Tesco is to give small Welsh growers a chance to bat alongside the bigger brands.
At a small regional roadshow in Carmarthen, the UK’s leading supermarket started discussions with ‘any small supplier who wants to discuss selling their goods through Tesco’.
The company already has a Welsh marketing manager but is strengthening this commitment by recruiting a dedicated buying and technical team to help increase the number of Welsh lines already stocked.
The show was attended by a team of Tesco’s most senior commercial representatives, looking for a whole raft of the next best-selling local products.
Tesco’s head of local sourcing, Emily Shamma, addressed an audience of over 100 Welsh producers gathered in Carmarthen to show off their wares, telling them: “We already have many Welsh suppliers and stock over 500 Welsh lines. But we know there are more fantastic ‘undiscovered’ products out there and we want to make it as easy as possible for local producers to come and talk to us.”
“We want to be accessible to as many people as possible,” she continued. “Even if they don’t have the means to produce enough to supply a retailer, we can give them feedback and advice on how to develop their product or business.”
Stores in Wales will also reflect the shift in focus, with improved signage given to local products and regional counters.
Tesco announced its intention to increase local sourcing at the launch of the Community Plan in May 2006, promising to stock more local lines than any other retailer.
The supermarket has also launched a regional sourcing website which lets customers find out more about products and suppliers in their area.
