Hy-Vee to Host Its Fourth “Best of Local Brands” Summit in November
WEST DES MOINES, IA - More than ever before, shoppers are loading their baskets with local products, and Hy-Vee has locked in on this increasing demand. Having launched its “Best of Local Brands” Summit earlier this year, the retailer announced its fourth round of the event, giving local suppliers the chance to make it onto the grocer’s shelves at more than 280 locations nationwide.
According to the release, Hy-Vee will be hosting this fourth “Best of Local Brands” summit in November to bolster its offerings across its store network in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Eighty-two new brands were selected from the first- and second-quarter summits combined and are available to Hy-Vee customers. Third-quarter summit brand selections reportedly took place last week.
Currently, the retailer is accepting submissions for its “Best of Local Brands” summit online in the categories of retail-ready products including grocery, produce, and frozen.
ECRM and RangeMe are helping Hy-Vee source, qualify, and connect suppliers with the appropriate buyers. All sourcing and product submissions will be made through RangeMe, and ECRM will qualify suppliers, create curated meeting schedules, and facilitate face-to-face meeting execution with Hy-Vee buyers to introduce new and innovative products into the marketplace.
Suppliers not chosen for participation in this summit will still be accessible through RangeMe and may be reviewed by Hy-Vee merchants again in the future.
Although uncertain how many produce suppliers benefit from such summits, we here at AndNowUKnow have noted that local and produce go hand-in-hand when it comes to convincing shoppers to add items to the basket.
