In front of 180 of the industry leading grocery companies, Countdown recognised its top performing suppliers at its annual awards evening in Auckland last month. The 2015 Supreme Supplier of the Year title went to Red Bull and the Product of the Year went to DKSH’s Peckish Thins Rice Crackers. The evening gave acting Managing director Pat McEntee an opportunity to meet with many of the suppliers and also allowed acting GM of Merchandise Antoine Dupont to discuss the company’s Price Drop and Price Lockdown programmes.
The department supplier awards were:
• Produce: New Zealand Gourmet.
• Fresh meat & seafood: Farmlands Mathias.
• Perishables & deli: Premier Beehive.
• Bakery: Original Foods.
• Cooking & baking: Simplot.
• Breakfast & snacking: Griffins.
• Beverages: Red Bull.
• Non-food: L’Oreal Paris.
• Liquor: Independent Liquor.
The company also announced individual awards that included:
• Innovation and promotion partner: Colgate Palmolive.
• Integrated supply planner: Whitney Mills (Goodman Fielder)
• Account manager of the year: Jeremy Wylie (Inghams).
• Store Manager of the Year title for 2015 went to Shaun Wall of Countdown Stratford.
• Checkout Operator of the Year title went to Marliena Kerapa of Countdown Bureta Park.
• Category Manager of the Year: Justin Waddell (Bakery).
