Schnuck Markets Inc. is accepting applications for the third cohort of its Schnucks Springboard accelerator program for emerging suppliers, with a deadline of April 25, 2026, the St. Louis-based grocer announced Feb. 25.
Midwest business owners must meet specific criteria to qualify. Applicants must have annual consumer product goods revenue of less than $1 million, fewer than 10 years in the CPG business and fewer than 50 employees. Products must have never been carried by Schnuck Markets, Inc. or any of its banners. Businesses must be based in one of 12 Midwestern states as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin.
“After receiving incredible feedback from the first two Schnucks Springboard classes, we’re proud and excited to welcome our third cohort of businesses and look forward to helping them reach more customers and grow their businesses,” said Adrian Moore, senior director of merchandising enablement and emerging suppliers at Schnucks.
“Not only are we here to teach, we’re here to learn, and we’ve incorporated feedback received from the first two cohorts to make this an even better learning experience for our participants.”
Program benefits and requirements
Selected vendors must be able to attend all business development classes in person at Schnucks’ St. Louis headquarters this fall and must meet food safety, insurance and other regulatory requirements for a product shelf trial. Businesses that meet all requirements and are accepted into the cohort will receive $5,000 of equity-free funding and an in-store product trial at select Schnucks stores in 2027.
Products from the second cohort of companies will appear on shelves of select Schnucks stores for a trial run starting in mid-April. Business owners from the second cohort and information about their products are available on the Schnucks website.
Founded in St. Louis in 1939, Schnuck Markets, Inc. is a third- and fourth-generation, family-owned grocery retailer operating 113 stores serving customers in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. Schnucks is part of 1939 Group, Inc., which is owned by the family that founded Schnuck Markets Inc. and named after the year they opened the first Schnucks store. Other members of the family of companies include Festival Foods and Hometown Grocers Inc.
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