Dive Brief:
- McLane, one of the largest distributors in the U.S., has launched its Emerging Brands program for retail customers, the company announced on Thursday.
- The program will allow retailers to diversify their product lineups by ordering snacks that aren’t in widespread distribution in the same way they would order top brands.
- McLane is working with Mable, a distributor of innovative, local and minority-owned snacks and foods, to build out the digital marketplace for ordering these products.
Dive Insight:
With this move, McLane is responding to rising demand from c-stores that want to reach young consumers who are interested in trying new, lesser-known brands. A 2023 survey from McKinsey found that while about a third of consumers actively seek out new brands to try, members of Gen Z are five times more likely to do so than older customers.
McLane and Mable are offering low order minimums and drop shipping on orders, which makes it easier for retailers to experiment with these products.
“With its flexible model, Emerging Brands provides retailers of any size a best in class, innovative platform to capitalize on the increasing demand for unique products and to tailor their offerings to what their consumers are looking for,” said Vito Maurici, McLane’s customer experience officer.
Some companies, including Foxtrot, Yatco and Neon Marketplace have made a push to more locally sourced and unique products. The latter two actually partnered with Mable last year to develop their assortments. With Mable’s platform, retailers can search products by location, dietary preference, brand value and more.
The items are ordered from handheld devices or point-of-sale systems and delivered directly from the brands. C-stores can choose from categories like salty, sweet or alternative snacks, as well as candy and packaged sweets.
McLane has added a number of new features over the past year, including McLane Fresh, its c-store foodservice division, as well as the proprietary Prendisimo pizza line.
