San Bernardino, California-based Stater Bros. Markets has created a “Local Fare” forum to offer greater opportunities for local brands to connect with new customers and gain the attention of a regional retailer, which can be challenging for smaller, local brands.
The Local Fare will take place July 26-Aug. 6 on the online product discovery and sourcing platform RangeMe.
“Nurturing local families and communities – including local businesses – is at the heart of what we do,” said Dennis McIntyre, EVP and CMO. “This initiative provides companies in our communities a larger retail footprint while our customers gain access to an expanded variety of healthy, high-quality and innovative products. It’s a win-win for local brands and our shoppers.”
Stater Bros. category managers are seeking the area’s very best offerings in all categories, including a focus on attributes especially important to their shoppers: organic, non-GMO, plant-based, gluten-free, vegan and Keto.
Supplier submissions through RangeMe for Local Fare will be reviewed and chosen by the Stater Bros. Category Management team. Items chosen will be given placement free of charge.
The store locations selected will carefully consider factors such as providing the most relevant product assortment for each store’s local communities. Suppliers not selected will still be accessible via RangeMe and may be reviewed by Stater Bros. Category Managers again in the future as business needs evolve.
At Stater Bros. Markets, items that are part of its local program are grown, harvested or manufactured exclusively in California. Buying local contributes to the local and state economy, reduces the company’s carbon footprint and provides healthy, high quality innovative items for its customers.
Local suppliers interested in working with Stater Bros. Markets through Local Fare may submit their company information at: app.rangeme.com/staterbroslocal.
Stater Bros. was founded in 1936 in Yucaipa, California, and has grown steadily through the years to become the largest privately owned supermarket chain in Southern California and the largest private employer in both San Bernardino County and Riverside County.
The company currently operates 170 supermarkets, and there are approximately 18,000 team members. Since 2008, Stater Bros. and Stater Bros. Charities have contributed more than $80 million in food and funds to local Southern California communities.
