By Matt Hood, Commercial Director, Co-op Retail
Last week, the UN Climate Report highlighted just how much work there is to be done when it comes to managing climate change – emphasising the responsibility for each of us to act now.
That sobering report follows what’s been an enormously challenging year and a half for everyone. These last 18 months have already challenged us to live differently through lockdowns and restrictions and to think differently as we wake up to the deep injustices that exist in our society.
As we move through and hopefully out of the pandemic, there’s a lot of talk about recovery and how we might ‘build back better’. At the Co-op, we believe that can only be achieved by co-operating for a fairer world – fairer for our people and our planet.
Co-operating for a fairer world
On 21-22 September 2021, we’ll meet with our suppliers at the Co-op Trade Briefing which is facilitated by our partners at IGD. There we’ll talk to suppliers about how together we can have a positive impact on the world we share.
The pandemic emphasised the important work that grocery retailers do in keeping the nation fed, but it also highlighted how easily our complex supply chains can be disrupted by outside events. The industry has seen some of that disruption again in the past few weeks with national driver shortages and we know as a convenience retailer just how much customers rely on us for those distress purchases. That’s why I will talk to our supply base about the need to work closely together and make sure no customer in the country is left without.
Thinking of our customers, we need to get closer to what they need. Their habits have and will likely continue to change through and after this pandemic. That’s why Ali Jones (Customer Director) will discuss our customer proposition and how together we can respond to changing customer need.
We’ll invite our suppliers to work closely with us on their inclusion and diversity activities. Sinead Bell (Buying Director, Fresh and Chilled) will lead the conversation on what we’ve learned from suppliers already on inclusion and diversity and where the opportunity lies for us to take collective action and learn together in the future.
With climate change in the front of everyone’s minds, Michael Fletcher (Retail Chief Commercial Officer) will talk through our climate plan and the imperative for suppliers to work with us to protect our planet.
Finally, we’ll talk about the commercial value of co-operation. We believe in delivering great commercials. We don’t believe there’s a conflict between profit and people or, between profits and the planet. We’ll show suppliers how our strong reputation for co-operation is opening doors to new partnerships and putting us and our suppliers in places we might otherwise not reach.
All these challenges can only be tackled by drawing closer together and co-ordinating our efforts collectively. We invite all our suppliers to join us at this year’s Trade Briefing; co-operating for a fairer world and future.
Visit the Trade Briefing website to find out more
