Case study
Fit Foodies Walking Challenge - From Pallet to Plate
- Our client
- Foodstuffs North Island
- What we did
- Business Operations / Employee Engagement / Movement
We helped Foodstuffs educate their people on their supply chain
Unique programs for unique organisations
As wellbeing provider to Foodstuffs (North Island), we worked with their key people in early 2024 to create the customised challenge ‘Fit Foodies Walking Challenge - Pallet to Plate’. This initiative was delivered within their ‘Thrive’ wellbeing platform and was specifically designed for the requirements of Foodstuffs.
Organisations with large employee numbers across multiple business units and divisions face unique challenges on how to bring those together. Working with the occupational, health, safety, and wellbeing teams at Foodstuffs, we designed and delivered a challenge aimed at increasing the awareness of Foodstuffs supply chain, learning more about wellbeing, and enhancing engagement across different business units and locations.
It was a pleasure assisting Foodies to ‘Get your shoes on, get your stretch on, and get your walk on’.
The Goal
Creating a bespoke and innovative method of educating and engaging employees, with the fun four-week challenge designed educate on the Foodstuffs supply chain, and also help improve physical fitness and social connections. The goal of the challenge was to raise awareness of business operations, improve physical activity, foster working connections, and to take participants on the same journey as products as they go from ‘Pallet to Plate’.
With a healthy amount of encouragement for regular daily step tracking and physical movement, Foodies people were challenged throughout to be active, be healthy, and log as many steps as they could. Walking for 30 minutes a day can lower the risk of heart disease by 35% and type 2 diabetes by 45%.
Participants could sync their wearable devices to the wellbeing platform and track their steps but didn’t have to have a flash wearable device to be involved - a phone or pedometer would allow them to enter their steps manually and be in competition with themselves from previous weeks, and their colleagues around the country.
Points and prizes were up for grabs, plus competing for the glory that comes with being crowned ‘2024 Fit Foodies Challenge Champions’. Here’s how they got on.
The Process
‘Fit Foodies’ was designed to appeal to and engage multiple business units and divisions of Foodstuffs. The challenge was centred around participating as a team of between four and six, with real-time leaderboards to check progress and claim bragging rights.
Motivational videos were created to preview the challenge, explain the team dynamic, promote the prizes, and show how to register and get involved. Participants were tasked with completing as many daily steps as they could, while learning more about health and wellbeing along the way. Spot prizes were available for early-bird registrations and participation was encouraged from top to bottom and side to side of the workforce. B-b-b-bonus rounds provided participants were further chances to win spot prizes and become a Fit Foodies champion.
Each Monday and Friday new videos were shared across the wellbeing platform, with updates on the challenge, and more information around the focus of the week. These were presented by Foodstuffs internal wellbeing rockstars Mila and Lou. They motivated, they engaged, and they entertained.
Each week had a focus on learning about business operations, with additional information on health and wellbeing.
“Lots of little snippets of interesting info - good to see more about the social supermarkets and to learn that the DC has 85k pallets on site and it's 1km to walk around the inside walls. Good reminder when you have a desk job to get up and have lots of breaks and do walking meetings where possible!”
The Outcome
Post-challenge, there was increased knowledge and awareness on how different business units and divisions operate, and who the people are that are making the supply chain, stores, transport hubs, distribution centres and support office run successfully.
The majority of participants felt they’d learned more about Foodstuffs and its business operations as a result of taking part in Fit Foodies.
There was enhanced engagement across business units around New Zealand, and Foodstuffs employees got to know immediate and more distant colleagues in a fun way.
The CEO took part and provided feedback that being aware of the amount of their own physical movement throughout the day was valuable, and that participation in the challenge helped bring people together.
Mila and Lou caught up with participants to hear about healthy habits being maintained, and workplace Foodie friendships being increased. There were stories of social walking events being formed outside of the workplace, routines being altered to increase walking and physical activity, and post-work family time to include taking their families to the park to build healthier habits and healthier humans.
'Fit Foodies’ participants were overwhelming in support of the challenge and positive about the differences it had made to their lives at work and outside of work. Learning more about Foodstuffs, plus having more knowledge and practical tips for increasing personal wellbeing were key takeaways. Family members of Foodstuffs employees also took part and enjoyed the benefits of the challenge, as well as any prizes that were won.
Interacting more with colleagues, promoting teamwork, having fun at work, being competitive, wanting to be healthier, and wanting to win prizes were noted as being highly motivational factors for participants.
And as well as learning all about the Foodies supply chain, there were a total of 271,842,276 steps walked. Yes, that's almost 300 million! That converts to over 200,000 km, or five times around the world! Impressive stuff Foodstuffs!
Steps walked
271,842,276
Star rating
4.4 out of 5
- 100%
- Foodstuffs operational locations involved in the challenge
- 99%
- Participants felt they’d recommend Fit Foodies
- 100%
- Foodstuffs business units and divisions involved in the challenge
- 91%
- Participants felt motivated to continue with new healthy habits
- 95%
- Fit Foodies participants felt more connected to the business and colleagues
100%What Foodstuffs team members said
“Cool seeing the supply chain and stores from a view we wouldn't normally see”
“To see so many people participate in Fit Foodies walking challenge, is amazing to see how we are all connected as one team”
“Seeing all of the sites was really cool and getting to know some people in them was even better”
“Good to hear from different people from within the business on how goods get from the pallet to the plate”
“Seeing all the different faces behind the teams at FSNI, being passionate about the work they do. Really fun to see and showing what it really means to be in it together”
“Had a great team spirit with other people members of other departments”
“I lost weight due to this challenge”
“A great opportunity to help lose weight, and healthy way to engage with the team”
“Feel more motivated to get moving. Can breathe better as well. I will be continuing the walking/running with my family as an ongoing thing from now on”
“I am new to Foodstuffs so it was a good way of team bonding and my family also started going on walks together because of it”
“I feel more fit and energised and would like to continue as it is become part of my routine and it does make me feel better”
“I think you did an amazing job”
“Great job at inspiring people and making everyone feel included”
“Absolutely loved it! Keep up the good work”
“I learned how many cool people are out there in Foodstuffs”
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