For the second year in a row, Peapod Digital Labs is seeking certified, diverse-owned businesses to participate in a virtual program showcasing products from underrepresented suppliers to the companies of Ahold Delhaize USA.
PDL is again partnering with Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing and RangeMe to host a series of virtual events throughout the year. Merchants from the brands of Ahold Delhaize USA will meet with potential new suppliers to learn about their expertise.
“We launched this program in 2021 to demonstrate our commitment to bringing the products of certified, diverse-owned businesses to the grocery brands of Ahold Delhaize USA,” said Andjela Petrovic, director of supplier diversity for PDL, in a statement. “Last year the merchants of the Ahold Delhaize USA companies met with over a hundred suppliers, fully onboarding 20 new suppliers to one or more brands of Ahold Delhaize USA, with many more still in the onboarding process.”
New this year, PDL is teaming up with Women's Business Enterprise National Council-certified business, PowerToPitch, to offer participating suppliers free pitch coaching to prepare for these events.
"We’re excited to offer professional coaching for select candidates to help them approach the meetings with a clear and compelling pitch,” said Petrovic. “We worked with PowerToPitch during our Incubator program in 2022 and participants found the support and resources tremendously beneficial. It’s an investment to develop a skill that lasts well beyond this one meeting or event. We hope this program will continue to support and facilitate new relationships between diverse-owned suppliers and the companies of Ahold Delhaize USA.”
Certified, minority-, LGBTQ-, woman-, veteran- and disability-owned businesses with products listed in the application can apply by Friday, February 3.
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