KeHE Distributors hosted its annual Holiday Show at McCormick Place in Chicago this week, and partnered with the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) for a first-of-its-kind “Bridge Day,” connecting its show with FMI Connect.
The KeHE event brought together thousands of retailers and suppliers in the natural, specialty and fresh product categories to showcase holiday products and also year-round “hot and on trend” products.
“Both our retail and supplier partners rely on our guidance regarding products that will perform well during the upcoming holiday season,” said Brandon Barnholt, president and CEO of KeHE Distributors, whose show ran June 8-9. FMI Connect begins today and runs through June 13.
Today KeHE sponsored Bridge Day at FMI Connect, the grocery association’s new annual event. The Bridge Day includes retail store tours, an invitation to the joint FMI/United Fresh Produce Association opening general session and the opportunity to attend the remainder of the FMI Connect agenda.
“This exclusive partnership is a first of its kind between FMI and a distributor. We are delighted to partner with an innovator like KeHE,” said Leslie G. Sarasin, president and CEO of FMI.
Based in Naperville, Ill., KeHE provides natural and organic, specialty and gourmet, international and multicultural, and fresh products to more than 35,000 retail outlets throughout North America. The KeHE Holiday Show is a private, invitation-only industry event.
FMI’s U.S. members operate nearly 40,000 retail food stores and 25,000 pharmacies, representing a combined annual sales volume of almost $770 billion.
