Kansas City, Kansas-based Associated Wholesale Grocers, in partnership with its member retailers, contributed $138,250 to nonprofits through its Save-A-Label program in 2022.
The community-giving project benefits schools and nonprofits, while encouraging consumers to support local independent grocers.
In one year, the program turns more than 1.2 million cases of Best Choice Family of Brands’ products purchased by consumers into funds to help organizations. Participants collect Best Choice, Clearly by Best Choice or Best Choice Superior Selections product labels and send them into AWG for cash.
To qualify to participate, schools and organizations need to have 501(c)(3) status. More than 1,600 groups participated this year.
“It is a blessing to have programs like Save-A-Label that help the ministries of our church,” said Daryl Lee from Disney Assembly of God, a Save-A-Label program participant.
The Save-A-Label program was launched in 1987, two years after the introduction of the Best Choice brand. It was developed as a short-term promotion to help local grocers support their communities, but became a permanent program. In 2014, the Clearly by Best Choice products were introduced, giving customers another way to earn funds. Best Choice Superior Selections, the newest member of the Best Choice Family of Brands, came about in 2020 adding another brand that qualifies.
“The Save-A-Label program is looking to grow over the next few years with the help of AWG’s member retailers,” said Cara Finger, AWG Brands marketing manager. “By highlighting the program in their stores, AWG member retailers are helping to impact and give back to their communities.”
Associated Wholesale Grocers is the nation’s largest co-operative food wholesaler to independently-owned supermarkets, serving more than 1,100 member companies and 3,400 locations throughout 31 states from nine wholesale divisions. In addition to its co-operative wholesale operations, the company also operates subsidiary companies that provide certain real estate and supermarket development services, print and digital marketing services, health and beauty care, general merchandise, pharmaceutical products, specialty foods and natural and organic products.
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