Hy-Vee initiates search for local brands

A regional Midwestern grocery retailer plans to increase its focus on local brand discovery in 2021.

Hy-Vee Inc. will start hosting quarterly “Best of Local Brands” summits in 2021 to expand and enhance the product offerings at its more than 275 retail stores in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The summits will be organized by the eight states Hy-Vee operates in, and will consist of 15-to-30-minute virtual presentations from selected suppliers. Summit dates are: Feb. 10-12, May 11-13, Aug. 4-6, and Nov. 3-5, 2021. 

The retailer is leveraging the RangeMe online product discovery platform and the ERCM Connect virtual meeting platform to manage the sourcing, qualifying and connecting of suppliers with the appropriate buyers. All sourcing and product submissions will be made through the RangeMe solution, and Hy-Vee will utilize ECRM to create curated meeting schedules and facilitate face-to-face meeting execution with its buyers. 

An increasing number of retailers, including Staples, Walmart, Lowe’s, and QVC and HSN, have all held virtual product pitch competitions in the past year.

Hy-Vee will also conduct all meetings via the ECRM Connect virtual meeting solution, and receive service from the ECRM support team. Suppliers not chosen will still be accessible through RangeMe and may be reviewed by Hy-Vee merchants again in the future as business needs change.

The retailer will accept submissions in the following categories of retail ready products: grocery, produce, deli, general merchandise, frozen, dairy, and health and beauty care. 

“An increasing number of Hy-Vee customers would like to be able to purchase from local vendors during their grocery shopping process – whether in store or via our Aisles Online  grocery pickup and delivery service,” said Darren Baty, executive VP and chief merchandising officer for Hy-Vee. “Supporting small, local businesses is important to us, and these quarterly summits will enable vendors in our eight-state region to present their products directly to our purchasing team, and – in return – will ensure our team is aware of all of the incredible, locally-made products that we can share with our customers.”