Retail is more complex than just selling products. While products may be the bread and butter of a retail or omnichannel business, there are several areas of a store or e-commerce offering that require the support of various business functions to run efficiently, ranging from Information Technology and Merchandising to Marketing & Sourcing Services, Supply Chain, Private Brands and Not For Resale (NFR).
That’s where companies like Retail Business Services come in, helping grocery retail brands source innovative solutions. Retail Business Services is the services company of Ahold Delhaize USA, providing services to five East Coast grocery brands: Food Lion, Giant Food, GIANT/MARTIN’S, Hannaford and Stop & Shop. A Not For Resale Data Specialist at Retail Business Services, Magdelaina Boruta works with colleagues in Retail Business Services and local brand teams to find creative and innovative solutions for a wide array of business needs.
We had the pleasure of sitting down with Boruta to learn more about the Not For Resale space and how Retail Business Services is leveraging RangeMe to find Not For Resale suppliers.
RangeMe: What is Retail Business Services?
Boruta: Founded in 2018, Retail Business Services is the services company for Ahold Delhaize USA, one of the largest portfolios of grocery companies in the nation. We support its portfolio of U.S. brands that serve millions of customers from Maine to Georgia. At Retail Business Services, we leverage the size and scale of the local brands to provide innovative solutions to support the brands and their strategies.
RangeMe: What are some of the services you offer Ahold Delhaize USA?
Boruta: Retail Business Services specializes in several services, including IT, Merchandising, Marketing & Sourcing Services, Human Resources, Supply Chain, Pharmacy, Maintenance & Energy, Private Brands, Store Innovation, and Project Management. We also have, of course, Not For Resale.
RangeMe: So for those who are unfamiliar, what is Not For Resale (NFR)?
Boruta: Our Not For Resale team sources indirect goods and services. Not For Resale creates value and delivers significant cost savings to the local brands through the rigorous and coordinated execution of processes that maximize and leverage total spend across a wide range of products and services, from corporate services like finance and legal support to retail services like shelving and refrigeration units.
We work with our business partner to create a competitive advantage, focus on relationships and collaborate with supplier partners to deliver true value.
RangeMe: Which customer initiatives are your services supporting?
Boruta: We help source things that are part of the local brands’ unique identities, from things like in-store equipment and signage to the containers shoppers use to package food from the hot bar. We help preserve the identities of the local brands, while also leveraging their collective size and scale to bring better process efficiencies and to meet company goals around sustainability and supplier diversity.
RangeMe: Can you explain some of the sustainability initiatives your company supports?
Boruta: Sustainability is a passion of ours in Retail Business Services and each of the brands we support. In Not For Resale, we partner to minimize waste, eliminate single-use plastic, move away from polystyrene and much more. For consumer packaged goods, which is the traditional use of RangeMe, our teams are focused on sustainable chemistry, committed to buying products and avoiding BPAs and other chemicals of concern. Ultimately, our goal is to find a more sustainable way to do business–whether it is what we are using and doing to get products to customers no matter how they choose to shop, or the products themselves. This is an area where we have leveraged RangeMe to find really valuable insight.
RangeMe: So what are you using RangeMe for?
Boruta: In NFR, we use RangeMe to search for suppliers who provide store and supply chain equipment, supplies, packaging, and services. We conduct narrow searches with meaningful results using the RangeMe platform. We customize searches to find suppliers that are RangeMe verified, have a sustainability angle, are minority-owned businesses, and are located in a certain region. I use RangeMe to learn about new certifications, and I am really interested in Certified Plant-Based, NSF, Certified Clean and ENERGY STAR certifications.
RangeMe: What should a supplier do to catch the eye of Retail Business Services on RangeMe?
Boruta: If you get certified for something, make sure you clearly indicate that on your profile! It is also helpful to provide as much information as possible about the process of doing business with your brand. We look for suppliers that will enter a partnership with us. We are open to innovative ideas and are willing to test something new to improve business standards, both for us and our suppliers. For me specifically, I look at several indicators, such as revenue, and if the company is capable of meeting the needs of the local brands.
RangeMe: Is there anything you wish suppliers shared more of on RangeMe?
Boruta: It would be great for suppliers, especially service suppliers, to put their scope of services in their profile. With so many unique and varied types of services, it can be tricky to tell if a supplier will be able to provide all of the necessary pieces we require. It is also important for us to know a supplier’s safety information, like if they have the necessary insurance. Finally, it is helpful to see a supplier’s business model as part of their profile to help us better understand how they operate and the price of their services.
RangeMe: What are some trends you are most excited about for 2020?
Boruta: Sustainability is the big one. We are focused on healthy and sustainable, which includes eliminating artificial ingredients from private brand products and introducing more plant-based goods. On the indirect side, we are bringing in more services that are energy-efficient, such as LED lighting, new refrigeration solutions, and ways to recycle energy. We’re also exploring other innovations and suppliers to partner with.
Retail Business Services has found RangeMe to be a fantastic resource and progressive tech solution that they can leverage to source suppliers and products that ultimately drive company goals, organizational efficiencies and support the businesses of Ahold Delhaize USA’s great local brands. Boruta and her team are excited to continue their Not For Resale supplier discovery partnership with RangeMe.
For retail buyers, RangeMe is an ideal space to find the right supplier at the right time. As more and more suppliers are differentiating their products via certifications and specifications, buyers have a great amount of opportunity to set their retail brand apart with their products.
Are you a business that offers a retail service? Sign up for RangeMe for free here.