Grocery buyers must consider a plethora of factors when deciding to partner with specialty food businesses.
Ernesto Otero, director of category management at Mom's Organic Market, will discuss how buyers make product decisions, perform category reviews, and collaborate with vendors in an educational session taking place at New York's Summer Fancy Food Show in The Plant-Packing District, located in the Plant-Based Pavilion at Booth 5036, on Tuesday at 12:30 p.m.
SFA News Daily spoke with Otero about grocery buying.
What is your favorite part of grocery buying?
Like any grocery buyer, being at the forefront of what's new and innovative is so much fun. I enjoy making new relationships and partnering with brand partners on developing or exploring unique flavors too. Moreover, like any customer, I love to shop, so seeing great deals for customers' favorite items and seeing how excited they get to buy more of what they want is so gratifying.
Do you have any advice for makers seeking relationships with specialty markets?
For anyone seeking relationships with specialty markets, it's so important to get yourself out there by going to expos like the Fancy Food Show, researching market profiles online, and finding ways to partner with folks who are in the business or have been in the past. None of us can do it alone, so having those opportunities and contacts really goes a long way in developing key relationships.
How does the grocery buying process differ at a specialty market compared to a national retailer?
Well, we know pricing tends to be a bit higher in specialty markets due to community and artisanal engagement that the customers who want a unique shopping experience appreciate. In the world of specialty, there is an increased focus on product differentiation which means there is a lot of time allocated to finding curated products in our local communities and trying to derive custom/non-conventional flavors. You'll probably find a lot fewer mainstream brands in your specialty markets as well.
What do you typically look for when sourcing products?
For me, quality and transparency are good ways to summarize what I'm looking for. In my experience, these 2 attributes mean a lot to customers and significantly impact the perception of what they are buying.
So, I'm looking for key characteristics of these attributes, such as no harmful contaminants, non-GMO, Fairtrade, fresh, preservative-free, ethically sourced, traceable, hygienic handling, and of course taste, flavor, and customer satisfaction!
What are you most excited to discuss during your session?
During my session, we'll be covering the art and science of selecting products, performing category reviews, and the dynamic between us buyers and our suppliers. I'm excited to try to simplify category management as well as share what it means to have a collaborative approach as a leader in grocery buying.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
I'd like to thank the Specialty Food Association for giving us these platforms to share with our friends in food. It's so important for us to support our community and derive ways to help each other be successful and meet our goals. I can't wait to walk the floor and see what the future holds for us.
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