Peapod Digital Labs is looking for diversely owned brands for its virtual display and pitch coaching.
For the second year running, Peapod Digital Labs (PDL), a great local brand in the United States, is looking for accredited, diverse-owned businesses to take part in a virtual initiative that will highlight goods from underrepresented suppliers to the businesses of Ahold Delhaize USA. Peapod Digital Labs drives expansion in digital and e-commerce capabilities for Ahold Delhaize USA’s regional brands and acts as an innovation hub for American companies to help them adapt to changing consumer demands.
A series of four virtual events will be held by PDL, Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing (ECRM), and RangeMe throughout the year. Ahold Delhaize USA brands’ buyers will meet with possible new suppliers to find out more about their specialties and CPG offerings.
According to Andjela Petrovic, Director of Supplier Diversity for PDL, “We created this program in 2021 to highlight our commitment to providing the products of certified, diverse-owned businesses to the supermarket brands of Ahold Delhaize USA.” Over a hundred suppliers were met by the merchants of the Ahold Delhaize USA firms last year, and 20 of them were fully onboarded to one or more of their brands, with many more still in the process.
PDL is collaborating with WBENC-certified, woman-owned business PowerToPitch for the first time this year to provide participating suppliers with a free pitch coaching service to get ready for these events. In order to improve and examine their product pitches and boost confidence in their pitch presentations, suppliers that are chosen for the meetings will be given the option of participating in a 75-minute group coaching session and a 30-minute 1:1 coaching session.
According to Petrovic, “We’re thrilled to provide professional coaching for chosen candidates to assist them in approaching the meetings with a compelling and clear pitch.” “We collaborated with PowerToPitch during our Incubator program in 2022, and participants really benefited from the resources and support. To acquire a skill that endures far beyond this particular meeting or event requires an investment. We anticipate that this program will help to foster new connections between Ahold Delhaize USA’s businesses and suppliers with a variety of ownership styles.
Businesses having the items indicated in the application that are certified to be owned by minorities, LGBTQ individuals, women, veterans, and people with disabilities are encouraged to submit by Friday, February 3 for consideration.
Representatives from Ahold Delhaize USA enterprises will assess and choose suppliers for the virtual event after applications for the event are received. Suppliers that were rejected for the event will still be able to utilize the RangeMe registration tools, and Peapod Digital Labs may revisit them in the future if business requirements evolve. The use of the application
The first event is scheduled for April 10–19, 2023. Subsequent events will be held in June, August, and October.
About ECRM
ECRM brings efficiencies and effectiveness to the buying and selling process by propelling connections between buyers and suppliers through key programs that utilize virtual and face-to-face platforms. With over 27 years of experience, ECRM’s programs promote relationships, forward-thinking insights, and process efficiencies. ECRM works with companies around the world in a variety of different categories, including food & beverage, general merchandise, health & beauty care, pharmacy & medical markets, and foodservice. ECRM also owns RangeMe, the industry-standard online product sourcing platform.
