The ins and outs of selling to retail chains

The ins and outs of
selling to retail chains
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Whole Foods Market® was founded in Austin, Texas, when the
original
g
Whole Foods Market opened
p
in 1980 with a staff of onlyy
19 people. At the time, there were less than half a dozen natural
food supermarkets in the United States
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The world
world'ss leading and largest chain of natural and
organic food supermarkets and a Fortune 500
company.
p y
At the end of our 2009 fiscal year we have more
than 280
80 stores in North America
merica and the United
Kingdom.
We have 9 Distribution Centers; 10 Regional
Bakehouses and 5 Commissaries.
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There are over 54,000 Team Members currently
working at Whole Foods Market.
Where We Are Going
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By the end of 2010,
2010, our goal is to have over $12 billion in sales.
Consumer interest in natural foods is expanding rapidly, and we
want to be there to meet the demand
The South Region currently has 18 stores. 7 are located in GA, 5
in NC, 2 in SC, 3 in TN and 1 in AL
We have a Distribution Center in Braselton Ga. and a small
warehouse in NC. We also have 2 bakehouses
bakehouses,, a Commissary,
and a bulk packing facility.
The South Region has 3 stores in development; 1 in Alpharetta
Ga, 1 in Marietta Ga and 1 in North Raleigh NC.
Minimum
requirements
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Organic certification – if
growing organically
organically.
It will take 10 business
days
y to set up
p a new
vendor.
Minimum 2 week lead
time before product is
ready to sell to us.
$1 million dollar liability
insurance.
insurance.
$2--5 million dollar
$2
liabilityy if you
y grow
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mushrooms, sprouts, or
some other items.
Post harvest
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New boxes/bags
Quality – must meet
USDA standards.
Gradingg – consistent size
and shape.
Proper cooling and
storage.
Building and wrapping
the pallet to ship.
ship
Pallets, good clean pallets.
If there are problems
please notify us
immediately.
Packaging
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As the best way to maintain the highest quality and to preserve the integrity of the product, it is
important to package product in proper boxes, packages, and crates.
Below are several examples of packaging that Whole Foods recommends to uses to maintain the
highest possible quality of the product we receive. Please refrain from using just any package.
Remember COOL requirements – include your farm name and location
on the box!
Stacking
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Please make sure
that pallets are
stacked and
wrapped properly.
This will help
p
insure that the
product you ship
will arrive
w
v to us in
good condition
and we will be
able to warehouse
and ship it safely.
Organic Labeling
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In order to best
determine what product
is, organic labels must be
g
used on all organic
products. Organic
product that is not
properly labeled shall be
received as conventional.
According to the USDA
Organic Rule, all organic
products must be labeled
as such,, and include the
Organic Certifier on the
box. Whole Foods
practices Good Organic
Procedures ((GORP)) to
insure product integrity is
maintained.
Payment and
Pricing
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Terms – 14 to 30
days.
days.
Pricing – we generally
follow daily market
prices.
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marketnews.usda.gov
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Ad p
pricingg – we tryy to
lock in ad pricing.
Copy of invoice at
time of delivery.
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Transportation
How will you get the product to the
stores or warehouse?
Is a refrigerated truck necessary?
Can we work it in to a back haul?
What are we looking for?
Produce items we are looking for!
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Anise/fennel, artichokes, asparagus, aspiration,
heirloom apples, baby veg, raspberries,
blackberries, Brussels sprouts,
p
broccoli,
cauliflower, celery, figs, gourds (seasonal),
dandelion, frissee, kohlrabi red and green, leeks,
l f lettuces,
leaf
l
roots, nectarines,
i
onions
i
– red,
d
white and yellow, specialty items, pears, colored
peppers chards,
peppers,
chards carrots
carrots, and spinach to name a
few.
Something we can
can’tt find with other suppliers.
suppliers
Contacting a
buyer
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By phone or email:
b
brent.demarest
d
@wholefoods.com
B time
Best
i to callll is
i
late morning or
early afternoon
afternoon.
Send samples if
possible and
pictures.
Don’t call the 2
weeks before a
major holiday.
Thank you for your interest in
selling to Whole Foods Market!!!!!