Podcast: Grant Fraser Mitre 10
[ E02 ]In this episode of Co-op Leader Conversations, Grant Fraser, Chief Legal and Property Officer and Executive Sponsor for Sustainability at Mitre 10, joins Cooperative Business NZ to discuss how one of the country’s most recognisable retail co-operatives is embedding sustainability as a core driver of long-term success.
Grant begins by outlining Mitre 10’s structure as a New Zealand-owned co-operative with 84 stores spanning Kaitaia to Invercargill, many with more than a century of history in their local communities. He explains how rising customer expectations, member feedback and regulatory signals prompted the co-op to elevate sustainability from a series of initiatives into a structured, organisation-wide programme.
The conversation explores Mitre 10’s four sustainability pillars covering customers and communities, team, sourcing and suppliers, and physical footprint. Grant shares how the co-op built foundations through a sustainability charter, policy and staged plan to 2025, recognising the need to prioritise and sequence change rather than attempting everything at once.
A strong focus of the episode is engagement. Grant explains how appointing sustainability champions across the store network has helped tailor initiatives to local capacity, generate ideas from the front line and build momentum without imposing a one-size-fits-all approach. Practical examples include partnerships to recycle consumer polystyrene, trials to reduce construction waste, and piloting initiatives in willing stores before scaling nationally.
Looking outward, Grant reflects on the importance of collaboration across the co-operative network and wider industry. In a small country, he argues, no single organisation can solve climate and waste challenges alone. Sustainability, in this context, is framed as a long-term journey that aligns naturally with the co-operative model, local ownership and intergenerational thinking.
Conversation themes
Sustainability as a strategic driver, not a side project
Engaging member-owned retail networks at scale
Practical circular economy initiatives in retail and construction
Local autonomy within a national co-op framework
Collaboration across co-ops and supply chains
Why this matters
This episode is particularly relevant for co-op and mutual leaders balancing national strategy with local ownership. It offers practical insights into how sustainability can be embedded in everyday operations while remaining grounded in member engagement, community impact and long-term value creation.
Listen to more podcasts