Our year in review

This has been such a crazy few months for everyone – particularly for the many local businesses throughout Australia who’ve had to overcome significant logistical issues behind the scenes. How have the freight and shipping challenges of the last 12 months played out in the nudie-verse?

“The past year has been a really unpredictable and challenging time for everyone involved in the supply chain industry as well as freight and distribution and the procurement (sourcing) arenas. In addition to the unforeseen blockage of the Suez Canal, the overall consequences of the pandemic have caused major material shortages and business disruptions. From shipping lines, ports, warehouses, factories, transport, labour and drivers, these disruptions have been far reaching across a multitude of industries, both domestic and globally. At nudie, we haven’t been immune to these factors. While the freight and manufacturing industries will slowly begin to recover next year, there will still very likely be residual challenges to address and overcome in 2022. If the past year has taught us anything, it’s the importance of resilience, supply chain best practice, and managing our relationships with our suppliers.

Has the pandemic negatively impacted the business?

“It’s presented an incredible challenge, not just in the procuring of raw materials, goods, and services, but in trying to maintain an equilibrium across the business as a whole. Specifically, freight and supply issues, associated logistical challenges, container availability, labour resources and the timeliness of supply. These are all key aspects, which need to be in place to support the smooth, levelled operations required at our nudie plant in Sydney. There’s also been a significant shortage of available fruit pickers, which this has resulted in growers managing their crops to increase the overall yield of table fruit in lieu of available processing (or juicing) fruit. This has led to a significant increase in pricing of processing fruit as demand is in excess of available supply.”

How about the positives – are there opportunities to develop new and better processes off the back of all the change?

“Absolutely! At nudie, the glass is always half full, even in situations that, on face value, look daunting. Our teams work in a really collaborative way, and we’re constantly looking at, and reviewing, our process and procedures to keep improving how we do things. This applies to all areas of our business.

We all work together to make our business and brand as successful as it can be. That’s why we’re always looking at ways to better develop, improve and support our supply base. Understanding their issues is critical, which is why we’re looking to assist our suppliers in managing and improving quality, delivery, and importantly the cost of the fruit we buy.”

Why is it important for nudie to source its fruit mainly from Australia?

“Nudie is a well-known and trusted brand to our customers, so the local sourcing of fruit allows us to continue manufacturing and producing high quality products, which will continue to meet and exceed our customer’s expectations with regards to great taste, freshness and quality. From apples, oranges and pears, to carrots and strawberries, we’re continually looking to our local supplier base to source the best juicing fruit across Australia.”

Does this allow us to support our local farmers

“The importance of supporting our farmers cannot be underestimated. Without their knowledge, expertise, and understanding of their crops, it would certainly make the sourcing of fruit perfect for our juices that much harder! We’re always looking to build long term sustainable relationships, creating a win-win situation for both nudie, and the farming communities.”

What are some of the positives that nudie and our customers can look forward to in the coming 12 months?

“Looking at the year ahead, there are numerous business opportunities being explored. Sourcing quality raw materials and creating trusted and open partnerships with our supply base will only strengthen our brand and reputation moving forward. We have a very proactive and collaborative New Product Development team working on new products and variants, and our processes in achieving these results are only going to get better over time. This the springboard to successful product ranging with our customers.”