have donated more than $1.58 million. Last year we raised more than $130,000 and we hope to top that again this year with your support and generosity. At the end of last year, we welcomed Scott Davidson into the role of General Manager Merchandise and it is fair to say he has hit the ground running. He is continuing to build on
our segmentation and merchandise strategy and is keen to work even closer with our suppliers both large and small. You should have all received your invitation to the Supplier’s Update in early March. Scott is looking forward to sharing his thoughts for the year ahead and meeting many of you in person, so please make sure you take the opportunity to say hello and introduce yourself to him. Finally, in January we released our second set of Health and Nutrition targets. We have made some excellent progress over the past year including giving out more than five million pieces of fruit as part of our Free Fruit For Kids programme, our online shopping website now has nutritional
information for more than 10,000 products and we have now rolled out the Health Star Rating on 737 private label products. As part of our ongoing work in this area, I am delighted to announce the appointment of Deb Sue, our new dietitian who will work across the business to advance our health strategy. Deb joins us from the Heart Foundation where she managed the Heart Foundation Tick programme. Previous to this she was part of the Careline team for Nutricia New Zealand, and prior to that a paediatric dietitian at Starship Hospital. We are delighted to have someone of Deb’s calibre joining our team. n
Berney was 16 years old when he started working in the Wainuiomata store as an apprentice butcher. Aside from a two-year stint when he opened a Mitre 10 Mega store in
New Plymouth and then worked as general manager for Mitre 10 Mega in Upper Hutt, Berney has been with the company for almost 30 years. In 2013 he came back to the fold as a store manager for Countdown Newtown. At 48 years old, Bereny considers life to be his training. “I’ve completed many training and development courses from my butcher’s apprenticeship through to my current position, and each of these have helped shaped the leader I am today.”
This training culminated with Berney receiving the Store Manager of The Year title in 2017 for Countdown New Zealand, which he described as a huge compliment and honour. “My biggest strength is my ability to communicate with people of all ages and cultures,” he explained. “This has always been something that has come naturally to me, and I enjoy taking the time to get to know people as individuals.” He motivates his team through leading by example, and setting monthly and weekly challenges to stretch them and take them out of their comfort zones. In the future, Berney is looking at becoming a group manager. While it will be a challenge, his wife Sandra has always encouraged him to do things that he didn’t think were possible. “She has been my number one supporter and she inspires me to be better at what I do every day,” he said. “Sandra always says, if you’re going to take the time to do something, then do it well.” Being able to have a good balance between work and personal life, knowing when to switch on and off, is important for Berney. “I spend time with my family and friends, play social softball, and am an avid fan of most sports but I really enjoy watching both rugby and league while relaxing in front of the TV.” n
PAUL BERNEY STORE MANAGER Countdown, Newtown
For as long as he could remember, Paul Berney, store manager at Countdown Newtown, has wanted to be one of two things – a sports radio host, or a butcher. Despite representing New Zealand in both rugby and softball, the latter won out.
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fhapreview GET TO KNOW THE 2018 EXHIBITORS Kaluga Queen
Field Fresh Foods
Caviar has been served as a delicacy since the time of Ancient Rome, however sturgeons became an endangered species when resources all over the world were depleted. For a while caviar was hard to be found even on the highest-level French banquet. Answering the quest of food lovers and from growing demand in Asia, Kaluga Queen, one of the biggest sturgeon farming and caviar producing brands in the world was born. Originally harvesting at the Caspian Sea, Kaluga Queen’s caviar production has been shifted to a 200,000 nett sqn net cage in the centre of Qiandao Lake in Hangzhou, China. It produced its first tin of farmed caviar in 2006 and made its first export in 2007. Today Kaluga Queen’s network extends across the globe, from Europe to USA, to UAE and Asia. Visit Kaluga Queen at Booth 8H3-04, Hall 8 of Singapore Expo.
With a vision of ‘creating delightful food experiences’, FieldFresh Foods delivers high quality products to their consumers and customers through superior food knowledge, passion and innovation capabilities. The company is a joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and Del Monte Pacific Limited. They offer a range of food and beverage products under the DelMonte brand in India and select SAARC countries, while exporting fresh and processed vegetables like Baby Corn, Sweet Corn, Chillies and more to the UK and Western Europe. The company also exports core sauces and condiments to international QSR’s across 12 markets in Asia Pacific. Learn more about their integrated food solutions by visiting them at Booth 7P3-01, Singapore Expo.
Octopus RMS Octopus RMS - Retail/Restaurant Management System powers the omni-channel sales and customer engagement for thousands of retail stores and restaurants. Octopus will demo their complete suite of retail management solutions – from the Point of Sale (POS) to back-of-house inventory to CRM and eCommerce – at FHA 2018. Visit them at Booth 4J4-01 in Hall 4 of Singapore Expo to see how their solutions help make retail businesses smart and personal.
Shermay’s Singapore Fine Food
Peranakan focused Shermay’s Singapore Fine Food is based on the owner’s family heirloom recipes. The range of sauce products include convenient ready-to-eat condiments, such as chilli sauce (Cilicuka and Sambal Hijau), Ginger Garlic Sauce, and ready-
to-cook marinade. For crackers (keropok), they include flavours in prawn and bitternut crackers (emping) which are perfect for dipping into the chilli sauces. The latest addition is her granny’s recipe for Nonya Curry Powder for meat curry. All products are MSGfree and non-GMO, contain no artificial colouring or flavouring, and most are gluten free and vegan. Its sauces and curry powder are halal certified as well. Shermay’s sauces were previously supplied Singapore Airlines/SATS, Fullerton Bay Hotel, Shangri-La Hotel, Sheraton Towers Hotel, American Club, Tanglin Club and many other established businesses. Dip into Shermay’s sauces at Booth 6E5-06 in Hall 6 of Singapore Expo.
NEW ZEALAND HEADING TO FHA New Zealand will have a number of representatives at FHA 2018, led by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. Astrolabe Wines, Florentines Patisserie and Moffat are some of almost 20 New Zealand companies who will be exhibiting at the trade show. New Zealand’s Trade Commissioner to Singapore, Hayley Horan, said that FHA provides a unique opportunity for local companies to display on the world stage. “Food Hotel Asia 2018 is a huge opportunity for New Zealand companies to access buyers and senior decision-makers across the food and beverage sector. It’s expected to attract more than 80,000 trade visitors from more than 100 countries. New Zealand Trade and Enterprise is again supporting New Zealand companies to showcase their products at Food Hotel Asia under a fresh, dynamic New Zealand pavilion.” In Singapore, Horan explained, packaged foods marked ‘naturally healthy’ have increased in sales by nearly 50 percent over the past decade; the Singapore Government has several campaigns to increase healthy food consumption and exercise among citizens and there is increasing demand for childrens’ and elderly organic foods. New Zealand products are able to fill this gap. “Fast population growth, rising wealth and increasing demand for quality products makes Asia a huge market for New Zealand food and beverage businesses,” she said. “New Zealand produces some of the besttasting food in the world and is one of the world’s most trusted suppliers. This is great fit for Asian consumers, who are increasingly brand and health-conscious.”
The New Zealand companies exhibiting at FHA 2018 are:
• Astrolabe & Durvillea Wines • Astrolabe Wines • Averest Foods • Baxter Brenton Commercial • Canary Enterprises • Commerical Food Ingredients • Cossiga • Dunninghams • Florentines Patisserie • Highford Marketing Group • Independent Liquor • Kono • Life Health Foods • LKK Food Equipment • Lowe Corporation • Moffat • Omega Seafood • Shott Beverages • Spring Sheep Milk Co • Taylor Pass Honey • Tatua Co-Operative Dairy Company • Wellington – NZ’s Culinary Capital n
HAYLEY HORAN, NEW ZEALAND’S TRADE COMMISSIONER TO SINGAPORE
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SOUR PATCH GO-GURTS
Yoplait Go-GURT brings the sour and sweet flavours of Sour Patch Kids candy to life in a fun, on-the-go snack option in easy, grab-and-go tubes. Go-GURT Sour Patch Kids flavoured yoghurt will be available in two popular Sour Patch Kids candy flavours, Redberry and Blue Raspberry. This marks Go-GURT’s first ever flavour collaboration.
SMOOTHIE BOWL STARTER
Wildway has launched a new line of functional smoothie beverages featuring probiotics, plant-based adaptogens and herbs. The blends are free from whey, dairy, grain, gluten and soy and are flavour-neutral. The Smoothie Bowl Starter Mixes are available in four varieties with each containing egg white protein, MCT oil powder, collagen peptides and blends of amino acids, functional herbs and plants and 1 billion CFUs of probiotics. Consumers just add one cup of frozen fruit and water or milk and blend.
GET CRACKING!
Magnum Ice Cream has introduced the latest addition to its line-up of premium dessert offerings with the launch of Magnum Tubs – a first-of-itskind, indulgent ice cream experience. This new concept takes the signature Magnum chocolate and silky ice cream from the classic Magnum Ice Cream bar and reimagines it in a ‘scoopable’ format. The sides of the Magnum Tub are encased in a shell of chocolate, which preserves the iconic chocolate crack. By squeezing the sides of the tub, the chocolate cracks and breaks into the top thick chocolate layer for the perfect mixture of rich chocolate shards and silky ice cream in every spoonful. Available in four indulgent flavours: Milk Chocolate Vanilla, Dark Chocolate Raspberry, Milk Chocolate Hazelnut, and White Chocolate Vanilla.
FROM BEVERAGES TO BARS
Kombucha has gained a lot of popularity over the last year and following this trend, Vegan Rob‘s brand is hoping to mirror that success with the roll out of Kombuchabars. The bars, made with kombucha, blended seeds, fruit and tapioca syrup, the bars have the same nutritional benefits of the beverage but in a shelf-stable, grab-and-go bar. After two years of development, Vegan Rob’s Kombuchabars will be available in flavours like banana, cranberry, dark cacao and blueberry that all blend well with the complex kombucha mix.
MATCHA KIT KAT
Kit Kat flavours previously only available in Japan have launched in Australia. In December, The Kit Kat Chocolatory released a new range of Kit Kat flavours including Sublime Matcha, Sublime Milk, Sublime Bitter and Sublime White. They have also launched Kit Kat 2 Ways allowing consumers to enjoy their favourite flavour in two different ways. Kit Kat Caramel Pretzel 2 Ways features a finger of delicious baked pretzel wafer that on one side has salty caramel pretzel flavour and on the other a sweet caramel pretzel flavour. The same goes for the Kit Kat Mint 2 Ways.
EGGLESS EGGS
PUT THE KETTLE ON
Gin and tonic tea bags have been launched by Fortnum and Mason. The boozy-inspired brew is a combination of green tea and hand-picked botanicals, including real juniper berries, coriander, lemon balm and fennel. The actual tea bag contains no alcohol just the flavours that are poured into gin during the distillation process. The upmarket brand is selling boxes of 15 silk envelopes as the material is thought to be the best for infusing the flavours of tea.
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Hampton Creek has cracked the eggless egg. The company announced late last year that it would be rolling out its first scrambled ‘egg’ product, Just Scramble in the USA. The same company made headlines in 2013 with its eggless Just Mayo. Its operation is all about plants with the likes of pea protein and sorghum. The Just Scramble product uses a liquid mixture made with mung beans. It looks just like a scrambled egg, and the texture is the same, and apparently tastes just like one too.
BOLD FLAVOURS
Doritos has released two new limited edition Doritos that combine two flavours in each bag. The flavour combinations include Hot Wings and Ranch as well as Sweet Chilli and Lime.
WATER WITH COLLAGEN
Protein Water Co has launched a new range of waters with collagen. The British beverage brand has released The Skim Maintenance Range that is available in strawberry, apple and grape flavours that is designed to support healthy hair, nails, skin, joints and improve sleep. “Our Skin Maintenance range is an exciting new offering for consumers wanting a beauty boost. By creating an all-natural drink that combines 2018’s top trends ingredients: collagen and hyaluronic acid. This new product will provide a convenient solution for people looking to enjoy the benefits of protein without compromising on taste, quality or ingredients,” said founder Henry Western.
EASTER WITH REESE’S
Famous for its Peanut Butter Cups, Reese’s is bringing back its tasty crème eggs again this year to the US market. Similar to the Cadbury version size-wise, but have a peanut butter filling.
BUENO ICE CREAM
Kinder Bueno has launched three ice cream bars to its range. Fine hazelnut milk ice meets a core of Kinder milk chocolate sauce, embedded in a crispy croissant covered with a fine layer of hazelnut cream made from Ferrero hazelnuts. It also revealed that the ice cream only has 206 calories. Included in the range is an ice cream cone design, an ice cream sandwich and Kinder Bueno Ice Cream Stick. The launch was listed on a German supermarket site.
COMPLEX FLAVOUR
Kite Hill has introduced a cream cheese style spread made with all natural ingredients to create a complex flavour and a velvety smooth texture using almond milk. Each batch is cultured to add depth, sweetness, and a subtle tang. Varieties include Plain, Chive, and Jalapeno.
‘SHARING’ DESSERT
Cadbury has introduced a Crème Egg trifle, made up of several layers including a chocolate base, chocolate mousse, chocolate chip cookies and a fondant, creamy topping. The new treat is accurately named ‘Layers of Joy’ and labelled a ‘sharing dessert’. The brand also revealed that it has made a white chocolate version of the crèmeegg and if a consumer finds one they could win £2000 in a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory style hunt.
CORNETTO GOES VEGAN
UK vegans can rejoice in the fact they don’t have to miss out on a popular treat thanks to Streets Cornetto launching a vegan alternative. Made with soy milk and dipped in vegan chocolate, the vegan Cornetto ice cream is also gluten-free.
FLAVOUR-FORWARD
Barnana’s Plantain Chips are said to be the world’s first organic, ridged, flavour-forward plantain chip. Available in three varieties: Himalayan Pink Sea Salt, Acapulco Lime and Sea Salt & Vinegar (with Apple Cider), the chips are fried in organic coconut oil and are certified organic, paleo, grain-free, vegan and non-gmo verified with flavour being the brand’s top priority.
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BUBBLING KEFIR
Buchi Kombucha, an American beverage company has launched Kefir Soda. The new beverage is vegan, gluten free, and 100 percent certified organic. While most customers assume that kefir is dairy, but the word actually refers to the fermenting agents (grains) that turns milk OR water into a probiotic. Kefir Soda is a non-dairy probiotic tonic brewed with heritage Tibicos – aka kefir cultures. The Tibicos cultures have been traced back to the Opuntia Cactus plant found in Mexico and used in water kefir throughout the world. Over time, Tibicos cultures have been referred to as Kefir Grains, African Bees or Sea Rice. This gentle but profound brew has been refreshing people around the world for centuries. The product is available in three variants - Ginger Turmeric Cayenne, Watermelon Mint Tulsi and Lemon Lime Echinacea.
PLANT-BASED LAUNCH
Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) is set to launch a range of plant-based drinks, a first for the company. AdeZ, is a dairy-free smoothie that contains seeds, fruit juices and vitamins and is available in three flavour variants including: Amazing Almond Mango-Passionfruit; Mighty Oat Strawberry-Banana; and Courageous Coconut Berry. “Consumers are increasingly conscious of their nutritional choices and lead busy lives – almost half are more likely to buy an item if they know the nutritional information,” said Simon Harrison, customer marketing director GB at CCEP. “We know they are also looking for more functional drinks that taste great, which is why the launch of AdeZ in GB will provide an opportunity for retailers to meet this consumer demand.”
HEMP YOGHURT
Coconut yoghurt brand COYO is now selling a new product containing hemp. The new COYO Hemp and Blueberry contains hemp seeds, which have recently become an approved ingredient at the Australian and New Zealand Ministerial Forum of Food Regulation in April 2017. After receiving requests from customers to include the new legalised food, COYO developed the new flavour and to help launch it will release recipes using the yoghurt on its website.
CHOBANI NEW YEAR
To celebrate Chinese New Year, Chobani is selling a limited batch of mandarin flavoured yoghurt. The yoghurt comes in a special red and gold packet as a symbol of good luck and prosperity. The mandarin flavour was selected as mandarins are gifted as a gesture of goodwill and prosperity for the year ahead during Chinese New Year celebrations. “Chinese New Year is a big cultural event here and celebrated by many of our staff, we thought the perfect way to enhance the celebration would be to create and launch special Chinese New Year Batch Chobani,” said Peter Meek, managing director of Chobani Australia.
FROZEN EASTER EGG
Cadbury is launching a Crème Egg Ice Cream in Australia with the help of ice cream brand Bulla, transforming the beloved Crème Egg into tubs of ice cream. The limited edition frozen treat has a chocolate and vanilla cream base that is swirled with chocolate chips and Cadbury Crème Egg flavoured sauce. “We’re thrilled to give Australians a new and exciting way to enjoy the legendary Cadbury Creme Egg. With such a great following in Australia and around the world, we’re delighted to team up to give chocolate and ice cream lovers a real treat in the lead up to Easter. Make sure you give it a try when you can!” Cadbury and Bulla said in a statement.
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NO MILK OR SUGAR NEEDED
The world’s first Coffee Leaf Tea company Wize Monkey launched their multi-award winning product in over 330 stores in the United States late last year and have made major leaps in its distribution channels. “It’s been nearly five years of crafting the best method to make our award-winning Coffee Leaf Tea and the work is finally paying off,” said Max Rivest, co-founder/ CEO of Wize Monkey. “Retailers are recognising the amazing taste that our product offers as well as the rising consumer demand across the US and globally.” Wize Monkey has taken a centuries-old concept from Ethiopia and Sumatra and applied craft processes and fermentation to premium coffee leaves to reveal an outstandingly smooth and delicious tea that is very easy to drink, has similar caffeine levels to green tea, no bitterness, and delivers a host of polyphenols that aren’t available in traditional tea. Some of their accolades include World Tea Expo ‘Best New Product’, ‘Best Mission-Driven Natural Product’, and multiple innovation award nominations.
PEPSI GOES BUBLY PALEO FOR KIDS
Serenity Kids have launched a new product that caters to parents who would like their children to have a paleo diet. The food for babies, toddlers and kids aged 6 months to 5 years, sees food pouches formulated using pasture-raised meats and organic vegetables. The low-sugar, high-fat formulation inspired by the Paleo diet and the macronutrient content of mother’s milk, the products claim to offer the highest meat content of any pouched baby food. The product is available in three variants – Grass Fed Beef with organic Kale and Sweet Potato, Free Range Chicken with Organic Peas and Carrots and Uncured Bacon with Organic Kale and Butternut Squash.
OWNED
PepsiCo has launched a new sparkling water range called Bubly. Available in eight flavours – lime, grapefruit, strawberry, lemon, orange, apple, mango and cherry – and contains no artificial sweeteners, flavours, or calories. The very colourful cans have pull taps with cute phrases like ‘oh hi’. “We created Bubly to provide consumers with a great-tasting, flavourful, unsweetened sparkling water in a fun, playful, and relevant manner,” Todd Kaplan, a vice president at PepsiCo said in a statement. This launch follows on from the brand’s move towards drinks beyond its carbonated soda items, like its Naked Juice and Pure Leaf.
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