Washington-based Northwest Grocers (NWG) recently selected KeHE Distributors as its primary distribution partner for natural, organic and specialty products.
KeHe, a member-owned organization, is made up of more than 90 independent neighborhood grocery retailers across Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Northern California. The new four-year deal with KeHe allows NWG members to leverage KeHE’s national scale, the companies said.
“Northwest Grocers is known for their strategic support of their members,” said Gene Carter, KeHE’s chief operating officer. “KeHE was founded by a passionate grocer in service of the needs of other retailers. Almost 70 years later, we’re even more dedicated to serving the unique, ever-changing needs of that customer base.
“This partnership will allow KeHE to collaborate with the NWG team in areas like supply chain and category management to drive growth and innovation for their members.”
Across the country, digitally savvy, innovation-hungry consumers have driven the growth of independent grocers who can provide memorable in-store experiences due to their curated product assortment and quick speed to shelf with new items, KeHe said. KeHE’s record of bringing new and emerging brands to market will increase the ability for NWG members to continue to be strong pillars of the communities they serve, while continuing to grow in the ever-changing market.
“Northwest Grocers provides its members with best-in-class support for advertising, marketing and promotional merchandising,” said Stan Trask, president of NWG. “We are committed to bringing our retailers the best tools for supporting their natural, organic and specialty product needs. Our partnership with KeHE unlocks the resources our independents need for an innovative full solution program that will provide them with the ability to drive sales and lead in this market.”