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Meijer goes virtual with Supplier Diversity Summit

Online event aims to ensure inclusivity on chain’s store shelves

Russell Redman

October 1, 2020

2 Min Read
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Certified minority-, LGBTQ-, woman-, veteran- and disability-owned businesses offering products in the grocery, beauty/personal care, general merchandise and OTC health categories can participate, Meijer said.Meijer

Supercenter retailer Meijer plans to hold its first virtual Supplier Diversity Summit on Nov. 12.

Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Meijer said this week that the summit will give diverse-owned businesses from across the country the opportunity to showcase and pitch their offerings to Meijer merchants “looking to bring the next great item onto their shelves.”

The online event will focus on suppliers in the grocery, beauty care, personal care, general merchandise, and over-the-counter health and wellness product categories. To participate in the summit, certified minority-, LGBTQ-, woman-, veteran- and disability-owned businesses with retail-ready products in those categories must apply by Oct. 9, Meijer said.

“Focusing on supplier diversity is an important part of our diversity, equity and inclusion journey,” Meijer President and CEO Rick Keyes said in a statement. “While we have always valued diverse partnerships, this event exemplifies our commitment to building a more inclusive vendor community which will better serve our customers.”

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Meijer has partnered with Solon, Ohio-based Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing (ECRM) and RangeMe, its product discovery tool subsidiary, to host the Supplier Diversity Summit through the ECRM Connect virtual platform.

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After suppliers submit their applications, Meijer teams will review and choose the vendors that the company would like to meet in the summit. Suppliers not chosen will still be accessible via the RangeMe registration tool and may be reviewed by Meijer merchants later on as business needs change, the retailer noted.

Likewise, diverse vendors offering products and/or services outside of the summit’s categories can submit their information for consideration through Meijer’s prospective vendors web page, even though they may not qualify for the event, the company added.

“We believe our partners should reflect the communities we serve,” commented Jamie Akemann, group vice president of indirect procurement and supplier diversity at Meijer. “This event gives us the opportunity to partner with diverse suppliers to empower them and provide economic support that will be felt throughout our communities, allowing us to better embody our mission of enriching lives in the communities we serve.”

Meijer operates 253 supercenters and grocery stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.

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About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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