Testimonial: The Good Crisp Company

Bay Food Brokerage has served as The Good Crisp Company’s Publix broker since summer 2022. Since then, we’ve been proud to have helped this health-conscious salty snack brand get its products into Publix’s 1,300 stores throughout the Southeast.

And, we’re especially grateful to Steve Wangler, The Good Crisp Company’s VP of Sales, for sharing his perspective of our partnership in this post.

About The Good Crisp Company

Based in Colorado, The Good Crisp Company makes stacked chips, cheese balls and crinkle cut chips. All products are gluten-free and non-GMO.

“We’re a salty snack company trying to bring guilt-free, clean snacks to families,” Steve said. “We’re providing parents with items they can feel great about giving their kids.”

The Good Crisp Company donates 5% of its online sales to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, with a minimum guarantee of donating $10,000 per year.

The Challenge: Getting Products into Publix

In 2017, The Good Crisp Company – originally founded in Australia – formally launched in the U.S. It began with distribution in Whole Foods stores in Northern California. Over the next two years, distribution in other retailers grew. By the end of 2018, The Good Crisp Company was available in natural grocery stores across the U.S.

However, despite its best efforts, by the summer of 2022, The Good Crisp Company had not been able to get products into Publix.

“We’d pitched Publix for five years in a row and got nowhere,” Steve said.

Eventually, one of Steve’s co-workers recommended he talk to Bay Food Brokerage’s Vice President of Sales Gary Royal because of Gary’s relationships at Publix. Steve and Gary connected at the Sweets & Snacks Expo in 2022. Soon thereafter, The Good Crisp Company engaged Bay Food as its Publix broker.

“Gary has a very strong reputation in the industry for his knowledge, and most importantly, his knowledge of Publix,” Steve said. “And, he’s a really good guy. He reflects a lot of the values we have at The Good Crisp Company – hard-working, creative, high integrity and easy to get along with. It was an easy decision to make after we talked at Sweets & Snacks.”

So, Gary and the Bay Food team worked with The Good Crisp Company to present again at Publix’s category review for grocery. Again, the brand was declined.

But, Gary and his team had another idea, one that no one had previously suggested to The Good Crisp Company: presenting to the Publix deli.

The Results: Five SKUs in the Deli at Publix’s 1,300 stores

Earlier this year, with the support of its Publix broker, Bay Food Brokerage, The Good Crisp Company presented to the Publix deli. In May, Publix agreed to sell five SKUs from The Good Crisp Company in the deli, chain-wide.

“Even though it’s not what we were initially envisioning, I think going into the deli at Publix is a big deal,” Steve said. “Their deli is very active. It’s just fantastic for us. And it’s very impressive that Gary came up with this idea to go to the deli.”

The Good Crisp Company ran its first BOGO promotion with Publix in September. Products sold out.

“At Publix, we have a strong promotional calendar, and already our velocities are good,” Steve said. “We expect our velocities to grow as more consumers try us and stay with us. We’ve seen this happen in our other retailers – Walmart, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Kroger, Wegman’s and HEB.”

Including 1,300 Publix stores, The Good Crisp Company products are now in 17,000 stores across the U.S.

The Experience: A Publix Broker with Stellar Support and Boots on the Ground

In addition to Gary and the sales team, Steve credits Bay Food’s standout support team and retail reps to The Good Crisp Company’s success in Publix.

“Nikki {Midili} is the glue in all of this,” Steve said. “She makes sure we’re getting the weekly forecasts, the admin stuff gets done, things are on track and that I know the promotions we’re committed to. It’s great to have her as part of the team here, too.”

Many retail food brokerages use part-time staff or day-laborers to execute their store-level sales and marketing services. But at Bay Food Brokerage, we have retail representatives that are full-time, salaried sales employees. That was important for Steve and The Good Crisp Company.

“Bay Food’s team of field merchandisers are a huge help to us,” Steve said. “That was a major factor in deciding to engage Bay Food as our Publix broker. They ensure the planogram is adhered to and executed, which is critical. They’ve got 24 people checking inventory levels and placement on shelves in the stores. No other broker that I was talking to for Publix offered that.”

Looking for an experienced Publix broker that has the relationships, creativity and determination to help you succeed? Contact us today to learn more.