Why the supply chain industry should look to kale for inspiration

Kale is the hippest and trendiest of vegetables.

The dark leafy vegetable has received Bon Appetit’s dish of the year award, it was served at the White House Thanksgiving, and it has received ringing endorsements by celebrities and celebrity chefs.  Kale also has its own T-shirt, lawsuit, and day.  Did I mention the book?  50 Shades of Kale is an Amazon bestseller.

The appearance of kale on restaurant menus has increased by 400 percent since 2008.  A recent Guardian article reported that sales of kale at Marks & Spencer are already up 32 percent on the same period last year and that it expects this rise to continue in the longer term. Similarly, at Waitrose, sales of kale are up 20 percent year on year.

How is it that kale is cool?  Much of it has to do with re-branding – communicating a new image for the vegetable and communicating new (and more flavorful) uses.

The supply chain is suffering from an image problem.  If we are going to attract new talent we need to make an effort to make the supply chain hip.  The supply chain should look to kale for inspiration.  If a leafy green vegetable can realize such a rapid ascent to popularity, so too can the supply chain industry.