FoodLink, an online network for fresh food wholesalers, suppliers, and retailers, experienced significant growth in 2011, adding new customers at a record pace, introducing new products, and growing network commerce for fresh produce by more than 30%.
This online network improves business for all participants in the fragmented perishable goods supply chain. The network consists of more than 2,000 retail grocers and their fresh food suppliers, including carriers and third-party brokers and wholesalers. For suppliers, FoodLink is a sales platform that simplifies the process of managing orders, tracking shipments, responding to change requests, and receiving payment.
In 2011, retailers such as Giant Eagle, Price Chopper Supermarkets, KVAT Food Stores, and Roundy’s Supermarkets selected FoodLink as their platform for sourcing and purchasing perishable goods. In addition, established FoodLink buyers such as Ahold USA, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Topco Associates, Supervalu, and Unified Grocers all renewed their commitment to the network.
The FoodLink network also grew in terms of overall purchase order volume and in the number of trading partner connections between buyers and sellers. More than 200 new suppliers signed up for annual subscriptions, and overall network traffic increased with more than 450 new supplier-buyer relationships. Year-over-year, the number of orders for fresh produce grew by 16%t, contributing to a more than 30% increase in total sales over 2011.
In addition, a record number of high-volume suppliers signed up for FoodLink DirectConnect, a service that directly integrates back-end financial and operational systems with the FoodLink network. New DirectConnect customers include Capital Logistics, C H Robinson, Dandrea Produce, Dole Fresh Fruit, Frank Donio, Genpro, Mission Produce, Nature Sweet, Premio Foods, Railex, Ready Pac Produce, Russet Potato Exchange, and State Garden.
For more information, visit www.foodlink.net.
