As retailers plan for what most expect to be their busiest shopping period in years, supply chain issues are of concern, buyers told SFA News Daily.
Carrie Walters, culinary director at Dorothy Lane Market, said that a lot of packaging supplies and some food items have been hard to get.
“Some substitution has been working for us, otherwise we switch gears and work with what we have,” she said. “More people will be opening up their homes and having larger get-togethers this year. We’re planning for it and hope to find the packaging to provide it.”
Leadership at The Fresh Market is likewise keeping an eye on market conditions, but product quality remains paramount, notes Diane Cleven, the retailer’s vice president of deli, CMS, sushi and bakery.
“We will not sacrifice the quality of our products by trading down,” she said.
Since it doesn’t use a third-party distributor, Stew Leonard’s, based in Norwalk, Connecticut, is somewhat insulated from supply chain pressures to which others are subject, said Jake Tavello, vice president of stores.
“Since we go direct, we don’t run into as many supply chain hurdles,” he said.
“We brought in shelf-stable items early. Our buyers have longstanding relationships with our farmers, fishermen, and ranchers. Despite where the market might be, our vendor relationships have kept Stew Leonard’s shelves full and our prices low.”
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Image: The Fresh Market