2023 Category Captain for General Merchandise: McLane Co. Inc.

In 2022, McLane continued to serve as a strategic partner for retail customers to meet consumer demands. The company's retailer partners benefited from tapping into McLane's proprietary database of bestsellers and key trends, as well as its multichannel platforms.

McLane's private label brand, Consumer Value Products (CVP), allows retailers to offer a wide array of general merchandise products to consumers; everything from rain gear to grilling supplies. CVP's Work Fare line of safety equipment is a competitive differentiator for c-stores, increasing basket size among customers entering stores for beverages and snacks, but realizing they can also purchase work-related items like safety goggles, vests and gloves there.

McLane's Center for Category Innovation (CCI) provides a team of professional category analysts who work with customers and suppliers/brokers to optimize product selections. CCI utilizes McLane's proprietary sales database allowing retail customers to isolate and capitalize on key merchandising trends. It also provides an onsite retail environment with hands-on exposure to planogram recommendations and live-image planogram development. Through CCI participation, retail customers make data- and consumer-driven decisions optimized to their specific business goals.

Retail customers also gain access to multichannel platforms that enable them to learn about and purchase products through McLane's Virtual Tradeshow, McLane-Xpress and McLane Edge, with real-time promotions and educational materials that empower retailers to make the best-informed purchasing decisions.