m explorer’. Good360 is an online marketplace platform that challenges and changes the profitability purpose for social impact and sustainability. It’s clear helping others is in Walker’s DNA and his coined term ‘freedom explorer’ is a testament to his mission of reducing waste and creating community engagement for social impact. With a career in finance, logistics, and retail, Walker is well-positioned to create a lasting impact within the retail industry through Good360. Inside Retail: Congratulations on your appointment to the board of Good360, can you share how this decision came about and what your role will involve? David Walker: Thank you. After 25 years with the Woolworths Group, I took a step back and asked myself – what am I truly passionate about? Back in my Big W days I worked with Good360 and was heavily involved in bringing them into the business. I just loved the way Alison and the team operated. They were very passionate about what they did and it just seemed to make sense.  When I told Alison at Good360 that I wasn’t going to work for Woolies anymore and I was going to try some other things. She said, “Oh, goody, can you come and help us?” I’ve got a finance background and I’ve worked in logistics and with a number of different retail businesses. A lot of the skills overlapped. My experience enables me to bring a clear focus and comprehension of the problems partners of Good360 face, and how to help solve them. Good360’s mission resonated with me deeply. They bridge the gap between surplus stock and community needs.  Joining their board means diving into the heart of social impact and utilising my skills to make a tangible difference. IR: How did you encounter Good360 initially? DW: Big W at the time I took over as managing director in 2016 was struggling, and had been struggling for a number of years. With that level of uncertainty as you can imagine there was quite a buildup of old stock that wasn’t being sold and it was clogging up all of our stores and warehouses. One of the Woolies directors had a connection with [Alison Covington, Good360 founder and managing director] and was talking about what they did. I approached Alison and we had a meeting about the problem I was facing at Big W and the solution that partnering with Good360 could provide. IR: In the beginning what are some challenges you faced, implementing Good360 with Big W and how did you overcome them? DW: There was a lot of work that needed to get that done, one big one being that Big W had stock spread across 180 stores right around the country,  The business model for Good360 was that they’d bring the stock into a central warehouse and then ship it out to charities across Australia. It didn’t make particularly good logistical sense if you’re shipping stock from Perth into Sydney and then shipping it back out to Tasmania.  We ended up developing software for a local store program that allowed the stores through Good360 to connect with charities local in their communities. And that was pretty much how we kicked off. The initial Sydney stores and the central warehouse area sent the stock into a Good360 warehouse which is located in Sydney and all the other stores around the country ended up building a relationship with local charities through Good360 so that those charities would then come and pick up that stock directly from from the back of the Big W store. IR: What retail conundrum does Good360 provide a solution for? DW: There’s a whole bunch of stock out there that businesses are sitting on, for various reasons they are not getting rid of. There’s a demand in the community, right around Australia for people that need these essential items. The mechanism that Good360 created for doing that and bringing that together is just incredible.  Combining that passion for what they’re trying to do, and trying to get some use out of products that are sitting in retail businesses and other suppliers and giving them to people in need within the community, I just thought it made so much sense. IR: How does Good360 operate from a business standpoint? DW: Good360 operates by receiving donated stock from retailers like Big W Woolworths, covering the cost of shipment to their warehouse, and distributing it to charities nationwide.  While businesses incur costs, the benefits extend beyond PR. It fosters brand loyalty, enhances community engagement, and minimises environmental impact through circular economy principles. IR: Could you elaborate on the significance of ‘first use’ in the circular economy, especially in the context of Good360’s mission? DW: ‘First use’ is pivotal in the circular economy discourse. While much attention is given to recycling and reusing, addressing surplus stock’s first use is equally vital.  Good360 intercepts unused products, preventing them from becoming waste. By redirecting them to those in need, we extend their lifecycle and promote social responsibility in business practices. IR: How do you envision bridging the gap between corporate objectives and community impact at Good360? DW: It’s about aligning corporate objectives with social responsibility. By showcasing the tangible benefits of community impact initiatives—enhanced brand reputation, increased employee morale, and improved customer loyalty—we can garner support from corporate stakeholders. Additionally, highlighting the long-term societal benefits of such initiatives ensures a holistic approach to business strategy. IR: Any final thoughts or insights on the intersection of business and social impact, especially in your transition to Good360? DW: Business and social impact are inherently interconnected. Embracing social responsibility isn’t just a moral imperative; it’s a strategic advantage. As I embark on this new journey with Good360, I’m excited to leverage my corporate experience to drive meaningful change, demonstrating that business success and social impact go hand in hand.