LONDON — Tyson Foods, Inc. is “making significant progress” with such key e-commerce players as Ali Baba and Amazon Fresh, said Donnie Smith, president and CEO. Smith made his comments March 22 during a presentation at the Consumer Analyst Group of Europe conference taking place March 21-23 in London.
Smith said the majority of retail growth will come from nontraditional e-commerce channels and, in addition to aligning with companies like Ali Baba and Amazon Fresh, Tyson Foods is focused on partnering with US retailers currently testing click-and-collect business models.
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| Donnie Smith, president and CEo of Tyson Foods |
“We are expanding our Amazon Fresh relationship to sell fresh protein products … as well as partnering with them to test new innovation in the future,” he said.
One new item is Tyson Tastemakers, which Smith called a curated line of dinner experiences that may be made fresh at home.
“… We’ll empower that at-home chef by answering three questions that they have around knowledge, preparation, and exploration,” he said. “We’ll teach them about the cuts of meat and where they come from. We’ll help pre-cut, trim, dry age, smoke, marinate, and do the prep so all they have to do is cook it. And then we’ll inspire them to explore and cook with ingredients that they may have never used before.”
The new product will launch in the e-commerce space later this year.
“With our supply chain, and our demand capabilities, we are uniquely positioned to innovate in this fresh package space,” Smith said. “Tyson Tastemakers will combine the know-how of our chicken, beef, and pork businesses, the power of the food service culinary expertise, and our CPG brand-building capabilities.”
The initiative is part of the company’s focus on using the Tyson name to brand the company as a fresh food solutions provider.
“… We have begun using a phrase: CFG — consumer fresh goods,” Smith said. “And it comes back to … our ability to excel in fresh food (that) we think gives us a unique opportunity in branded food.
“So, consumer demand is driving growth in fresh foods. We all know that and that’s where our core capabilities are best exemplified today. We have an opportunity to margin up our portfolio by adding value to chicken, beef and pork by creating a platform that’s branded, that’s value-added, and that’s fresh.”
