For two decades, I worked in food manufacturing, constantly trying to decode what retailers actually wanted from us. The commercial pressures were clear, but what about the relationship itself? What separates a transactional supplier from a true partner?
Recently, I had the privilege of speaking with Breige Donaghy, Director of Product Development & Innovation at Tesco, who pulled back the curtain on what retailers are really looking for in their supplier relationships. Her insights aren’t just about making more sales – they’re about building the kind of partnerships that shape the future of food retail.
From Transaction to Transformation
“Partnership is built, not bought,” Breige told me, and this simple statement captures everything that’s shifted in supplier-retailer relationships over the past decade.
Twenty years ago, these relationships were largely transactional. Retailers would essentially say “make it happen” and suppliers would scramble to deliver. Today’s reality is far more collaborative, but many suppliers haven’t adapted their approach to match this evolution.
The shift Breige describes is from reactive to proactive engagement. Instead of waiting for a brief, the most valued suppliers come to the table with insights, challenges to current thinking, and solutions that benefit both parties.
The Customer-Obsessed Foundation
Throughout our conversation, one theme emerged consistently: everything starts with the customer. But Breige’s definition of being “customer-obsessed” goes deeper than just following brief requirements.
“Being customer-obsessed isn’t just a value word,” she explains. “It means putting the customer into every single decision of the process – and that may show up in how we bring products to market versus just the physical product on shelf.”
This customer focus creates the foundation for meaningful partnership because both retailer and supplier share the same ultimate goal: serving the customer better.
The Power of Honest Conversations
One of the most striking aspects of Breige’s approach is her emphasis on psychological safety in supplier relationships. She actively seeks suppliers who will challenge Tesco’s thinking and act as “critical friends.”
“Nobody wants to be in an echo chamber,” she says. “The wealth of knowledge and experience that sits in our supply base is phenomenal, and we would be stupid not to partner and co-create together.”
But here’s the crucial part: these honest conversations require trust built through consistency in day-to-day interactions, not just big moments. It’s about creating an environment where both parties can navigate challenges together and learn from what doesn’t work.
Looking Beyond Today’s Brief
What separates transformational suppliers from transactional ones is their ability to think beyond the immediate commercial brief. Breige’s team has created dedicated “swim lanes” – some focused on delivery of current needs, others on future innovation.
The suppliers who truly partner with Tesco bring insights about where the market is heading, backed by data and customer understanding. They don’t just respond to what’s asked for; they proactively identify opportunities that neither party might have seen alone.
“Don’t wait to be asked,” Breige emphasizes. “Come to the table with your ideas, your insights, and willingness to do something together.”
Data That Drives Action, Not Just Reports
In our data-rich retail environment, Breige makes a crucial distinction between descriptive insights (what happened) and predictive insights (what could happen). The most valuable supplier partners don’t just present data – they translate it into actionable next steps.
“It’s not just being a reporting data point in terms of what hasn’t worked but translating it into ‘this is what we need to do for the future,'” she explains.
This means moving from “Product X didn’t perform well” to “Based on this data, here’s what we should try next and why.”
Leadership That Enables Partnership
Breige’s leadership philosophy reveals why some retailer-supplier relationships thrive while others remain stuck in transactional mode. Her approach focuses on three pillars:
People First: Creating psychological safety where teams feel secure enough to explore and take risks.
Empowerment: Trusting teams to shape their areas while providing clear context and support.
Purposeful Challenge: Pushing for that “20% more” – always asking what additional value could make the customer experience different.
This leadership style cascades down, creating an environment where suppliers feel safe to be honest about capabilities, constraints, and innovative ideas.
The Failure Paradox
One of the most powerful moments in our conversation came when Breige shared a story from Wimbledon, where tennis champion Jannik Sinner talked about learning from his defeat in Paris to win at Wimbledon.
“You have to acknowledge failure, but with your team, focus on the learnings of what you took from it,” she reflected.
In supplier partnerships, this means creating space to examine what didn’t work without blame, extracting lessons that make the next innovation attempt stronger. It’s about building resilience together, not avoiding risk altogether.
The Competitive Reality
Today’s food retail landscape isn’t just about competing with other major retailers. Breige’s children ask to buy products from places she’s never heard of, discovered through social media. The competitive set has exploded, and traditional retail models must evolve.
This reality makes supplier partnerships more crucial than ever. Retailers need suppliers who understand these shifting dynamics and can help navigate an increasingly complex marketplace.
What This Means for Suppliers
If you’re working with retailers, Breige’s insights suggest several practical shifts:
Move from reactive to proactive. Don’t wait for briefs – bring opportunities, insights, and solutions.
Start with customer data but translate it into action. Show not just what’s happening, but what should happen next.
Be willing to challenge thinking. The best suppliers act as critical friends, not yes-men.
Build relationships through consistent daily interactions, not just big presentations.
Create space for future thinking, not just delivery of immediate needs.
Embrace honest conversations about what’s achievable and what risks are worth taking together.
The Future is Collaborative
As I reflected on this conversation, I realised it represents everything the food industry needs more of: honest communication, shared purpose, mutual respect, and the courage to build something better together.
The suppliers who thrive in the next decade won’t be those who simply respond to requests. They’ll be the ones who proactively shape the future alongside their retail partners, grounded in deep customer understanding and genuine collaboration.
Breige’s final advice captures this beautifully: “Be bold, be curious, and stay relentlessly focused on the customer. Don’t wait to be asked. Come to the table with your ideas, your insights, and willingness to do something together.”
Every day is a school day. Be brave enough to learn together.
Would you like to learn more about how Fearless Foodies can help your team to build transformational partnership? Let’s talk soon; book a call.
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