Gail Megson

Drayton are thrilled to be working with Greggs plc. to secure an outstanding #SupplyChainDirector, based in the North East.   As a renowned leader in the food retail industry, Greggs has continually pushed boundaries and set benchmarks for excellence. With millions of products manufactured and distributed across the country to 2,500 shops every day, Greggs' supply chain is a testament to meticulous planning, coordination, and efficiency.   In its latest Annual Report and Accounts published in April, the business reported that it: ✔ Focused on their four strategic pillars: quality, service, value and engagement. ✔ Continued to ensure its people are at the heart of the business. With 32,000 amazing colleagues, its people that makes Greggs successful. Greggs refer to its unique culture as being the ‘secret sauce’, because when people enjoy coming into work, they do a better job, and that makes Greggs a stronger, better business. ✔ Continued to enhance their offering by growing and developing the Greggs estate with 220 new shop openings. ✔ Developed their digital channels, including the Greggs App and a new delivery partnership with Uber Eats. ✔ Expanded their evening trade by keeping 1200 shops open until 7pm or beyond, and opened its first 24-hour drive-thru locations. ✔ Consistently delivered exceptional financial performance – 13.7%+ company-managed shop like-for-like sales, driving sustainable growth. ✔ Focused on community engagement and sustainability initiatives, making significant progress towards the ten commitments outlined in The Greggs Pledge and donating at least 1% of its underlying pre-tax profits to its corporate foundation - the Greggs Foundation each year.   The Supply Chain has seen significant investment too – with a fourth savoury line installed at Balliol Park manufacturing site where their iconic rolls and bakes are made; allowing for 4 million additional bakes every week. An additional pizza line at their Enfield site was commissioned in late 2022 and has doubled their capacity, and there are exciting plans to build two state-of-the-art facilities in the Midlands opening in 2026, crucial for securing future growth.   This opportunity isn't just about leading a supply chain; as a member of the operating board, reporting to the CEO, it's about shaping the future of an iconic brand. As the Supply Chain Director, you'll have full ownership of all in-house manufacturing, the owned logistics fleet and associated warehousing as well as managing the capital investment strategy. This is a chance to leave a legacy in an iconic British business. Get in touch if you’d like to learn more about this career-defining opportunity!

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Morrisons has recently rolled out its new ‘More Card Prices’ initiative across thousands of products, delivering immediate value to customers. Through the AIR platform, member pricing is simple to execute and serves as a powerful tool to encourage customers to identify themselves at the checkout. This has proven to be a compelling way to drive loyalty swipe rates, providing a richer data asset for retailers to use to better understand their customers and to serve them in an increasingly personalized way. Curious about how you could implement member pricing? Get in touch to find out more! - https://hubs.ly/Q02S7Nf80 #personalizedpromotions #customerloyalty #grocery #loyalty

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Argos sales below expectations as Sainsbury's group posts HY growth Simon Roberts, Chief Executive of J Sainsbury plc, said: “Our food business is going from strength to strength and we’re making the biggest market share gains in the industry, with continued strong volume growth. More and more customers are coming to us for their big food shop, recognising our winning combination of value, quality and service. “Our grocery volume growth has delivered strong profit leverage at Sainsbury’s, partially offset by a tough first quarter at Argos. Argos trading has improved through the second quarter and in more recent weeks, so we continue to expect to deliver strong retail underlying operating profit growth and free cash flow generation for the full year." https://lnkd.in/eRk5z2DX #argos #sainsburys #retail #halfyear #trading #update

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Sainsbury's Argos reports the reality of a washout summer ⛈ ☔ Sainsbury's this week has reported weaker than expected growth driven by poor performance in its Argos business and Non-food ranges due to poor weather. https://lnkd.in/e2muwVFv The start of a wave 🌊 of reporting across similar retail and grocer summer ranges? Homebase The Range Tesco B&Q John Lewis & Partners Marks and Spencer With sales weak and peoples appetite too buy into summer seasonal ranges significantly reduced as we move passed the longest days, the outlook is one of trepidation... Christmas stock needs to land in warehouses throughout the retail sector in the next 6/8 weeks to ensure businesses such as Sainsbury's can recover lost sales in the next (and it's largest) seasonal event! But there is a problem!! 🚨 🚨 If you haven't sold your summer stock, it's in your warehouse - WHERE DOES THE CHRISTMAS STOCK GO? It's time to take action... mark down summer lines 75%??? Take the hit on margin?? OR Work with Visku Overwinter "evergreen" Summer SKU's Protect Margin 🌟 Clear warehouse space for Christmas 🌟 Maintain brand value 🌟 Reduce re-buy requirement for 2025 🌟 https://visku.com/ #flexiblewarehousing #Visku #Overwintering #summerseasonal #retail

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Shares of Primark owner Associated British Foods PLC (LSE:ABF) surged 9% following a robust first-half financial performance, driven by substantial margin recovery and operational enhancements, prompting it to upgrade its full-year forecasts. Despite a modest 2% rise in group revenue to £9.7 billion, adjusted operating profit soared 39% to £951 million, and adjusted earnings per share increased by 46% to 90.4p. CEO George Weston lauded the results as "very strong," attributing the gains to normalised market conditions and improved supply chains while highlighting ongoing investments for sustainable growth amidst geopolitical uncertainties. Shore Capital's veteran retail analyst, Clive Black, said the results represented a significant 'beat' versus consensus forecasts ahead of Tuesday's numbers.  He added: "ABF lost some buy-side friends around the pandemic, especially with no online presence in Primark and... More at #Proactive #ProactiveInvestors http://ow.ly/4vjS105qqWn

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Associated British Foods Releases Trading Update 2024 - https://lnkd.in/eJZ_h_2P, September 10, 2024 – Associated British Foods PLC (ABF) has provided a trading update for the second half of its financial year, ending September 14, 2024. The company delivered strong top-line growth, improved profitability. And robust cash generation across its businesses despite challenges in certain sectors, particularly in the#ABF #Associated British Foods #Financial Performance #grocery division #H2 2024 #ingredients division #Primark growth #share buyback #sugar division #Trading Update

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The incoming government in the UK has been urged to prioritise the logistics sector in order to kickstart economic growth. According to Logistics UK, the industry is well-positioned to help the new administration get the economy moving again, but it requires the right policies and support. By involving the logistics industry in developing the government's industrial strategy, it can help deliver productivity gains worth up to £8 billion per year. How can the logistics sector and the government work together most effectively to drive economic growth and ensure the resilience of the UK's supply chains? Let us know in the comment section below. For more information, click here: https://heyor.ca/T7JHiX #TruckingMag #LogisticsUK #UKPLC #GeneralElection

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Major supermarkets are making significant strides towards cashless transactions 💳 The Coventry Telegraph have noted that big household names such as Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Sainsburys have rolled out more cashless transactions in multiple locations. https://lnkd.in/eVst-QUu Seeing large companies making these changes emphasises the economic switch towards a cashless society and the demand for card payments, with more corporations likely to follow suit. Take steps towards preparing your business to keep up with competition - contact our expert team today and see how we can help your business set up cashless payment methods - https://lnkd.in/evR8Zt9C. #cardpayments #cashless #corporations #businessmanagement

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Waitrose Invests in Blue Yonder’s Industry-Leading Demand Forecasting Capability to Further Improve Customer Satisfaction. The British retailer is extending its collaboration with Blue Yonder with the addition of the supply chain solution provider’s industry-leading forecasting capability. The new move will mark the first significant introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) into Waitrose’s forecasting – and is designed to improve the already high levels of availability across the retailer’s stores. https://bit.ly/4exaDVl #AI #retail #digitaltransformation

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Flexible Working in Fresh Produce? Really??? Flexible working in the fresh produce industry has almost always been considered at best unlikely, impossible at worst 🌱 In an industry associated with rigid schedules and on-site demands, from logistics teams to quality control, the perception is that every role must be tethered to the physical workplace (aka field or farm). But changes in the way we work have pushed the boundaries of what is expected, and it's now clear that flexibility is often not only possible but beneficial. Many companies are discovering that offering remote options for non-operational staff significantly improves employee satisfaction. With newfound flexibility, team members feel empowered to balance their work and home lives more effectively, leading to a happier and more engaged workforce. (We also know that efficiency often soars as employees can focus better without the daily grind of commuting or the distractions of a bustling office.) Of course, flexible working is impossible for certain roles in fresh produce. But opening a dialogue and considering where flexible working MIGHT be possible provides an opportunity to show your employees that you prioritise their well-being (and improve operational efficiency while you're at it). #FreshProduce #FlexibleWorking #EmployeeSatisfaction #Innovation #WorkplaceCulture #Recruitment #Leadership #Efficiency

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Supply Chain Planning, an ongoing dilemma? Supply, Demand, Production Planning… every business we speak to is struggling to attract and secure top talent. Especially within FMCG. Roles are often up for months; readvertised, hundreds of applicants, 10+ interviews.. find a superstar, 3-4 week process.. salary negotiation, candidate takes another role. Back to square one. Sound familiar? Good Planning candidates will have 2-3 offers on the table. What does this mean? You must find a way to win in a highly competitive market. Solution: 1: speak to Bree who can help you with a temporary solution, typically within 24-48 hours 2: engage an agency who is entrenched in the world of Supply Chain Planning, who can effectively communicate your EVP and bring strong passive talent to the table (& mitigate hiring risk). Julia L. If you’re feeling stuck and frustrated, it might be we can help, or at least offer insights to help you fill your vacancy yourself. Sharp & Carter Aaron Julia L. Bree

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Time for another Ocado equity raise with bond maturities approaching? Ocado, the UK based, on-line pure-play food retailer, should probably be better known for its leading position in automating the picking line inside the warehouse. It has two basic drivers of revenue: on-line food retail and Ocado Technology Solutions, where it partners with large retailers (thus far mostly in the food space) to install its vertically integrated software and automated robotic solutions.   From an investor perspective, Ocado has also been as much a story about ‘tech’, ‘TAM’ and ‘hope’. It is tough to pitch the TAM of the extremely competitive UK food retail space, despite coming from an online angle. Add into that, barely break-even EBITDA margin in online food retailing and the pitch loses attraction rather quickly. So in order to create some FOMO and ability to justify a potentially juicy forward valuation, in comes Ocado Technology Solutions – suddenly you have a global TAM of billions and the CEO’s aim to become the “Tesla of Grocery.” But when order flow went very quiet on that front, one has to get creative again and then Ocado expanded its Tech Solutions business to cover non-grocery retail – boom, TAM now gigantic. Problem is that the non-grocery retail automation space is crowded and not as technologically complex as handling non-perishables inside a grocery business.   This, in essence, is the problem of selling forward hope. The never-ending, story-chasing! Fortunately for Ocado, thus far it has had very patient and supportive investors, or shall we call them believers in hope.   Now Ocado is faced with a bit of a conundrum. Rather than just raising capital for ‘hope’, it now has sizeable upcoming bond maturities of £600m in Dec-2025 and £500m in Oct-2026. It would appear financially prudent to raise capital, as they have done consistently over the last few years, from ‘the believers.’   It has been two years since Ocado last did an equity offering. The convertible market should be supportive for a refi of the 2025 maturity, but maybe not both. Rumours were rife earlier this year that a convertible would come, but still nothing.   In the event of another equity raise or convertible bond issuance, we would expect Ocado credit spreads to outperform Ocado equity (as has occurred historically), as value transfers from shareholders to bondholders. The Ocado 2025 converts at 90 cents on the dollar look interesting and a possible refi-relief pop in the equity is very sellable. 

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Back in July we started fulfilment for an engineering company. It was a quite a change from what our more traditional customers were doing but in my mind made complete sense. My background in FMCG supply chains, often running large complex engineering departments means that we are perfectly suited to understanding the needs and more importantly understanding that it is very very different from traditional fulfilment. Traditional fulfilment for us is usually 24 / 48 hours, however our current average fulfilment time is 13 hours. Engineering fulfilment is under 2 hours. Traditional delivery is usually a tracked 48 hour service, engineering fulfilment is express 24 so normally there by lunch! Traditional delivery costs are flexible due to weight, engineering fulfilment is fixed price delivery. We also have a local taxi firm on standby and if they can't do it then one of us will jump in the van and do it ourselves if you need it immediately!!!! I understand that if your plant is down it's costing you an awful lot of money!!!!! (I've had my own plants where downtime is in the region of £20k an hour!!!!!) We'd love to expand our engineering fulfilment and would love to talk to businesses that just have this nagging thought in the back of their mind!!!! We can also reverse engineer the process so if you have a container full of redundant stock / parts (I know every engineering department has one that you hide from the auditors and accountants!!!!) then we can help you sell them through our selling platforms. (if you have machinery etc we'll point you in the direction of a local company we trust as that's not our game!!!) Alternatively if you just want us to review your process then we offer a two day review at your site for £900 + expenses Please share within your networks of small providers / engineering managers etc..... I'll be at PPMA if any of you fancy grabbing a coffee or I can put you in touch with those who use us. OS Suffolk

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Sustainability in the palletised freight industry is not just a trend; it’s a critical factor that directly impacts business operations and consumers alike. The industry as a whole is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. According to Gov.UK transport as a whole emitted 26% of the UK’s total emissions in 2021. This simply isn't good enough. More sustainable palletised freight providers play a crucial role in supporting businesses’ sustainability goals. By choosing a more sustainable freight provider, you can contribute to a more sustainable supply chain. Read about how to choose one and more in our latest blog. 👇 https://lnkd.in/efNxpccV #GreenerTransportationIndustry #WorkingTowardsCarbonPositive #FreightProvider

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“The comeback is always greater than the setback” The below article 👇 helps give the context. At Morrisons we lost warehouse management systems (WMS) over fresh, produce and bread. 21 warehouses, 7 geographical locations. Total network. Down. No contingency, system wise paralysed. 1m cases on the floor 0.5m on supplier vehicles waiting to come in….. What do you do? 🤔 Game Over? We pressed continue… we cut a plan. Day 1 - we create a manual contingency, go back to the 90’s, creating picking sheets Day 2 - we get the sites back on time and re-align the ops clock, we apportion stock to stores to claw back lost capacity. Storm Bert hits just to keep us on our toes. Day 3 - we do a full stock take to re-set the depots but run to time. In parallel we set about creating a new instance of our warehouse management systems, (WMS) configure it and host it in-house from a standing start. New servers, new tin. Day 4 - live in our first site, all 3 chambers, on a new WMS. We build the WMS for site 2 by cloning and reconfiguring site 1. Day 5-10 we repeat, converting a site per night. No gap between implementations. Alongside this we re-count all 500 stores, all categories affected, to re-set stock record. We align inbound increasing demand daily and flow stock to each store / item combination needed. Was it perfect? No, but we re-set the business and replaced all systems in 10 days. Maintained business continuity throughout and stepped on availability every day from the lowest point. I’m not sure many case studies exist for this type of event on this scale but maybe we just created one. Has any other company rolled out a WMS to 21 warehouse chambers in 7 days? We’d like to claim this record and hope nobody else has to try and beat it. 🥇 I am incredibly proud of all the people who made this happen. They bought into the plan on day 1, they believed in it. We had a clear objective for each day of the recovery and a milestone to hit. They didn’t loose faith (in me or the plan) but each day became stronger and more creative. Teamwork and resilience off the charts. 🙏👏 If anybody wants an entry for “team of the year” or “achievement of the year” for their industry awards here’s my nomination on behalf of the team. They deserve to be recognised for what is an exceptional response to an unprecedented event. I would like to thank all our suppliers, partners and my connections for your direct support, understanding or empathy. I hope we will remain yesterday’s news 🗞️! Christmas 🎅 we are ready for you…

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