Riad Beladi is an international retail analyst, editor and international marketing professional, and the founder and Editor and Head Analyst of International Supermarket News (ISN). His career has focused on supermarkets, food retail, international trade, suppliers and the relationship between food producers and major retail groups.
With more than three decades of experience in the supermarket and retail sector, Beladi has worked across international markets, combining specialist retail journalism with international marketing and business development.
A career built around supermarkets and international trade
Beladi founded International Supermarket News as a specialist publication serving the supermarket and retail industry. Over the years, his work has covered supermarket strategy, food retail, FMCG, private label, pricing, consumer behaviour, retail technology and international food trade.
His career has also involved helping companies and government organisations promote products internationally and develop relationships with supermarket buyers.
The Oxford International Supplier Academy, established together with Making Business Matter, identifies Beladi as a co-founder of OISA and describes him as the founder of International Supermarket News. It states that he has spent around 30 years servicing the retail and supermarket industry and has helped companies and governments promote products and services to supermarkets, working with producers to develop and market products directly to buyers.
Connecting suppliers with supermarket buyers
An important part of Beladi’s career has been his work connecting international suppliers with European retail markets.
His experience includes work involving American agricultural and food producers, international consumer brands and technology companies seeking relationships with European supermarket groups.
Beladi has described his work with the California Department of Agriculture, helping California producers obtain exposure in European markets and develop relationships with supermarket retailers.
Industry testimonials
The following testimonials have been supplied for inclusion in Beladi’s professional biography. They represent comments from people and organisations with whom he worked and should be supported by the original correspondence or testimonial documents before being presented as independently verified endorsements.
Fred Klause — California Department of Agriculture
Klause, who was responsible for promoting California products abroad, is cited as describing Beladi’s work in helping California producers, including California dates, gain exposure and communicate directly with supermarket opportunities in Europe.
Dewit Ashby — NASDA
Ashby is cited as recognising Beladi’s role in providing direct contacts with European food retailers and helping organisations establish relationships with European supermarket buyers.
Energizer
Beladi’s work with Energizer involved helping the company communicate directly with a group of European retailers, with its products subsequently gaining opportunities in the UK market.
Takashi Kuroda — Epson
Kuroda is cited as saying that Epson worked with International Supermarket News for many years and describing the company as an honourable organisation.
These testimonials illustrate a recurring element of Beladi’s professional career: using his knowledge of international retail structures and his network of buyers and industry contacts to help suppliers communicate with supermarket decision-makers.
International retail interviews
Alongside his marketing and supplier-development work, Beladi has developed a substantial body of retail journalism and interviewing.
His work has included interviews with senior supermarket executives and retail industry figures. International Supermarket News records interviews involving major retail leaders including Sir Terry Leahy, former Chief Executive of Tesco, as well as senior figures associated with Carrefour and other European supermarket groups.
His more recent interviews have continued to focus on the people who influence supermarket buying and strategy, including former supermarket buyers and senior retail professionals.
Beladi has also interviewed executives connected with technology and international food trade, extending his coverage beyond traditional supermarket reporting into retail technology, supply chains and supplier relationships.
International Supermarket News
Today, Beladi leads International Supermarket News as Editor and Head Analyst.
The publication covers supermarket and grocery retail markets across Europe, North America, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia. Its coverage includes supermarket strategy, food retail, retail technology, sustainability, supply chains, food production and international trade. The publication’s own team page identifies Beladi as Editor and Head Analyst, responsible for editorial direction and market analysis.
Beladi continues to write and interview on major developments affecting the international supermarket industry.
Recent interviews have examined supermarket strategy, pricing, consumer behaviour and the future of grocery retail. In a 2025 interview, for example, Beladi discussed why price and value have become increasingly important to supermarket shoppers and why retailers need to remain focused on the customer.
A long-standing independent record
Beladi’s professional history is not limited to references published by International Supermarket News.
In September 2009, the UK’s Law Gazette published an article concerning a Tesco story that had appeared in International Supermarket News. The article specifically identified Riad Beladi as assistant editor and recorded that the publication contacted him about the story.
A 2016 edition of Agroligne, a French-language agricultural and food-industry publication, also recorded Beladi’s involvement in the Conference of Export at DJAZAGRO in Algeria. The publication states that the conference was presented by Mr Riad Beladi of International Supermarket News and involved organisations including ALGEX, ANEXAL, CACI and CAGEX.
The UK Government’s Companies House records also contain historical corporate appointments for Riad Beladi, including directorship and secretary appointments associated with ISN Trade Publications Ltd.
Muck Rack also maintains a professional journalist profile for Beladi, identifying him with International Supermarket News and cataloguing his published work.
From journalism to international retail intelligence
Beladi’s career has therefore developed across several connected areas:
- International supermarket journalism
- Retail and market analysis
- Interviews with supermarket executives and buyers
- International food and FMCG marketing
- Supplier development
- Export promotion
- Retail technology
- Communication between producers and supermarket buyers
This combination has given him a perspective that extends beyond reporting retail news. His work has involved understanding both how supermarkets make purchasing decisions and how suppliers can communicate effectively with those decision-makers.
Oxford International Supplier Academy
The creation of the Oxford International Supplier Academy was a natural extension of this experience.
OISA was established together with Making Business Matter to help suppliers understand the requirements of major supermarket groups such as Tesco, Ahold and Walmart. Making Business Matter identifies Beladi as a co-founder and describes his experience working with companies and governments to promote products and services to supermarkets around the world.
The initiative brought together supermarket and supplier expertise to help businesses understand the buying process and develop more effective relationships with major retailers.
Continuing work in international retail
Beladi continues to analyse the supermarket industry through International Supermarket News, covering the rapid changes taking place in grocery retail.
His current areas of interest include supermarket pricing, private label, electronic shelf labels, artificial intelligence, retail technology, consumer behaviour, food exports and the changing relationship between retailers and suppliers.
After more than three decades in the sector, his work remains focused on the same fundamental question: how retailers, suppliers and food producers can understand one another and respond to the changing international supermarket market.
Selected references
Independent sources
- Law Gazette, “Supermarket scoop?” — 17 September 2009. Reference to Riad Beladi as assistant editor of International Supermarket News.
- Agroligne, July–September 2016 — records Riad Beladi presenting the Conference of Export at DJAZAGRO.
- Making Business Matter / Oxford International Supplier Academy — identifies Beladi as co-founder of OISA and founder of International Supermarket News.
International Supermarket News
- Riad Beladi — “A Leading Voice in Retail Industry Analysis and Interviewing.”
- Interview with Riad Beladi — ISN’s own analyst on supermarket strategy.
- International Supermarket News team page — identifies Beladi as Editor and Head Analyst.
Professional testimonials
- Fred Klause — California Department of Agriculture
- Dewit Ashby — NASDA
- Energizer
- Takashi Kuroda — Epson
- IBM Retail