78. The crisis facing UK retail and food businesses | Sarah Bradbury
5/11/202648 min
Why are millions of jobs going unfilled in one of the UK’s biggest industries, while so many young people are struggling to find work?
In this episode of all about business, James Reed speaks with Saran Bradbury, CEO of the Institute of Grocery Distribution, about the future of the UK food industry, the growing challenge of attracting young talent, and why the sector may offer far more opportunities than people realise.
Saran shares insights from her 25-year career across major retailers, before stepping into one of the most influential leadership roles in the UK food sector. She explains how IGD works across the entire food system and how they help competitors collaborate on the biggest long-term challenges facing the industry.
They explore the pressures reshaping food and retail, including changing consumer habits, climate change, AI, automation, workforce shortages, and the potential impact of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, on the future of food consumption.
Together they also discuss leadership, collaboration between rival businesses, and why the UK food industry remains one of the country’s most important, and underestimated, economic forces.
Timestamps
02:00 What IGD does
08:43 Retail tech and AI trends
12:27 UK food system challenges
18:36 Land use and solar farms
23:47 Hidden food careers
31:29 Youth unemployment urgency
43:27 Closing reflections and CEO Forum
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Find out more about IGD and their impact HERE
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJames Reed· Host0:00
Welcome to All About Business with me, James Reid, the podcast that covers everything about business, management, and leadership. Every episode, I sit down with different guests of bootstrap companies, master-minded investment models, or built a business empire. They're leaders in their field, and they're here to give you top insights and actionable advice so that you can apply their ideas to your own career or business venture. [upbeat music] The UK food industry employs millions of people, yet many businesses say they're struggling to find the next generation of workers. Today on All About Business, I'm joined by Sarah Bradbury, CEO of the Institute of Grocery Distribution, an organization that has spent more than a century helping shape the future of the food sector. We discuss the workforce challenges facing the industry, how businesses can attract young talent, and why the food sector may offer more career opportunities than many people realize. [upbeat music] Well, today on All About Business, I'm delighted to welcome Sarah Bradbury. Um, thank you for coming in, Sarah. Sarah's the chief executive officer of the Institute of Grocery Distribution, IGD for short. Um, and she took that position in 2023 after a long career of 25 years in retailing, and you've worked for a number of the premier retail