Meijer’s supplier diversity manager, Kavy Lenon, explained how she and members of her team select diverse-owned food brands to present to buyers at Meijer, during last month’s Summer Fancy Food Show session “Diversity Buying: How it Works,” moderated by Nona Lim, founder and CEO of Nona Lim Foods.
“If I have a hot sauce reset happening in six months, my team and I will go to rangeme.com/meijerdiversity" where diverse-owned companies can submit their information, she said. “We’ll pull data, evaluate your qualifications, and present your business to our buying team. If they select you for a meeting, my team will coach you through the whole process. We’ll make sure you have a great presentation and that we get your samples before the meeting happens.”
Meijer’s supplier diversity team has recommended hundreds of suppliers to the retailer’s buyers in this manner, resulting in products being sold via the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based retailer’s Grocery, Supercenter, and Express formats.
Also sitting on the panel was Lori Rodriques, supplier diversity manager at UNFI. Rodriques' team engages with diverse-owned suppliers to help them achieve equal access to purchasing and selling opportunities with corporate procurement, sales, merchandising, and retail teams.
Rodriques said of UNFI’s supplier diversity program: “It’s free and opens doors for you and opportunities on social media and different heritage months as well. Our sales team gets this list and uses it to talk to accounts to say we have these brands on deal for you for this month would you like to purchase?”
She invited brand owners to reach out to her at [email protected], and said that she’s always willing to listen and provide guidance.
At Meijer, the supplier diversity team meets with its diverse vendors at least twice a year to ensure success beyond assistance with getting product on shelf. “We ask things such as ‘what is your strategy to move your product?’ We offer in-store demos with zero fees,” explained Lenon.
When it comes to category resets, Lenon and her team work with diverse vendors to make sure they’re part of the conversation and to see if they have additional products that should be considered. They also introduce these brands to resources that can enhance their marketing efforts, whether it be via in-store displays, packaging, or rebranding.
Related: Meijer Plans Black Business Summit; Hy-Vee Plans OpportUNITY Inclusive Business Summit.