What is your job about?
Foodstuffs North Island is a significant part of New Zealanders' lives! Our store brands include New World, PAK'nSAVE, Four Square, and Gilmour’s. The Pams and Value ranges are our own brands, providing customers with high-quality goods without charging a premium. All of our stores are owned and run by local owners who are dedicated to delivering what is best for the communities and customers they serve. Our distribution center in Auckland is the size of eight rugby fields, and it's never a dull day working at Foodies!
I am a part of the Replenishment Team as a Buyer, looking after Health & Beauty and Homecare products. Customers are at our core, and we ensure they get the most from our stores by replenishing our Distribution Centers (DCs). My main responsibility is ordering stock from my suppliers into our two DCs in Auckland and Palmerston North. We ensure our orders arrive on time and exactly as we expect. From there, individual stores can place orders from our DC for customers throughout the North Island. There is a lot more outside of just simply buying stock. I also manage stock that’s already in the DC, new product developments, promotions, and a lot more in between! A crucial part of being a buyer is effectively working and communicating with the respective Category Manager, our DC workers, and Suppliers to ensure we are all on the same page and have a cohesive workflow.
What is your background?
I was born in New Zealand and grew up in the Waikato region. I did my primary and secondary education there before moving to Auckland for university. Growing up, I was a creative, experimental, and curious person. I would get inspired by anything I saw and was eager to try new things. I guess that was the starting point that truly sparked my interest in understanding consumer behavior, working efficiently, and creating value for people, which is why I chose to major in Operations & Supply Chain Management and Marketing.
Before coming to Foodstuffs, I worked two retail jobs, which I now realize were super valuable. I was able to transfer the knowledge I gained from working in retail to my current role, relating to what I studied. Like most people in university, I applied to numerous companies for internships and graduate roles. One of the clubs I was a member of posted about the Foodstuffs Internship Programme, and I thought, "why not apply and see what happens?" Quickly after, I was offered a position as a DC Replenishment Intern. Time flew, and after three months, I started my current role as a Junior Buyer. Both roles are essentially the same, so I just continued what I was doing, but with many more suppliers and responsibilities.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Although having a related degree or the relevant technical ability is extremely beneficial, I believe anyone with the right attitude and willingness to learn could fulfill my role! Foodstuffs is great at recognizing and seeing potential in people and will guide you to achieve your goals. When working in a fast-paced FMCG company, you're bound to face new challenges every day, which can be daunting. However, being a part of Foodstuffs means that you are very much a part of a large, welcoming team who will help you every step of the way.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
Walking through the aisles of supermarkets and seeing the products I have bought on the shelves is undoubtedly cool! It's super rewarding to know that through collaborative efforts across different departments, we work to help serve our customers throughout New Zealand. As someone who had never had experience in buying, I've learned a ton from other buyers in different product categories. It's a fulfilling and interactive job where new tactics and strategies are constantly being enhanced for improvement. I also have the opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone frequently, which helps me grow and become more confident.
What are the limitations of your job?
As a buyer, you must constantly keep up with the environment, think ahead, and hold the responsibility of ensuring customers get the products they're looking for. Daily cut-offs and many queries coming all at once can be tricky. I started my internship right before the busiest time of the year, Christmas and New Year's, which I found super challenging at first. We had to ensure we bought enough stock into the DC so stores would stay supplied. Another example was the unfortunate weather events we faced. The whole supply chain team worked hard to support the stores by making sure essential stock was available where needed, and this meant doing the necessary additional work to best serve our customers.
3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...
Don’t be afraid to go for it. It’s really easy to be doubtful and overthink, but you’ll never get what you want if you don’t at least try.
Always be curious. Asking questions and challenging existing ideas will make you more open-minded and lead you to opportunities you never knew you had.
Don’t neglect your needs – stop saying yes to things when you mean no! It’s not your responsibility to do everything for others