Offering an assortment of diverse-owned brands can be an effective way to attract customers who are seeking products that reflect their own culture, said Travis Reams, a buyer at Meijer.
Reams is scheduled to speak on a panel called Understanding Diversity Buying at the Winter Fancy Food Show next Monday, January 16, alongside Lori Rodriques, supplier diversity manager at UNFI and Jomaree Pinkard, CEO and co-founder of Hella Cocktail Co. Reams recently spoke with SFA News Daily about diversity buying and what he looks forward to at the Show.
What are the main messages you hope to convey in your presentation?
First, I want suppliers to understand the importance of having a diverse product portfolio. A lot of customers are looking for products that speak to them directly from a cultural standpoint and that have founders of similar ethnic and cultural backgrounds. As suppliers are in discussions with retailers, they should know the value that they’re offering by bringing that unique background and highlight it as part of the storytelling around their brand. I also hope to inspire other buyers and retailers to embrace diversity in their assortment, as well as really and truly meeting the needs of the customers that shop in their stores every day.
How has diversity buying evolved in recent years and at Meijer in particular?
Diversity buying has become extremely important in recent years. A lot of companies are tying financial metrics to diversity to quantify improvement and hold themselves accountable. At Meijer, diversity and representation have always been important to us, but in recent years, we’ve accelerated that by formalizing our efforts to build stronger pipelines and opportunities for diverse business partners.
One of the great things about Meijer is that our communities are at the heart of everything we do. That includes ensuring the products on our shelves reflect the needs and cultures of the communities we serve. So, when we talk about our mission, which is to enrich lives in the communities we serve, supplier diversity plays an important role in that.
Our customers can see that focus on bringing them a curated assortment of local and diverse products, in addition to some of the larger brands that we already provide. As a family-owned, Midwest business, we know our customers care about where their dollars go. Not only do many of our diverse-owned brand partners support local charitable entities, but they also build factories and offices within their own communities. By supporting these companies, we’re not only supporting their diverse founders, but we’re investing in economic growth in a local or underrepresented community.
One other area retailers may not think of first when they think of supplier diversity is the opportunity to support diverse businesses beyond the shelf–in your service providers, logistics partners, packaging, fixtures providers, etc. Because our goal at Meijer is for our partners to represent our communities, we approach supplier diversity from a wholistic sense. It’s not just about the brands on our shelves.
What advice do you have for diverse-owned suppliers seeking retail distribution?
My first piece of advice is to do your research. I always encourage suppliers, when they are meeting with our company or with other companies, to spend some time in the market to understand the customer demographic that retailer is focused on. It’s important to understand what the product mix is and where your product falls within the mix. Be able to tell the story of why you created the brand and what makes your brand completely different from everything else that's sitting in that assortment. Is it a value-priced product? Is it a new flavor exploration? Is it culturally specific? Highlight those things when meeting with retailers to really tell the story and drive the point home as to why they need your product on their shelves.
The second part is, don't give up. The first “no” is just that–it’s just the first “no.” Keep trying, keep going back at it. Continue to send the letters of interest to retailers. Continue to sign up for any community-based activities that retailers attend to look for new suppliers. Always take those opportunities and capitalize on them as much as possible.
And of course, I recommend potential vendors learn more about working with Meijer on our Supplier Diversity Hub.
What are you most looking forward to at this year's Winter Fancy Food Show?
I'm excited to meet new, diverse-owned brands and connect with them to see how we can potentially work together to expand our diverse supplier portfolio at Meijer. Secondly, I’m excited to meet and interact with other buyers and learn what their initiatives are, what's important to them and how they are looking to ensure that the products they purchase represent their customers.
Related: Buyers From All Channels to Attend Winter Fancy Food Show; Industry Voices: 2023 Leadership Award Winners on Business Hurdles.
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