Vintners Distributors Eyes Growth With McLane Pact
FREMONT, Calif. — Vintners Distributors LLC inked a service agreement with McLane Co. Inc. for 126 convenience stores, including 15 of the chain’s Loop Neighborhood Stores.
Vintners stated it switched from a competitor to McLane to obtain “cutting-edge retail technologies that increase operational efficiencies.”
“Foodservice is our No. 1 priority and we’re determined to deliver fresh, quality food choices to our customers,” said Vintners Distributors COO Pervez Pir. “McLane has similar objectives [to grow fresh foods] and therefore we make a good team.”
Specifically, McLane’s retail and smart handheld technology will enable Vintners c-stores to order, check in and return items efficiently and better manage reconciliation, allowing staff to spend more time on the sales floor with customers, improve accuracy of inventory and save on labor costs, according to a news release. Vintners will also work with the McLane Center for Category Innovation to conduct SKU rationalization in order to develop a product mix that focuses on the top 20 percent of its best-selling products.
In addition, Vintners plans to focus on growing its current store base via acquisition and opening additional Loop Neighborhood Stores, said Pir.
“McLane is a leader in the wholesale forum and we are excited to partner with them,” he said. “It has a tenure team that is customer-centric and delivers on their promise. Additionally, McLane team members are flexible and react quickly to the ever-changing retail business, which is what we are looking for in the current landscape.”
Tim Hoime, senior manager, business development at McLane added: “We sense real excitement with the Vintners management team and are pleased to welcome them to the McLane family. They are eager to drive sales with McLane technology and sell smarter utilizing McLane’s Center for Category Innovation. They are focused and employ sound business strategies, which makes for a very strong partnership.”
Vintners Distributors is a branded retailer of fuels throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, and operates Loop Neighborhood Stores.
Temple, Texas-based McLane Co. Inc. is a $48-billion supply chain services leader, providing grocery and foodservice supply chain solutions for convenience stores, mass merchants, drug stores and chain restaurants throughout the United States. It is a wholly owned unit of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.