Bay Food Brokerage announces launch of formal Retail Division

Bay Food Brokerage today announced the launch of its formal Retail Division, expanding the company's longtime in-store sales and execution capabilities with enhanced leadership, technology and resources.

Bay Food's Retail Division currently includes 28 full-time retail representatives, serving stores across eight Southeastern states. The company has increased the number of stores visited by its retail team by approximately 30%, as it continues to grow the program.

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The division helps food manufacturers bridge the gap between gaining retail distribution and successfully executing at the store level. Services include secondary display execution, inventory management, couponing and imaging, price and promotional verification, point-of-sale installation, planogram integrity, associate training and special projects.

"Getting a product authorized by a retailer is only part of the equation – what happens once that product reaches the store can ultimately determine its success," said Chris Chatterton, CEO of Bay Food Brokerage. "We've invested in our retail capabilities for years, because we know how important strong in-store execution is to our clients. Formalizing the Retail Division allows us to put even greater effort behind that work and offer manufacturers a more comprehensive solution for overall success."

As part of that investment, Bay Food hired Gary Schneider as Senior Retail Sales Manager to lead the division's continued development and growth. Schneider brings more than 40 years of consumer packaged goods experience, spanning retail sales, distribution and food brands. He oversees Bay Food's retail team and the systems supporting its in-store execution.

Bay Food Brokerage has also launched BEACON, a proprietary online portal that gives manufacturer clients real-time visibility into the Retail Division's work. The platform allows clients to see where Bay Food representatives have been and what they have accomplished in stores, creating greater transparency and accountability, while providing timely insight into store-level conditions and execution.

"Our goal is to provide manufacturers with a best-in-class retail team that functions as an extension of their own organization," Schneider said. "Our representatives are in stores consistently, building relationships, identifying issues and opportunities, and making sure the strategy developed at the corporate level is being executed on shelf. By combining that hands-on presence with better data and technology, we can give our clients a much clearer picture of what is happening with their brands in the market."

The Retail Division is available both to Bay Food's full-service brokerage clients and as a stand-alone service for manufacturers that have their own corporate sales teams or work with another broker at the retailer headquarters level.

For more information about Bay Food Brokerage's Retail Division, visit www.bayfoodretail.com.

About Bay Food Brokerage

Bay Food Brokerage is an industry-leading, fast-growing retail food brokerage company based in Tampa, Florida. Working as the sales and marketing partner for hundreds of food manufacturers worldwide, Bay Food Brokerage partners with the largest grocers in the Southeast U.S. to create and enhance opportunities for their clients. Since 1993, Bay Food Brokerage has combined unparalleled personal commitment and unrivaled support with cutting-edge technology to help food manufacturers achieve their goals. For more information, visit www.bayfoodbrokerage.com.