GPM Hosting Its First Open Buying Day to Identify Emerging Suppliers
RICHMOND, Va. — GPM Investments LLC will hold its first open buying day in partnership with ECRM and RangeMe, an online product sourcing platform for retailers and suppliers.
Emerging suppliers are invited to showcase and sell products to GPM's approximately 1,400 company-operated stores through the virtual event.
Suppliers across all categories can apply for the chance to present and sell their products directly to GPM stores across its entire family of community brands. They must be able to distribute to at least 80 percent of GPM's stores via Core-Mark, Grocery Supply Co. or through direct- store delivery, and meet all insurance requirements. Suppliers that currently do business with GPM or have presented products to GPM in the last six months are ineligible to participate.
"We are looking forward to conducting our first open buying day, inviting suppliers from around the world to showcase their products to the category team at GPM. You never know where the next new item or category will come from," said Michael Bloom, executive vice president and chief marketing and merchandising officer at GPM Investments. "We are always looking for new growth opportunities to meet our customers' needs.
"Partnering with RangeMe allows us to streamline the process and build relationships with a wide variety of suppliers," he continued. "This translates to capturing innovation potentially earlier than others, a robust assortment of products for our customers to choose from, and ultimately more sales for our stores, benefitting all stakeholders."
To apply, suppliers must visit www.rangeme.com/gpminvestments for consideration between Aug. 23 and Sept. 5. GPM will review submissions and individually notify the suppliers selected for the event. Qualified suppliers will be invited to attend the event virtually on Oct. 26 or Oct. 27.
"We are excited that GPM Investments has chosen ECRM/RangeMe to support key merchandising initiatives including the upcoming open buying day program," said Wayne Bennett, senior vice president of retail at ECRM/RangeMe. "We are confident that our tools will support the team to drive optimal assortments to drive category growth."
Richmond-based GPM Investments is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ARKO Corp., and operates or supplies stores in 33 states and Washington, D.C. As the sixth largest convenience store chain in the country, GPM has approximately 3,000 locations comprised of approximately 1,400 company-operated stores and 1,650 dealer sites to which it supplies fuel.