KeHE Distributors said it is partnering with WeStock, a company that specializes in gathering first-party consumer data for CPG companies, to help KeHE’s retail partners connect with suppliers and the customers who want their products.
WeStock has described itself as a “crowd stocking” platform for consumers to request that products be made available in their local stores. In a recent video posted online, Cameron McCarthy, WeStock’s CEO and co-founder, said the company has received “almost one million” such requests from consumers. He also described three new vehicles it said it is now using to help brands collect consumer data: consumer surveys, QR codes, and SMS keywords.
WeStock currently works with more than 700 brands, including several specialty food makers such as Pan’s, a maker of mushroom jerky, and Fabalish, a maker of organic, plant-based condiments and other specialty food products, to help them grow their retail sales using first-party data, which is information shared directly by consumers with the supplier companies.
In testimony on WeStock’s website, Fabalish said WeStock helped the company gain entry into Mom’s Organic Market and to onboard with a regional distributor.
WeStock said its partnership with KeHE will enable the distributor and the retailers it supplies to more easily discover new products based on a brand’s consumer demand. WeStock’s data tools can also be used to help drive online customers in-store, the companies said, by notifying customers when products become available at retail and offering purchase incentives.
This partnership will enable brands that use WeStock to be more easily discovered by KeHE and its retail partners, the companies said. If data indicates that a brand has high consumer demand in a particular region or among customers of a particular retailer, for example, it could gain expanded distribution.
“We are excited to announce this first-to-market partnership, which allows brands already in KeHE to maximize their distribution and increase velocities by leveraging WeStock data,” said Katie Paul, KeHE’s senior vice president of merchandising, in a statement.
The partnership should help KeHE move products more efficiently through its distribution centers and increase sales for both brands and its retail partners, she said.
McCarthy said KeHE is a “dream partner” for WeStock.
“Our goal from day one was to make consumer data more accessible and actionable,” he said. “This partnership with KeHE will fast-track our efforts and help thousands of brands achieve retail success.”
KeHE and WeStock said they plan to continue to grow their partnership over the coming months and expect to announce several supported retail partners soon.
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