Bi-Rite hosted over 150 members and suppliers to celebrate 25 years in business at its annual conference. It was the first time the group held its conference overseas, choosing Fiji as the destination to mark the significant milestone.
The conference kicked off on Saturday evening with a welcome dinner at the resort accommodation, for members and suppliers to network, while enjoying local cuisine, a Fijian traditional dance (Meke) and live band entertainment.
On Sunday, members and suppliers gathered at the conference centre for a range of sessions. The day started with presentations from Bi-Rite COO, Hamza Hussein and CEO, AK Sacur.
“We’ve been presented with many challenges over the last 25 years with the GFC in 2008, bushfires, floods, inflation and of course Covid, just to name a few. Our strength is how we adapt to these environments and continue operating not only to survive but thrive. It is important to celebrate our milestones because it boosts morale and drives motivation, builds confidence and fosters a positive environment, but most importantly, it promotes continuous improvement,” Hussein said.
“We’re mindful of our membership and with every event that we host, we aim to achieve a high level of attendance and content that is worthwhile, as well as an opportunity for members and suppliers to network, but also celebrate and relax.
“We want to acknowledge that without our members, our group doesn’t exist. We value the strong and transparent relationships we have with one another and will continue to invest in the group in every aspect because without your support, these events aren’t possible. On behalf of the Bi-Rite group, we thank you and appreciate you.”
Sacur thanked members and suppliers for their support and delivered a business recap, highlighting the last 14 years in particular, since he joined the Bi-Rite team.
“When I started with Bi-Rite 14 years ago, the focus was on deals more than our brand, but the value of the relationships with our customers remains today. Back then, there were less brands, less products and more in-store representation from sales representatives. Handshake agreements between members and suppliers were the norm and it was a completely different world.
“In today’s market, the brands we deal with have completely changed and the way we support our members has also changed. We’re fortunate to be a business that’s adapted to the ever-changing market but one thing that will not change is the values we deliver to our membership – something that’s instilled in all of our staff – where we came from, what our expectations are, and our focus on providing value to our membership.
“These values reflect the way our directors of the company – my dad (Abdul) and uncles – do business. They treat everyone with respect and are always there for anyone who needs support. This is an important part of who we are as a company and our culture.”
After morning tea, the middle session began with another short presentation from Hamza Hussein (COO) about the evolution of marketing from humble origins in ancient times to the myriad modes of digital marketing which are commonplace today.
Bi-Rite Group Marketing Coordinator, Megan Holden-Wells then shared an update on the company’s marketing strategy and how it’s evolved over the last 25 years from being dominated by mass media channels to embracing new mediums to expand the marketing mix. She spoke about the future direction of the marketing strategy for the group, focusing on providing value for customers at all stages of the customer journey.
“We want to deliver a customer experience that’s targeted and personalised, while providing a seamless and consistent experience at every touch point. Our future marketing strategy is driven by data and content that serves a purpose, adds value and is relevant,” she said.
Bi-Rite E-commerce Manager, Fatima Issa reported on online shopping trends within the group and how customers are increasingly using mobile channels, predominantly for research, with the vast majority of purchases still being done in-store.
Issa then gave a sneak peek at the new website which has been in development for 18 months, with an imminent launch date.
This was followed by a presentation from guest speaker, Stuart Harker, the chair of the retail advisory board at tutch, a leading Australian technology company that connects retailers and customers.
He presented insights into the evolution of retail, the role of technology in transforming the consumer experience and strategies for bridging the gap between online and offline. Harker covered topics including Artificial Intelligence (AI), sustainability, cybersecurity and broader in-store technology solutions gaining traction using local and global retail case studies.
Narta CEO, Michael Jackson then took to the stage to reflect on the group’s long partnership with Bi-Rite and explain how the Narta business has evolved from a buying group to become a retail service solution provider, also incorporating marketing, procurement, merchandise, data analysis and finance.
Jackson’s presentation was followed by an address from Electrolux Australia and New Zealand managing director, Kurt Hegvold, who spoke about the sustainability challenges facing the industry including government bans on gas appliances, regulations on per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and the phase-out of expanded polystyrene (EPS) in packaging.
Hegvold also introduced the Coalition for Sustainable Solutions (CoFoSS) – a board of retail and supplier leaders created to establish and maintain a circular solution for the supply of consumer electronics products.
The sessions wrapped up with presentations from the Bi-Rite category management team including Tristan Ansley, Talha Hussein and Kong Luc, discussing the key trends and emerging opportunities for major appliance, audio visual and small appliance and seasonal categories respectively.
Feature image: The Bi-Rite support office team.