NAPERVILLE, IL - As sectors such as natural, organic, and specialty continue gaining momentum, retailers are increasingly going in search of products to meet their consumers’ demand. KeHE Distributors® has unveiled its latest partnership with Allegiance Retail Services (ARS) and will be offering not only its portfolio of products, but its suite of specialized services including data-driven information and sales as well as promotional growth marketing.
“We are confident that KeHE can serve Allegiance Retail Service members with excellent service, value, and industry expertise,” said Jennifer Mihajlov, Vice President of Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest Independent Sales at KeHE. “We are like-minded companies that share a commitment to optimizing the success of the independent grocer with first-to-market, highly focused assortment, evolutionary marketing, and merchandising expertise while maintaining individual banner identity.”
ARS provides independent retailers with customized services to increase their success, according to a release. Over the last several years, the company has increased its focus on natural, organic, and specialty businesses, as consumer support for the categories has continued to rise as they are purchasing better-for-you products. With this focus, ARS has decided to partner with KeHE to drive forward its ongoing strategic growth plan.
Currently, ARS is a co-op serving communities through over 100 stores and 28 members in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. With this new partnership, all locations will open their doors to an expanded product portfolio at a significantly reduced cost. KeHE will not only develop a partnership with suppliers who are singularly concentrated on natural, organic, and specialty business, but it will also provide proactive and data-driven support.
“We are excited to pursue this partnership with KeHE Distributors,” added Mike Conese, Vice President of Center Store for Allegiance Retail Services. “Allegiance Retail Services chose to work with the leading distributor in natural, organic, specialty, and fresh products, because of their profound understanding of this business segment, deep knowledge of independent retail stores, and expertise in trend analysis, which we believe will help us better serve our members.”
With this new partnership under its belt, what will be KeHE’s next play? Stick with AndNowUKnow for answers.
