Retailers Share Their Sourcing Philosophies

Leaders at specialty food retailers shared their sourcing philosophies during recent episodes of Spill & Dish: A Specialty Food Association podcast. Listen to full episodes below.

“Within this industry, individuals can truly understand if what you’re saying is something that you’re trying to sell, or who you are and if you’re effectively able to represent that,” said Cathy Strange, ambassador of food culture at Whole Foods Market.

“It’s got to have shelf appeal, it’s got to have a good price point. We have to plausibly get it trialed by our customers. It has to fit. It’s like when you meet someone, and you know fairly quickly if you’re going to get along or not. Products are like that for us,” said Pete Marczyk, founder of Marczyk Fine Foods.

“Seasonality is really important because when food is in season and coming from nearby it’s going to taste way better. As a cook, my whole goal with sharing food is to share food that is delicious and makes you want to crave it and come back for more of it,” said Sam Mogannam, chef and founder of the Bi-Rite Family of Businesses.