Product Sourcing Case Study: Organic Baby Food
During one of our regular meetings with Spinneys, we met with the head buyer to discuss sourcing new products in the Health and Wellness category. Spinneys is a multinational supermarket chain active in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan and Egypt.
March 2019
Supplier Outreach
The buyer for Spinneys in Dubai had a specific request for our team to help them source a new European organic baby food brand exclusively for their supermarkets.
They were specifically searching for an ethical, premium baby food brand that wasn’t currently available in the UAE and would be a good fit for their Western expat shoppers
Thanks to our large international network of suppliers and manufacturers, we were confident we could shortlist various potential brands for their consideration.
April 2019
Brand Profile Approval
Following a successful response from several brands, we engaged and reviewed various potential candidates to ensure they met the criteria of the buyer. Little Freddie was selected as the chosen brand.
“At its heart Little Freddie is about using high quality, premium, sophisticated ingredients from farmers we know and trust. We always place taste and quality above price, ensuring your little one is getting nothing but the best.” Piers, founder of Little Freddie
April 2019
Product Pitch: UAE
At Spinneys headquarters in the UAE, our team organised and successfully led the pitch of the Little Freddie concept and their product mix to the category buyer and head buyer.
The brand was positively received by the decision makers and the initial negotiations to list the product began.
April 2019
Labelling & Product Registration
Our team start the registration process with Dubai muncipality and Arabic labelling.
When you are exporting your products, there are evidently similar but differing regulations to respect. Each market is different and if you don’t follow them you potentially could face a fine or blacklisting, see your products stuck in customs and even destroyed in some cases as we have encountered through our experiences.
Summer 2019
Business Secured with Spinneys
We finalised the commercials, the registration through Dubai municipality and the Arabic labelling. As Summer is usually a quiet time for business in the UAE and the wider Gulf, we decided to wait to launch Little Freddie during the next trading season for maximum impact.
Launch Date Set
On a return visit back to the UAE we continued the buying discussion and set the launch date in stores for Jan/Feb 2020
January 2020
Final pre-launch face to face buyer meeting in Dubai and first order with launch promotion is finalised
February 2020
Product Launched
June 2020
The brand is performing well in the category and further promotional 2020 activity is agreed as well as new NPD lines listed.
Distribution expanded to all 60+ stores in the UAE
September 2020
Testimonial
“We’ve been delighted with the launch of Little Freddie’s into Spinneys and Waitrose stores on an exclusive basis in the UAE. Premium, great quality innovation is what our customers crave.
The opportunity to be first in the market with the best tasting, newest products continues to help us give customers a differentiated offer. This in turn drives our footfall in a way that ensures profitable growth for the whole supply chain.”
Tom Harvey
GM Spinneys Dubai
Product Sourcing
If you would like more information or product sourcing support, please complete the contact form below and one of our team will come back to you.