Source: Woolworths NZ
Hundreds of top suppliers celebrated last night at the Auckland War Memorial Museum for the annual Woolworths NZ Supplier Awards, with the top awards going to suppliers showing consistent leadership and making an impact on sustainability and innovation.
The awards, which recognise partnership, excellence and innovation across the food and grocery industry in Aotearoa New Zealand, are an annual industry highlight acknowledging the hard work that goes into providing the best shopping experience for kiwi customers.
Woolworths NZ Managing Director Sally Copland presented 20 awards to some of New Zealand’s top suppliers, from 54 finalists.
This year, GrapeCo won the Fresh Supreme Supplier of the Year for setting the standard for excellence in fresh produce. GrapeCo is Woolworths NZ’s leading Australian grape supplier, pioneering new grape varietals and leading on sustainability.
Woolworths New Zealand’s Commercial Director, Pieter De Wet, says GrapeCo’s successful reusable crate trial alone removed more than 60 tonnes of packaging from our value chain. “GrapeCo demonstrates a commitment that goes beyond business as usual. It is a true strategic partner with impact and the team is a deserving recipient of our Fresh Supreme Supplier of the Year award.”
The Packaged Supreme Supplier of the Year award went to Mondelēz New Zealand, for its resilience and innovation in delivering growth in a challenging market.
“Mondelēz truly shone this year with outstanding performance and strategic excellence,” says Pieter. “It is a great example of what can be achieved with strong partnerships across our Woolworths NZ network, from Cartology and Everyday Rewards to Replenishment and Retail operations.
“Mondelēz has consistently performed over the past three years, and its long-term leadership makes it a deserving Supreme Award winner.”
Sally says the awards acknowledge the hard work, energy and dedication that all our suppliers put in.
“Strong, collaborative relationships are crucial. Together, we service millions of customers every day across the country and we succeed together when we provide better customer experiences, especially when it comes to helping them manage their household budgets and giving them access to the products they love.”
The full list of winners is below:
Fruit & Vegetable Supplier of the Year GrapeCo Bakery Supplier of the Year Breadcraft Wairarapa (Rebel Bakehouse NZ) Meat & Seafood Supplier of the Year MaxFoods Perishables & Delicatessen Supplier of the Year Fonterra Fresh Account Manager of the Year Darren Lobb – Hellers Grocery Non Food & General Merchandise Supplier of the Year Nestlé Purina (Pet) Pharmacy, Health & Body Supplier of the Year Vitaco Liquor Supplier of the Year Hancocks Grocery – Pantry & Freezer Supplier of the Year Simplot Grocery – Beverages and Impulse Grocery Supplier of the Year Mondelēz New Zealand Packaged Account Manager of the Year Amanda Collier (Suntory Oceania) Customer Insights Driven Supplier of the Year Fonterra Integrated Supply Planner of the Year Taryn Aspeling (Heinz Watties) Sustainability Partner of the Year Essity Australasia Small Supplier of the Year Body Science (BSc) Woolworths Food Company Technical Manager of the Year Harriet Butler (Scalzo) Woolworths Food Company NPD Manager of the Year Elke Hansen (Neat Meat) Woolworths New Zealand Own Brand Product of the Year Woolworths Wakame Seaweed Pork Sausages by Neat Meat Fresh Supreme Supplier of the Year GrapeCo Packaged Supreme Supplier of the Year Mondelēz New Zealand
About Woolworths New Zealand:
Woolworths New Zealand is one of New Zealand’s largest employers with 21,000 team members across over 195 supermarkets, distribution centres, processing plants and support offices. Each week we serve over three million customers and work with hundreds of food producers and suppliers throughout Aotearoa. We’re committed to delivering New Zealand’s best supermarket experiences for customers and team with more value, innovation and accelerated investment in our stores. We’re proud to give back to the communities we live and work in, including through the Woolworths Food for Good Foundation. Every year we donate more than $7 million in food, funding and sponsorship to our communities. Woolworths New Zealand is also the franchisor of more than 70 FreshChoice stores, which are locally owned and operated. Woolworths New Zealand is part of Woolworths Group.
