THE age old adage "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" is working a treat for Wagga Wagga butchery owners Nathan and Lisa Trinder, who have struck up a unique deal with three supermarkets.
While the big supermarkets are often blamed for squeezing the local butcher out of the production chain, the Trinders have found the perfect deal to sell their meat through independently owned supermarkets well after the doors of their own shop front have closed.
The Trinders purchased Lake Village Butchery in the suburb of Lake Albert, Wagga, eight years ago and have since doubled their weekly throughput of meat by selling their products through three Foodworks supermarkets in the Wagga suburbs of Lake Albert, Forest Hill and Turvey Park.
Mr Trinder said they developed this concept as they could see a trend towards people using the supermarket as their one-stop shop, especially on hot or wet days.
"Our business hours are effectively doubled as we are still selling meat once the store is closed," Mr Trinder said.
While it sounds like a sweet deal, it doesn't come without dedication and commitment to working seven days a week and 15-hour days to keep the shelves stocked.
The Trinders work from 4.30am to 6pm, with their store open from 6am to 6pm, six days a week.
As part of the deal the Trinders are in charge of stocking the supermarket shelves with their meat by 10am each day.
"We won't have it any other way because we have a vested interest in how our meat is presented as we need to make sure it sells so we make a return," Mr Trinder said.
The seven staff the Trinders employ at their butchery have all been trained to look after the supermarket side of the business and are rostered accordingly as it is a daily job servicing the supermarkets.
"We try and treat it like people are walking into a butcher shop - we have every cut on offer as well as crumbed and marinated options," Mr Trinder said.
Mr Trinder, who has been in the butchery trade for 13 years, said they supply more than a tonne of meat a week to the three Foodworks stores.
"It is now 50 per cent of our business," he said.
In a normal week the Trinders have a throughput of six beef carcases, 30 lambs, four pigs, 90 cartons of meat plus poultry.
They started selling their meat through Foodworks Lake Albert eight years ago, while Forrest came on board four years ago and Turvey Park 18 months ago.
"It has been really just through word of mouth between the store owners that has seen us gradually take on the three stores," Mr Trinder said.
The deal between the Trinders and the supermarkets is commission based
The Trinders supply the meat, all money goes through the supermarkets' tills and the Trinders receive a commission.
Mr Trinder said the supermarkets want to provide the freshest meat possible to their customers and it doesn't work when they try and source it from Sydney.
The Trinders source the majority of their meat from Wangaratta abattoirs in Victoria.
The Lake Village Butchery brand is on all of the meat, which the Trinders believe boosts sales as customers know they are getting quality meat from a butcher.
The Trinders have also noticed a change in consumer trends when it comes to buying meat.
"We don't sell whole carcases anymore, most people now only buy one or two meals at a time," Mr Trinder said.
He said they had to adapt their business to suit the consumer.
"We have to value-add products now, people are looking for things that are already prepared and just need to be cooked for convenience," Mr Trinder said.
Hence, the Trinders are looking at expanding their range this year to offer a wider range of products.
To cater for their diverse customer base at their own shop they already offer one special on each carcase weekly.
"We want to cater for the struggling families as well, so we need to diversify what we have on offer," Mr Trinder said.
He said when the Foodworks supermarkets were offering a special on meat their commission rate was adjusted.
"Foodworks always carry a good special and are often cheaper than the bigger players," Mr Trinder said.
"People buy more meat when it is on special so we can make a return back that way."
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