Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford
Imagine a food, drink & pet food packaged goods industry where both small and large players coexist on a level playing field, consumers have choice, there’s integrity in what they’re buying and they experience innovative, sustainable products.
In this weekly podcast, hosted by founder, award-winning coach, consultant & CPG advocate, Chelsea Ford, you'll hear interviews with incredible founders and hard-to-reach industry specialists as well as practical and actionable content that directly supports your food, drink & pet food CPG business to grow, become more profitable and thrive.
Learn more at www.chelseaford.com .
Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford
#125 Inside the Buyer’s Mind: An Interview with Roz White from White's IGA
When Roz White and her husband Michael started their first White’s IGA store 31 years ago, they weren’t just opening a business; they were planting roots. Fast forward to today, and they’ve grown into a Sunshine Coast icon with six stores, over 520 staff, and deep connections to their local community.
Roz’s formula for success? A steadfast commitment to people, relationships, and purpose-led retail. From choosing not to implement self-checkouts—valuing connection over convenience—to building partnerships with 200 local Sunshine Coast suppliers, Roz’s vision has always been about more than just groceries; it’s about community.
If you want insights into the mind of a buyer, Roz’s story is packed with practical lessons on creating impact in retail, including:
🛒 Purpose before profit – Why staying local and supporting 200+ Sunshine Coast suppliers ensures her stores are truly for the community.
🛒 Mastering market shifts – Her insights into changing consumer behaviour, from the growing demand for private labels to shifts in promotional spending.
🛒 Stand out by knowing your niche – Why brands need to understand their position in the market and explore innovative ways to differentiate.
🛒 Retailtainment at its best – Why making shopping an experience, rather than a transaction, keeps customers coming back.
🛒 Building trust – How strong supplier relationships create mutual success and why every brand needs to do their homework.
This episode of Foodpreneur with Chelsea Ford is presented by Thrive Collective, the company helping driving growth for brands like Welly, Bae Juice, and The Kimchi Company.
LINKS & RESOURCES:
- Whites IGA Website
- Locavores Podcast
- Roz White LinkedIn
- Food Agri Network (F.A.N.) Website
- Woombye Cheese Website
- Maleny Dairies Website
- COYO Australia Website
- Thrive Collective Website
- Food Entrepreneurship Academy Website
- Your Free Pitch Plan
- Become A Foodpreneurs Festival Inside
Season 14
Season 14, out now, is 'Scale Season' and is being presented by Chelsea Ford Co.’s 10th anniversary.
For a decade, Chelsea Ford has backed Foodpreneurs and pushed to shake up an industry that too often plays it safe and leaves smaller players behind. She champions bold products, smarter tech, and better ways of working - because the future of CPG should be shaped by ideas, not just deep pockets.
Chelsea believes every emerging brand deserves a fair shot - not crumbs from the big end of town. Founders, no matter their gender, ethnicity, cultural background, spiritual path, sexual orientation, or beliefs, deserve their place on the shelves.
Chelsea stands for healthy competition - real competition - where brave ideas and fresh brands rise up because they’re good, not because they’re bankrolled.
This podcast is part of that mission. Every episode sparks bigger thinking, practical action, and the connections you need to get your products into more hands - and more money in your pocket.
Ten years in, she’s more committed than ever. The next decade is wide open for those ready to do things differently and back themselves to grow.
Click this link to see how you can be part of it.
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