Sainsbury's increase local milk sales in Scotland

Sainsbury's commitment to sourcing local produce is paying dividends in Scotland, with the company today (3 February 2008) announcing that the introduction of conventional milk from Bridge of Allan-based Graham's The Family Dairy has increased milk sales by 2 per cent in Scotland.

Graham's whole, semi-skimmed and skimmed milk was launched in Sainsbury's Scottish stores due to customer demand on 4 January and, just four weeks later, is proving to be a great Scottish success story accounting for 9 per cent of the leading food retailer's total conventional milk sales.

The retailer's investment in nurturing the relationship with Scotland's largest independent dairy company and seventh largest milk producer in the UK has certainly paid off, as Graham's business with Sainsbury's has quadrupled over the last 15 months and the partnership is now worth an estimated £4 million per annum.

Sainsbury's is dedicated to selecting the best local suppliers and achieving economic growth at a local level. Senior Sainsbury's executives have worked extensively with the family-owned, Bridge of Allan-based dairy to form a long-term partnership.

The dairy's organic lines, which have been available in stores since July last year, have helped grow Sainsbury's organic category by 4 per cent. Graham's organic milk now represents 12 per cent of Scottish organic milk sales.

Emma Metcalf-King, Sainsbury's senior dairy buyer said: "We are delighted to be able to underpin our commitment to supporting local food producers in Scotland. Our customers want to be able to buy quality local produce, which is reflected in our sourcing policy that focuses on obtaining the best local produce from the best local suppliers.

"Graham's The Family Dairy is well-known for its high-quality products and the sustainable and ethical farming practices it has adopted, so we were confident that this will prove to be a popular line."

Robert Graham, managing director of Graham's The Family Dairy, said: "Sainsbury's has invested considerable time in developing our partnership, supporting the development of our business and driving sales of our products in its stores.

"Supplying Scottish products to Scottish consumers is paramount to us and this is mirrored in Sainsbury's procurement process. Our successful company-wide rebranding exercise placed emphasis on our Scottish roots and family values and we believe our strong brand identity has proved reassuring to Sainsbury's customers who are looking to buy locally-produced goods."

The partnership between Sainsbury's and Graham's stretches beyond the retailer's shelves. Robert Graham has spoken on the benefits of supermarket / local producer collaborations during an event at the Scottish Parliament and the companies joined forces during the inaugural BBC Good Food Show Scotland.