Finding reliable wholesale partners who deliver quality grocery products on time and at favorable prices is essential for your store’s survival. The right supplier relationships make all the difference between surviving and thriving for your grocery business.
For small business owners and independent grocers, the stakes couldn't be higher. Supply chain disruptions, quality inconsistencies, and pricing fluctuations can quickly eat away at already-thin profit margins and damage customer relationships. But how can you avoid these challenges and find and manage e-commerce suppliers that set your store up for success?
This guide breaks down the entire supplier management process, from finding and vetting potential partners to integrating them with your tech stack. Then, we’ll give you options for suppliers and tech solutions to make managing your grocery store supply chain less of a headache.
Let’s get started.
Finding the right suppliers is critical for retailers in any industry — but these relationships are even more important for an industry with perishable goods, like the grocery industry. Stores with the right partners can maintain consistent, fresh inventory with competitive pricing, which is a must if you want to keep a competitive edge.
Every e-commerce grocer needs to know the seven main types of grocery suppliers:
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The most successful grocers build a strategic mix of local, regional, and national suppliers. When you get a blend of these supplier types, you can offer a diverse product mix and build a resilient supply chain.
We understand the importance of finding the right suppliers, but how do we decide which suppliers are the right ones? Properly vetting suppliers is critical. The wrong supplier will leave you with empty shelves or poor-quality products — either way, your reputation will suffer.
If you’re just getting started (or just starting over), here are a few places you can find reputable food suppliers:
When vetting potential partners, you should focus on three essentials: food safety practices, delivery reliability, and product consistency.
Request each potential supplier’s HACCP certification, food safety audit reports, and insurance documentation before you put anything in writing. The best suppliers will readily provide these materials and welcome your questions about their processes.
You also want to carefully vet each supplier’s offerings and pricing. Start by requesting product samples. If possible, schedule an in-person facility tour. Review their order fulfillment processes, minimum order requirements, and payment terms. Finally, check references by speaking with other retailers who work with them to understand the supplier's performance history.
Be cautious of suppliers who push back on your requests to see their certifications, offer unusually low prices, communicate inconsistently, or lack proper cold chain management for perishables. These warning signs often indicate deeper issues that could impact your product quality and customer satisfaction.
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Even if you’re sure you’ve found a winner, start every new supplier relationship with limited test orders before making commitments. This approach lets you evaluate your new partner’s product quality, delivery reliability, and communication under real conditions — without opening your business up to too much risk.
Here’s a brief look at some e-commerce suppliers grocery stores might consider:
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If you’re looking for some product-specific suppliers, here are some options by category:
When building your supplier network, consider a hybrid approach that combines the reliability of national distributors with the unique offerings of regional suppliers.
Pro tip: A good rule of thumb is to have two or three suppliers for every department/product category in your store.
If you want to get the best from your e-commerce suppliers, you need more than just the right people in the right partnerships — you need to take the time to build relationships with those partners. The most successful grocers are the ones who develop collaborative relationships with their suppliers, rather than just treating them like vendors.
Your store’s tools and technology play a crucial role in managing these relationships efficiently. A specialized grocery point of sale (POS) system is one of the best ways to kick your partnerships off on the right foot. Here are some ways your point of sale system can help you manage your suppliers:
The most successful grocery operations also use their POS data to share consumer insights with key suppliers, which benefits both parties.
You know you need the right technology to manage your supplier relationships effectively — but how can you find the right tools for your store?
Modern grocery POS systems have tailored features designed to improve your vendor management, inventory processes, and more. Let’s take a look at four incredible options for grocery point of sale systems.
IT Retail delivers a comprehensive grocery management solution created by grocers, for grocers. Their platform addresses the unique challenges of grocery retail with specialized tools for managing multiple supplier relationships and perishable inventory.
Top features:
IT Retail's 30+ years of grocery-specific experience give them an edge because they understand the challenges grocery stores face. Store owners consistently report that IT Retail's robust reporting suite gives them the insights they need to optimize supplier relationships and improve their inventory management processes.
Markt POS offers flexible inventory management designed specifically for specialty food retailers. Their system excels at integrating scale systems for environments like meat shops, delis, and international markets.
Top features:
ECRS Catapult provides enterprise-level functionality for grocers managing multiple locations. Their system synchronizes inventory information across physical stores and e-commerce platforms.
Top features:
NCR Counterpoint delivers comprehensive supplier management scaled for larger grocery operations. Their platform streamlines communication with major distributors while providing sophisticated purchase order management.
Top features:
When evaluating grocery POS systems for your operation, consider some of these essential features:
With the right technology, you can bring certainty into your supplier management processes. Take your time and select the best tool for your store to improve your chances of better supplier relationships, better customer experiences, and better profit margins.
Use this simple checklist to ensure you’ve asked all the questions you need to ask, dotted all your i’s, and crossed all your t’s when vetting potential suppliers.
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The right e-commerce suppliers are essential for managing your online grocery business the right way. Stores that establish the best partnerships have access to fresher products, more reliable inventory, and often, better pricing.
Following the tips in this post will help you diversify your supply chain, build great relationships with your suppliers, and set yourself up for successful online and in-store grocery operations. But to get the most out of your suppliers, you need the right tools and technology.
A specialized grocery POS system gives you real-time inventory visibility and provides reorder alerts based on actual sales data. Solutions like IT Retail offer specialized tools designed for the unique challenges of perishable inventory and complex supplier networks.
Schedule a demo of IT Retail — or build and price your custom point of sale solution — to kick your new e-commerce supplier relationships off on the right foot.