WEST DES MOINES, IA - September is looking mighty bright for a host of suppliers, as Hy-Vee is accelerating a unique strategy to support local brands and bolster its supplier network. The retailer recently revealed it will soon be hosting its third “Best of Local Brands” summit as it sets out to expand its offerings in more than 280 stores across Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

The summit will take place September 8–10 in the eight states the retailer operates in and will consist of 15- to 30-minute virtual presentations from selected suppliers, according to a press release. The company is currently accepting submissions for retail-ready products in the produce, grocery, deli, dairy, and general merchandise categories.

To discover new supplier partners, the retailer has tapped the might of ECRM and RangeMe to help it connect suppliers with the right buyers. Submissions will be made through RangeMe, and ECRM will qualify suppliers, create meeting schedules, and facilitate face-to-face meetings with Hy-Vee buyers to introduce the new products into the marketplace. Suppliers not chosen during the “Best of Local Brands” Summit will still be available through RangeMe and may be reviewed by Hy-Vee merchants again in the future as their product needs evolve.

Hy-Vee previously optimized its partnership with RangeMe to host its second quarterly summit in May, during which 28 new brands were selected to join the retailer’s vast list of offerings.

Submissions for the upcoming summit can be made online.

Best of luck to all suppliers participating in the summit! We've continued to see an uptick in this strategy across a multitude of retailers, and are curious to see how it plays out.

We here at ANUK will be here to report as Hy-Vee continues to expand its network and deploy more ambitious strategies.

Hy-Vee