Local dad’s fast-track to success
Buddee Foods, a local Melbourne-based food business co-founded by Rodney Chieng, is one of the many Australian companies that are benefitting from being a member of GS1 Australia. Rodney recently shared his experience of becoming a member and the positive impact it has had on his business.
Rodney had known about GS1 through a previous business. So, when he started Buddee Foods, with the goal of having his products ranged by major retailers, he knew he needed GS1 barcodes. According to Rodney, “GS1 sets the bar. There is no other body for barcodes.”
Buddee Foods is committed to providing safe and healthy food options for children. They offer a unique range of delicious spreads made from chickpeas. These spreads come in three flavours – Chocolate Spread, Smooth Spread and Crunchy Spread.
Buddee Foods spreads are not only safe for children with severe food allergies (so can be packed in school lunches) but are also full of nutrients and offer a delicious alternative to traditional spreads. The Chocolate Spread is perfect for those with a sweet tooth, while the Smooth and Crunchy Spreads are excellent options for those looking for a nut-free alternative to peanut butter. These spreads are a great source of plant-based protein and are also low in fat, making them an excellent addition to any diet.
When Buddee Foods joined GS1 Australia and before a single product was sold, they had landed contracts for over $1 million with Coles and Woolworths.
Rodney found the process to join GS1 very smooth and easy to follow. He was immediately registered on the MyGS1 member portal. There he started assigning barcodes to each of the company’s SKUs. Even though Rodney had to assign barcodes to inner and outer cartons as well as the point-of-sale products, he said “The information provided by GS1 Australia was clear and straight-forward.”
When it came to providing data and images for his products, Rodney used GS1 Australia’s National Product Catalogue (NPC) and found the team to be very responsive. He also used GS1 Australia’s photography service as it was easier to get everything done in one place. He compared it to going to Australia Post to get passport photos – “they know what’s required, and it’s just easier.”
The savvy business owner also praised the support he received from GS1 Australia when using the ‘pallet label print tool’ (a service also provided by the organisation) to meet retailer pallet label requirements saying, “The GS1 teams are always on the ball and very responsive.”
Overall, Rodney’s experience with GS1 Australia has been very positive. He says, “Retailers can push us hard, so we need answers immediately and GS1 Australia has always been able to deliver.” Buddee Foods has more new products in the pipeline and plan to use GS1 Australia to support them in ranging those as well.
If you are looking to streamline your operations and gain a competitive advantage, become a member of GS1 Australia today.
