Sobey's focused on food and driven by fresh expertise
Sobey's focused on food and driven by fresh expertise
TORONTO -- In its quest to become the destination of choice for consumers in a highly competitive Canadian marketplace, Sobey's Inc. has developed a strategy that seeks to leverage its expertise with category management to provide the freshest products possible.
According to Joseph Sbrocchi, senior director of produce, floral and bulk foods for Sobey's, the company will achieve its goal by being focused on food, driven by fresh expertise and supported by incomparable customer care in the right-sized, right-format stores that serve the unique needs of each market.
In his current position, Mr. Sbrocchi oversees the produce procurement requirements of the more than 1,300 company- owned or franchised stores located in all 10 Canadian provinces under retail banners that include Sobeys, IGA, IGA extra and Price Chopper.
"Sobeys puts the needs of its customers first, and that sentiment is carried through every aspect of our business, including produce procurement and merchandising," Mr. Sbrocchi told The Produce News during an interview, here, at the company's flagship, full-service store in Ontario.
To accomplish this, Mr. Sbrocchi said that Sobeys has focused on devising strategies that best meet its customers' needs. That has included having approximately 350 to 500 SKUs at any one time in its stores, depending on the season and the size and format of the store, of which there are five: full-service, fresh-service, community service, convenience service and price service. He noted that Sobeys lists as many as 1,000 SKUs.
Sobeys' four merchandising groups across Canada are supported by a national procurement group who, together, allow the retailer to offer its customers "the best from North America and the world" by lining up what Mr. Sbrocchi referred to as "the best suppliers in the industry, including the best players on an f.o.b. basis possible in particular."
Mr. Sbrocchi said that Sobeys' relationship with its suppliers is one of mutual benefit and collaboration.
"While first and foremost they are focused on delivering customer satisfaction, they are open and collaborative," he said. "We share our strategy with them and have ongoing two-way dialogue where we seek input for the category- review process to make sure there is profitable growth for both."
Those vendors must then consistently meet a number of criteria, what Mr. Sbrocchi referred to as the company's eight "pillars of produce success," which include food safety, high quality of goods and services, the ability to deliver against commitments, and continuity of supply and pricing.
These principles, combined with vital input via the category-management process from Sobeys' four distinct merchandising regions, are then used to create all of its procurement plans and strategies. Regional teams then work with each of the different retail banners to execute the very important "retail detail" that results in the final offering.
The term "retail detail," Mr. Sbrocchi said, dates back to his start in the produce industry as a retail clerk in a Toronto-area supermarket more than 30 years ago.
He looked back fondly to the important advice he received from his boss, advice that still serves him well today. "The produce manager told me that 'retail is detail,' " Mr. Sbrocchi recalled. "He said that if we took care of the details, the customers would come back."
Mr. Sbrocchi went on to say that while Sobeys supports local growers whenever possible, the company's buying patterns are such that it can source worldwide.
"Canada is very embracing of produce from all over the world," he said. "We love to bring in new items because it brings in excitement to the produce aisle. We want to wow people with flavor and satisfy them with freshness."
In addition, Mr. Sbrocchi sees value-added, fresh-cut and organics continuing to grow significantly. The company itself is in the process of launching a number of organic products under its own private-label, "Compliments."
"Canada took longer to embrace [organics], but with a strong supplier base, we are confident we can leverage that into a strong retail program," he said, noting that organics account for approximately 5 percent of the items in Sobeys' produce departments.
Mr. Sbrocchi gives most of the credit for Sobeys' success to the "great team" that he works with both in the company's four merchandising regions and in the national office.
"We have had outstanding growth over the past two years," he said. "Our tonnage far exceeds the market composite, and I am very pleased as we try to 'out food, out fresh and out service' our competition, which through yet more consolidation has made the Canadian market highly, highly competitive."
According to Joseph Sbrocchi, senior director of produce, floral and bulk foods for Sobey's, the company will achieve its goal by being focused on food, driven by fresh expertise and supported by incomparable customer care in the right-sized, right-format stores that serve the unique needs of each market.
In his current position, Mr. Sbrocchi oversees the produce procurement requirements of the more than 1,300 company- owned or franchised stores located in all 10 Canadian provinces under retail banners that include Sobeys, IGA, IGA extra and Price Chopper.
"Sobeys puts the needs of its customers first, and that sentiment is carried through every aspect of our business, including produce procurement and merchandising," Mr. Sbrocchi told The Produce News during an interview, here, at the company's flagship, full-service store in Ontario.
To accomplish this, Mr. Sbrocchi said that Sobeys has focused on devising strategies that best meet its customers' needs. That has included having approximately 350 to 500 SKUs at any one time in its stores, depending on the season and the size and format of the store, of which there are five: full-service, fresh-service, community service, convenience service and price service. He noted that Sobeys lists as many as 1,000 SKUs.
Sobeys' four merchandising groups across Canada are supported by a national procurement group who, together, allow the retailer to offer its customers "the best from North America and the world" by lining up what Mr. Sbrocchi referred to as "the best suppliers in the industry, including the best players on an f.o.b. basis possible in particular."
Mr. Sbrocchi said that Sobeys' relationship with its suppliers is one of mutual benefit and collaboration.
"While first and foremost they are focused on delivering customer satisfaction, they are open and collaborative," he said. "We share our strategy with them and have ongoing two-way dialogue where we seek input for the category- review process to make sure there is profitable growth for both."
Those vendors must then consistently meet a number of criteria, what Mr. Sbrocchi referred to as the company's eight "pillars of produce success," which include food safety, high quality of goods and services, the ability to deliver against commitments, and continuity of supply and pricing.
These principles, combined with vital input via the category-management process from Sobeys' four distinct merchandising regions, are then used to create all of its procurement plans and strategies. Regional teams then work with each of the different retail banners to execute the very important "retail detail" that results in the final offering.
The term "retail detail," Mr. Sbrocchi said, dates back to his start in the produce industry as a retail clerk in a Toronto-area supermarket more than 30 years ago.
He looked back fondly to the important advice he received from his boss, advice that still serves him well today. "The produce manager told me that 'retail is detail,' " Mr. Sbrocchi recalled. "He said that if we took care of the details, the customers would come back."
Mr. Sbrocchi went on to say that while Sobeys supports local growers whenever possible, the company's buying patterns are such that it can source worldwide.
"Canada is very embracing of produce from all over the world," he said. "We love to bring in new items because it brings in excitement to the produce aisle. We want to wow people with flavor and satisfy them with freshness."
In addition, Mr. Sbrocchi sees value-added, fresh-cut and organics continuing to grow significantly. The company itself is in the process of launching a number of organic products under its own private-label, "Compliments."
"Canada took longer to embrace [organics], but with a strong supplier base, we are confident we can leverage that into a strong retail program," he said, noting that organics account for approximately 5 percent of the items in Sobeys' produce departments.
Mr. Sbrocchi gives most of the credit for Sobeys' success to the "great team" that he works with both in the company's four merchandising regions and in the national office.
"We have had outstanding growth over the past two years," he said. "Our tonnage far exceeds the market composite, and I am very pleased as we try to 'out food, out fresh and out service' our competition, which through yet more consolidation has made the Canadian market highly, highly competitive."
