At the end of August, grocery price inflation hit a 43-year high, with U.S. retail food price inflation up 13.5 percent year over year. Consumers are feeling the pinch, while manufacturers and retailers struggle to keep supply chains moving. Thankfully, a good retail food broker can help manufacturer clients and retail partners navigate these pricing increases. Everything from extreme weather...

In late September, Hurricane Ian caused catastrophic damage and power outages in many markets after it made landfall in Florida. Breakdowns in the supply chain led to empty grocery store shelves throughout the state, especially in the most at-risk and affected regions. This storm reminded us why every Southeast grocery broker, retailer and manufacturer must always be prepared for record-breaking...

Many food manufacturers face challenges with getting their products on supermarket shelves, and for a variety of reasons. Even with a strong internal sales team, obstacles may stand in the way. The good news is, often, a retail food broker can help clear some of these hurdles. In this post, our Director of Sales Gary Royal shares five signs that...

Food supply chain issues are still causing challenges for food manufacturers and retailers. This is resulting in shortages on orders and empty grocery store shelves for many products. But, there are several things food manufacturers can do to avoid shortages. In this post, Bay Food’s Director of Deli & Emerging Business Erin McCulloch-Crume shares helpful tips for manufacturers. Be proactive...

Nearly 5,000 Certified B Corporation companies worldwide tout the “B” logo on their packaging and materials. So, food manufacturers may be wondering what it is and whether they should pursue it. “Simply put, the B Corp Certification recognizes companies that are good for the world,” said Bay Food’s Executive Vice President Chris Chatterton. “This is an unbiased rating system. It...

It’s all over the news – labor shortages, food logistics issues, global supply chain problems. The average supermarket shopper has probably at least once tried to buy an item on their shopping list in recent months that wasn’t on the store shelf. As a leading Southeast grocery broker, we have an inside look at the challenges food manufacturers face right...

If you’re a food manufacturer looking for a CPG broker, it’s important to know that not all brokers are created equally. They can vary widely in a number of ways. This includes how long the company has existed, the level of service they provide, and even the core values they hold dear. Choosing a CPG broker to act as your...

Testimonial: Ithaca Hummus Bay Food Brokerage has served as Ithaca Hummus’s Southeast food broker since 2017. During that time, we’re proud to have played a role in getting their product into Publix, Earth Fare, Harris Teeter and Ingels stores in the Southeast. And, we’re especially grateful to Ithaca Founder Chris Kirby for sharing his perspective on our partnership in this...

As a retail food broker that has been in the industry for nearly 30 years, we’ve seen the following scenario many times. A food manufacturer’s sales team goes in to pitch a new product to a major retailer. The product is great, in almost all aspects. But there’s one small thing – like the package is one-half inch too long...

To remain a leading grocery broker in the Southeast and best serve our clients, the team at Bay Food Brokerage is committed to staying up-to-date on retail food trends. In this post, two of our Account Executives, Greg Betz and Lindsey Baron, share their insights on: Why it’s important for food manufacturers to understand retail food trends How the right...