The proud, home-grown Sri Lankan brand, Cargills FoodCity, achieved yet another milestone recently with the opening of its 500^th retail outlet. In its bold and dynamic 39-year journey, Sri Lanka’s most loved retail chain has simultaneously charted the evolution of the retail supermarket business in the country, with local neighbourhoods and real estate developments mushrooming around its outlets. By benchmarking itself against international supermarkets, Cargills FoodCity set the bar high for others that followed in its footsteps, while its success served to attract more investors into the sector. Apart from being one of the most recognizable Sri Lankan brand successes, Cargills FoodCity has also had a far-reaching and sustainable impact on the economy and local community.

Cargills FoodCity strives to uplift the livelihoods of people, with a commitment to build a better Sri Lanka, which stems from the core values of Cargills. Being present in all 25 districts, it introduced the supermarket experience to Sri Lankans, beyond urban. Cargills was the first company from the South to enter the North, setting up the Vavuniya Cargills FoodCity in 2004. Moving to the East in just 4 years, the company also established a Cargills FoodCity Express in Trincomalee in 2007, even as the war was raging. To date, it is the only supermarket to operate in the North and East.

From serving the elite when it was established, Cargills FoodCity is today a source of sustenance for all Sri Lankans, offering the lowest prices in the country. Cargills FoodCity is open 365 days, working through the pandemic – a genuine brand which never lets down millions of people in the country. Lending the Groups’ resources to groom the future minds of Sri Lanka, the Cargills Early Childhood Education Programme has positively impacted over 8000 children, giving them a stable foundation for their future. With its brand ethos of nourishing lives, the company also stepped up its humanitarian efforts with their Community Meals Programme initiated in partnership with the Lasallian Community Education Services. Commencing recently, this programme has already delivered over 3,300 nourishing meals to people in underprivileged urban areas.

On the economic front, Cargills FoodCity has encouraged entrepreneurism across the country by showcasing local brands, many of whom have upscaled their businesses and are confidant about the company’s backing. Cargills FoodCity has supported many small and medium enterprises and has helped them create new categories with innovations. One of the key focus areas has been to ensure that the products meet the most stringent quality standards that Cargills FoodCity is reputed for. This not only assures the freshest and most hygienic products for consumers, but it also showcases to the world that Sri Lanka adheres to the highest quality benchmarks. Through this strategy, Cargills FoodCity has been able to support SMEs, which are the backbone of the economy. A World Bank study also revealed that farmers working in the Cargills supply chain receive a higher price for their efforts, leading to its customers receiving a low price. The Gates’ Foundation also declared Cargills’ value proposition being a model worth emulating, shining a light on efforts on a global scale.

Access to markets has always been an obstacle for local farmers but Cargills has created a ready market for Sri Lankan farmers by sending its trucks across the country to source fresh produce in its farm-to-table concept in order to offer the freshest and hygienic products. By purchasing fresh produce directly from farmers, Cargills not only elevated their quality of life, but gave them hope for the future through its SaruBima Fund. Today, Cargills is the single largest collector of fresh produce, sourcing fresh fruits and vegetables from a network of over 5000 farmers and contributes over 4% of the national production in fruits and vegetables - a percentage that continues to grow. It is also the largest collector of fresh milk in Sri Lanka and contributes over 14% of the national milk production. The company is also a leading contributor to the livestock, poultry and animal husbandry sectors.

Cargills FoodCity has been a significant employment generator in-line with its expanding network. From 400 stores in October 2019, Cargills has added 100 stores by 2022 with the opening of its 500^th outlet. This expansion has extended direct and indirect employment to hundreds of youth and exposed employees from all districts across the country to good practices in food and nutrition.

Committed to providing all conveniences under one roof, its pharmacy has become a destination in itself – offering easy access to pharmaceuticals for everyone. It was also the first supermarket to have a commercial bank in its premises and the first to introduce the facility to pay credit card bills at its outlets. In 2004, Cargills established the Albert A. Page Institute to train, develop and offer internationally recognized certification to youth across the country.

Cargills’s heart lies in serving the nation and uplifting local communities at the same time.