Supply chain survey: your views are wanted

The survey, which will close early next month, is gathering data on the current status of the UK food and drink supply chain and the views of those in the sector on what the future might hold.

It is all part of a project being undertaken by Food Manufacture​ to better understand the implications for the food and drink sector of the momentous change that is underway in shopping behaviours in the UK.

Discounter growth​

Not only has the entry of limited assortment discounters Aldi and Lidl raised the competitive bar among retailers, it has forced the major multiples Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda and Morrisons to respond in ways that have huge impact for their suppliers and supply chains.

If that were not enough, the recent recession and wage constraints have led consumers to become far more savvy in their grocery shopping behaviours. They are making far more use of convenience stores and convenience shopping, making more frequent supermarket visits and increasingly buying food and drink online.

The growth of internet, with ‘click and collect’ and home delivery becoming the norm, has changed traditional logistical operations forever and created what has become known as the ‘omnichannel’, where systems have to be put in place by suppliers and retailers to ensure seamless delivery of groceries to shoppers, whatever purchasing channel people choose to use.

The Food Manufacture survey, compiled in association with supply chain management expert Hughenden Consulting, will only take a few moments to complete and aims to gauge views on changing food and drink supply chain priorities – from the use of outsourced logistics and warehousing to manufacturers’ biggest supply chain challenges and changing customer needs.

Neither the respondents nor their companies will be identified in the published results, as the purpose of the survey is to gather general trends about the biggest challenges facing the UK’s food and drink supply chain and the ways those within it expect to overcome them.

Supply chain supplement​

The results will be used to inform the contents of a special supplement that Food Manufacture​ plans to publish in the October 2016 issue of the magazine and, subsequently, online on this site.

As a small incentive for answering the three-minute survey, all named entries will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win £100 of Amazon vouchers. The winner will be also announced in the October 2016 issue of Food Manufacture​.

To complete the survey, please click here​.