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Berkshire Hathaway’s McLane Company, a $48 billion supply chain services leader, providing grocery and foodservice supply chain solutions for convenience stores, mass merchants, drug stores and chain restaurants throughout the United States, is rolling out the McLane Kitchen’s nationwide Fresh Produce + supply chain solution.
Fresh Produce + is a turnkey solution that provides top quality products, operational best practices, merchandising units, information on suggested retail pricing and best-in-class customer service to help operators establish their locations as destinations for fresh produce.
According to Mclane, what makes Fresh Produce + truly unique is McLane’s unmatched ability to deliver fresh produce nationwide, allowing operators in multiple regions to offer a consistent product mix of healthier options. For single c-stores, McLane’s nationwide distribution means leveraging the company’s buying power to better compete pricewise, while ensuring the high-quality fresh produce.
Because choice in pricing is a key factor in creating a solution that works for every retail customer, Fresh Produce + offers mark-up options associated with varying levels of product guarantee. Fresh Produce + is also fully compatible with McLane’s Premium Ordering Management Suite (POMS) and smart handheld technology, giving operators the ability to order fresh items just like any other SKU. Over the coming months the solution will integrate seasonal items and category management to ensure operators continue to grow their return.
According to an independent study, close to half of the nation’s population visits a convenience store each month. What’s more,48 percent of Americans say c-stores are a place to buy fresh items.
According to a 2015 NACS retailer sentiment survey, 50 percent of c-stores have expanded fresh fruit sales, while 30 percent have increased cut fruit and vegetable offerings.
“We recognized our customers wanted a consistent way to fill their consumers’ need for safe, fresh, better-for-you produce,” said Holly Veale, product director for foodservice at McLane. “McLane Kitchen’s Fresh Produce + solution makes fresh produce and cut fruit available to all our customers, regardless of size or location.”
In conjunction with the nation-wide rollout of McLane Kitchen’s Fresh Produce + solution, McLane recently announced its affiliation with The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), a nonpartisan nonprofit organization devoted to working with the private sector to ensure the health of the nation’s youth by solving the childhood obesity crisis within a generation. McLane is the first grocery and chain restaurant distributor to make a commitment to PHA.
“We’re honored to come on board as the first grocery and chain restaurant supply chain distributor to support PHA’s efforts,” said Tony Frankenberger, president of McLane Grocery Distribution. “It is now more important than ever for the food, retail and distribution industries to work together to help solve the childhood obesity problem, and to offer consumers fresh and healthier products to make better food choices on a daily basis.”
“Consumers are shopping more and more at convenience stores throughout the week, and their demand for healthier options — regardless of where they shop — is not slowing down,” said PHA CEO Lawrence A. Soler. “We are proud that companies like McLane are stepping in and joining the ranks to provide thousands of Americans access to nutritious foods. This is a tremendous opportunity to reach customers where they are — in convenience stores, drug stores, mass retailers and restaurants.”
“The fresh and better-for-you food category will continue to expand as consumers become more health-conscious and the c-store industry places additional emphasis on growth,” added Veale.
“Now, through Fresh Produce + and McLane’s nationwide distribution network, location will no longer hinder a retailer from offering fresh produce choices to their customers.”
Veale concluded, “McLane’s role in making fresh products available to any c-store location — no matter the size or individual buying power — will be a game changer in the industry.”
© 2016 David Mazor
Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.