Wakefern to Meet with Suppliers at Store Brand Sourcing Program

Keasbey, NJ (April 10, 2017) -- Wakefern Food Corp. will host a Store Brand Sourcing Program to meet with potential suppliers to find exciting new products on Thursday, May 17.  The one day exclusive supplier program at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in Edison, NJ will pair potential new vendors with respective Wakefern buyers and category managers in private, 20-minute meetings. ECRM (Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing) will manage inbound product submissions from suppliers and facilitate all the meetings for Wakefern.

The retailer-owned cooperative, comprised of 50 members who independently own and operate supermarkets under the ShopRite, Price Rite Marketplace, The Fresh Grocer, and Dearborn Market banners, is focusing on finding new products and store brand opportunities in the following categories: Grocery, Frozen, Dairy, Meat, Produce, Beverages, Food Service, Bakery, Seafood, Deli/Appetizing, Non-Foods, Health & Beauty Care.

"Wakefern is looking forward to working with ECRM to find exciting new suppliers and products for our stores. We continue to grow our existing private label portfolio with innovative and award-winning new brands such as Wholesome Pantry, and believe this summit will bring us exciting new opportunities," said Parag Shah, vice president of Grocery for Wakefern.

“We are excited to be working with Wakefern in their quest to enhance their own brand assortment and find the appropriate supplier capabilities to grow sales and enhance value for their shoppers,” added Wayne Bennett, senior vice president, ECRM.  

To apply, interested suppliers, companies and manufacturers may submit their product information at www.rangeme.com/wakefernprivatelabel through Friday, April 13, 2018. Selected companies will be subject to a $500 participation fee and notified via email by ECRM of the time, date and location of their meeting with a manager of the Wakefern merchandising team.

About ECRM

ECRM (Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing) is a globally recognized business process improvement company helping national and regional mass market retailers save time, money and increase efficiency to help achieve business objectives of growing sales, obtaining category growth and improving margin.

About Wakefern Food Corp.

From a small, local cooperative that began with eight grocery store owners, Wakefern Food Corp. has grown into the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States. Founded in 1946, the cooperative comprises 50 members who today independently own and operate 348 supermarkets under the ShopRite, The Fresh Grocer, Price Rite and Dearborn Market banners in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Virginia. Together with its member companies, Wakefern employs more than 70,000 people, and is one of the largest employers in New Jersey. For more information, please visit www.wakefern.com.