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Stater Bros. launches online forum for California suppliers

‘Local Fare’ event aimed at expanding locally sourced products

Russell Redman

July 26, 2021

2 Min Read
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Stater Bros. will hold the Local Fare forum through Aug. 6 on RangeMe, an online product discovery and sourcing platform.Stater Bros. Markets

Stater Bros. Markets on Monday kicked off a “Local Fare” virtual forum to connect with local producers and manufacturers as a way to diversify its product offerings.

Local Fare will be held through Aug. 6 on RangeMe, an online product discovery and sourcing platform, at app.rangeme.com/staterbroslocal, Stater Bros. said Monday. The Southern California grocer noted that its category managers are seeking local suppliers in all categories, particularly products with dietary attributes identified as important by shoppers, including organic, non-GMO, plant-based, gluten-free, vegan and keto.

Products eligible for Stater Bros.’ local program are grown, harvested or manufactured exclusively in California, the San Bernardino, Calif.-based retailer said, adding that buying local reduces its carbon footprint, provides unique items to customers, and contributes to state and municipal economies.

“Nurturing local families and communities, including local businesses, is at the heart of what we do,” Dennis McIntyre, executive vice president chief marketing officer at Stater Bros., said in a statement. “This initiative provides companies in our communities a larger retail footprint while our customers gain access to an expanded variety of healthy, high-quality and innovative products. It’s a win-win for local brands and our shoppers.”

Related:Stater Bros. stamps brand on expanded online grocery service

Supplier submissions via RangeMe will be reviewed and selected by the Stater Bros. category management team, and the items chosen will receive free placement, the supermarket chain said. Stores will weigh factors that provide the most relevancy to the communities they serve.

Designed for retail buyers and suppliers, RangeMe’s platform uses a dashboard to put thousands of products at buyers’ fingertips, making it easier to find and compare items. Automatic alerts are sent to buyers when new products meet their selection criteria. As a result, retail buyers can more efficiently source innovative new products and manage the inbound product submission process, according to San Francisco-based RangeMe, a subsidiary of ECRM.

For suppliers, RangeMe provides greater access to retail buyers plus added control over product marketing. Suppliers can upload full details of their products to the platform for buyers to review. In addition, suppliers know when their products are being viewed and can receive feedback from buyers, while buyers can instantly contact suppliers of interest or track a product to be alerted of updates. 

Stater Bros. added that suppliers not selected in the Local Fare forum will still be accessible via RangeMe and may be reviewed by the grocer’s category managers as business needs change. Overall, the chain operates 170 supermarkets in Southern California.

Related:Stater Bros. Holdings adds two new board members

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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