GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — S. Abraham & Sons Inc. (SAS), a subsidiary of Imperial Trading Co., will host its 36th annual Vendor Exhibit & Trade Show with hybrid online and in-person ordering in 2022. Convenience-store retailers have a six-week buying opportunity, from Jan. 24 to March 6, to place orders on The Marketing Arm Trade Show portal. The in-person event is Feb. 24-25, 2022, at the Devos Place in Grand Rapids, Mich.
SAS is celebrating 95 years in February, and the show’s theme, “Celebrating 95 years of Monopolizing Profits for the Convenience Store Retailer,” reflects the anniversary.
The full-line convenience-store distributor is showcasing new and innovative opportunities for its retailers. The “plant power” trend is growing among consumers looking to support a vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian lifestyle and to consume fewer meat products—a movement on target to reach convenience-store shoppers. SAS will introduce several innovative plant-based frozen and shelf-stable grocery selections at the show to help convenience retailers meet this demand, including entree and smoothie bowls from Tattoo Chef; grain-based ready-to-eat salads from both Table One and Del Monte; Ground Be’f Crumbles and Chick’n Tender meal starters from Gardein; and microwave meals created with plant-based crumbles from Blount’s Family Kitchen.
SAS will also showcase popular full-service center-store programs on the exhibit floor, including live fishing bait from DMF Bait, Chew Max Pet Treats, El Chavito Hispanic candy and snacks, and direct-store serviced sunglasses and cellular accessories from Associated Distributors.
Featured in the Top Hat Café & Convenience Store will be Bean to Cup, Fresh Salad & Soup Bar from Sysco, Fruit Ridge Farms, Go Go Grill, Biscuits & Gravy and Walking Taco with protein, among other features. New open-air coolers will be on display for retailers to order for their stores.
With six distribution centers serving 19 states, Elmwood, LA.-based Imperial Trading and Grand Rapids-based SAS provide marketing, distribution and technology solutions to convenience retailers. Their service area extends from the U.S. and Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico, servicing more than 5,000 retail locations.
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