Five years ago, chartered accountant Sarah Balle was experiencing serious frustrations with the supermarket industry.
The customer experience of online shopping in New Zealand was – in Sarah’s words – “awful”, and produce growers were struggling with low margins from traditional supermarkets. Meanwhile, 45% of edible fruit and vegetables didn’t make it to supermarkets due to not meeting high cosmetic standards, at the same time as 170,000 Kiwi children were experiencing food poverty.
Having recently completed an MBA with a thesis on business processes and operational efficiencies, Sarah had a lightbulb moment – could she create change by developing an online-only supermarket model?
“I thought about the reasons why no-one else had done it and found that while everyone seems to have had the same idea, no one has actually had the courage to start, particularly given the highly concentrated $25 billion duopoly market.”
She quit her corporate life, sold everything she owned and moved in with her parents to kickstart her vision. Sarah created innovative strategies to navigate the challenges of finding suppliers and building a brand in competition with the two supermarket giants, including a supply chain and delivery system that reduces food miles, packaging and food waste.
It’s required her to put herself out there far more than the average start-up founder.
That outspokenness and persistence has paid off. In 2023, Supie has grown more than 260 per cent within the Auckland market, and recently launched to Waikato and Bay of Plenty households. Nationwide roll-out is planned, including 24/7 physical unmanned stores, something never seen in New Zealand before. Meanwhile, online grocery buying has gone from less than 4 per cent of the local market to 14 per cent in just five years.
Says Sarah: “What you see today is just the beginning. In the current cost-of-living crisis and with skyrocketing food price inflation, something must be done, and I am working hard every day to create the change we want to see. This is my life work. This will be my legacy.”
