Walmart's local supplier programme pays off for Oceanfresh
Walmart is having an impact on local suppliers by providing access to international markets, as seen with the recent success of Lonrho's Oceanfresh Seafoods, a local purveyor of fresh and frozen seafood, being listed in Sam's Club stores in the US.
Gavin van der Burgh, Oceanfresh CEO says, "The company is delighted to have started supplying Sam's Club in the US with natural, wild caught, sustainably sourced Cape Hake fish fillets - a top quality, deep water, white fish. Lonrho owns an expanding portfolio of businesses in the seafood and fresh produce sectors that operate to the highest international standards and is increasingly supplying fresh and frozen produce from Africa to the world's foremost retailers." The product will be exported out of both South Africa and Namibia.
"Our members are very focused on high quality, sustainably sourced seafood of which the Cape Hake fillets have been a positive addition to the assortment," says Kendall Sallee, Sam's Club senior seafood buyer. "We've just launched the Ocean Fresh Cape Hake in 80 of our locations in the US and I anticipate increased sales and distribution as members become accustomed to the item and learn about the quality and versatility of the fish."
"The listing is just one example of how we've been able to connect local suppliers to a global market," reiterates Ramesh Subbiah, global sourcing executive, Massmart. "The opportunities are there and with Walmart's knowhow there are even more ways for us to help and develop some of our suppliers."
One of the ways the group measures its success is by the number of Massmart facilitated African supplier listings in other Walmart markets.
"We've built a good partnership with Oceanfresh which will benefit both companies and our members," concludes Sallee.
Related
