CHEP says thanks with Foodbank donation

Market research is a valuable tool for any organisation, but it relies on the goodwill of customers to commit their time and input to the research.

CHEP Australia recently came up with a way to encourage customer participation and help a great cause at the same time when it committed to making a donation to Foodbank, Australia’s largest food relief organisation, on behalf of customers who agreed to participate in a market insights initiative.

CHEP interviewed a range of food retailers, manufacturers and logistics companies, and made a donation to Foodbank on behalf of each of them. The program funded 8000 additional meals for people who might otherwise have gone hungry.

Foodbank works with over 700 Australian partners, including farmers, wholesalers, manufacturers and retailers, who generously contribute food and groceries. In 2014, Foodbank distributed more than 30 million kilos of food across Australia - the equivalent of 40 million meals or 110,000 meals per day. CHEP Australia provided more than $900,000 of in-kind support in 2014.

A Foodbank employee selects produce from a CHEP bin.

Foodbank Australia CEO Jason Hincks said, “CHEP’s support underpins our operations - without it we wouldn’t be able to get food to where it’s needed most. This latest act of generosity by CHEP and its customers is just another example of how they are always looking to go that extra step to help us in our goal of fighting hunger in Australia.”

CHEP Asia-Pacific President Phillip Austin said, “Today’s donation is an extension of the support we, and our customers, give to Foodbank throughout the year. We appreciated our customers taking time to participate in the research to help us better meet their needs, and being able to make a donation on their behalf is our way of saying thank you.”