S. Abraham & Sons Shifting 2021 Trade Show to Virtual Event

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — S. Abraham & Sons (SAS) Inc., a subsidiary of Imperial Trading Co., will hold its 35th annual Vendor Exhibit & Trade Show virtually for an extended period this year. The theme of the 2021 event is "Blueprint for Success - Building Solutions for the Convenience Store Retailer."

This marks the first time SAS has held a virtual version of its trade show. It held a virtual version of its annual Foodservice Show in July 2020, as Convenience Store News previously reported.

Retailers will have a seven-week period, running from Jan. 11 to Feb. 26, to place orders on The Marketing Arm Trade Show portal. Vendor presentations, videos and images will be available on the portal for ease of item recognition and knowledge.

Live video meetings can be scheduled between retailers, manufacturers and broker partners to see and understand the newest industry trends, new items, foodservice programs and retailer merchandising ideas.

"We learned a lot in 2020 and being flexible to adapt to new opportunities in the industry has proven successful for SAS," the company said in a released statement.

The virtual show will feature more than 2,700 items, including 350 new items. SAS will also highlight its private label programs, including Beantown Coffee and Fruitridge Farms, a solution for freshly made sandwiches, salads and baked goods. Additionally, the SAS roller grill program offers a variety of options, including Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs, Johnsonville, Tornados, Don Miguel and Bahama Mama.

SAS will debut a new look and name for its "Hot Off the Grill" program in the near future, just in time for the peak of the roller grill season, the company said.

A subsidiary of Imperial Trading Co., Grand Rapids-based SAS is a grocery distributor servicing convenience, grocery, drug, campus retail and small-format stores in eight Midwest states.

Headquartered in Elmwood, La., Imperial Trading has six distribution centers serving 17 states.