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Fairway goes digital to get local

Procurement tool helps grocer source from area farmers, vendors

Russell Redman

June 27, 2019

3 Min Read
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Fairway Market is taking a digital approach to help it source local food.

The New York-based grocer, which focuses on fresh and specialty foods, has adopted the Forager digital procurement system to connect with local growers and vendors. According to Jason Bidart, vice president of private brand and local programs for Fairway Group Holdings Corp., the solution will enable the chain to expand the variety of locally sourced food in its stores.

"Many of our smaller suppliers — independent farms, for example — have traditionally used phone calls, fax or text messages for the ordering process,” Bidart said in a statement. “The Forager platform is far more efficient yet user-friendly, giving farmers the tools to provide Fairway with seamless ordering of their up-to-date products."

Forager’s eponymous platform is designed to streamline the procurement-to-payment process, reducing the cost and complexity of sourcing for grocers, distributors and other trading partners so they can buy and offer more local food. The Portland, Maine-based company said its solution provides faster ordering, one place to communicate with suppliers, simpler and more accurate receiving and payment, and improved insights from transactional data.

As part of its commitment to providing its customers with the highest-quality local food and great customer service, Fairway Market, which operates 15 stores in the New York, New Jersey, Connecticut tri-state area, has begun using the Forager digital procurement system to source local food.

Related:Giant spotlights local products with ‘PA Preferred’

Bidart noted that Forager gives Fairway access to up-to-date farm inventory, in turn enabling the retailer to offer more choices and varieties.

"Right now, we are using the Forager platform in our produce warehouse. Based on how well the trial performs, we will look at expanding Fairway's use of the platform into other areas like cheese, non-perishable groceries and wellness,” he explained. “We are also considering enabling our stores to use Forager to manage orders to local suppliers that deliver directly to our stores.

“We've found that the Forager platform provides efficiencies that allow us to better market, price and promote our local food selection, allowing us to pass along its benefits to our customers,” Bidart added.

A national survey conducted by Forager found that 78% of consumers typically put locally sourced food on their shopping list. In addition, 93% of consumers polled said they would purchase more local food if it was available at their primary grocery store, while 84% indicated they would make an extra shopping trip for local, seasonal food.

Related:In produce, local is hotter than ever

Grocery retailers using Forager have seen double-digit increases in local food sales, according to David Stone, founder of Forager.

"We are thrilled that Fairway Market is up and running with Forager and is leveraging our technology to extend their leadership in local food,” Stone said. “Forager is transforming the local food supply chain, making a highly complex and manual process much more efficient so that grocers can source more locally and give consumers what they want most: fresh, local food. Our platform removes significant challenges for grocers to scale and sustain a robust and profitable local food selection."

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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