NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- Two new initiatives from Eby-Brown LLC are aimed at improving the way the distributor communicates with retailers and markets its fresh foods.
New ESP 360
The company Sept. 20 launched its new mobile application: Eby Source Point 360 (ESP 360). ESP 360 makes store management and ordering faster, easier and more convenient for retailers through an intuitive user interface accessed across an omnichannel environment that provides value-based information and allows them to have inventory metrics and analytics at their fingertips, the company said.
“Telxons and smart hand-helds are tools of the past. Mobile solutions are the tools of the future,” said Eby-Brown co-president Thomas Wake. “EbyBrown is committed to providing our customers technology solutions that give them an advantage in the marketplace. The release of ESP 360 is another example of this commitment.”
ESP 360 allows Eby-Brown customers to access information at any place, anytime, the company said.
“Our goal is to empower our customers through an easy-to-use application that will help them become more accurate and efficient,” Wake said. “ESP 360 transforms the ordering process by putting crucial data at the retailer’s fingertips and giving them the tools they need to make informed decisions quickly and easily.”
And the app will evolve as customers’ needs change, the company said.
“It will provide customers the foundation for an enhanced interaction with not only Eby-Brown, but other industry partners as well,” Wake said. “Future commitments to strengthen this initiative will include suggested orders to our retailers based on their order history. Additionally, it will provide the ability to check in orders and view estimated delivery times, not to mention order their products directly from Eby-Brown publications.”
A Reboot for Wakefield
Meanwhile, Eby-Brown is rebooting its Wakefield proprietary food line. The brand was established in 1994 and delivers fresh food products to the convenience-store market. New packaging, a refreshed logo and an extended product line will help reinforce the promise of fresh quality, the company said.
“Taking a different position on the branding was part of the strategic repositioning of the brand that began a year ago to meet the evolving market needs,” Wake said. “We partnered with an agency who has extensive global background on the c-store market. Through a combination of their research and our own, we developed the new brand to coincide with the demand for healthier, better-for-you choices in the c-store market.”
Wake said he expects Wakefield to resonate with c-store customers. “We know today’s c-store consumers want choices that lead to healthier eating habits," he said. "As a result, in addition to the quality sandwich offering we have always provided, we have added healthier options like fresh parfaits, heart-healthy sandwiches like our new egg white frittata, and wrap sandwiches.”
And expect more to come. “As our research has indicated, we will continue to add healthier choices for our c-store customers to keep ahead of the market trends, and as always, make our offerings with the freshest and finest ingredients as we enhance the options to our food line,” Wake said.
Retailers can get a glimpse of the improved Wakefield line and the ESP 306 app at Eby-Brown’s booth at the NACS Show Oct. 18-21 in Atlanta.
Naperville, Ill.-based Eby-Brown Co. LLC is the largest family-owned wholesale consumer products distributor in the convenience industry.
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