Product, layout changes seen at local grocer

They say no man is an island, but sometimes grocery stores are. At least, according to Thompson Falls Harvest Foods owner Jim Farger.

"As a rural, remote location without many other options, we have a duty to do our best to provide the best quality and selection of products for customers," Farger shared. "That means we have to find good deals so that we can pass the savings on."

Farger brought more than 35 years' grocery retail experience to the store when he took over the beginning of 2017. When a nationwide shakeup in product distribution companies began last year, Farger saw the writing on the wall and moved forward with confidence.

"It was really kind of a sad thing to see. I had a hand years ago in helping to build up the brand that everyone is so familiar with," said Farger, referring to Western Family food company's sale last year. The effects of the sale are just now being felt in rural areas. The brand had created their own version of just about any product found in a grocery store and became a household name.

In addition, Dairygold company pulled out of distribution to a whole circle of stores the size of Harvest Foods (a franchise comprised of six locations) and smaller, all the way up to bigger chains like Super 1 Foods and Rosauer's. These two moves in the grocery world left stores scrambling to find new distributors to acquire replacement products for the shelves – but it also found distribution companies fighting for the opportunity to fill in the gap.

Harvest Foods struck a deal with Meadow Gold to solve the dairy needs left by the exit of Dairygold. Therefore, new product date shelving rhythms had to be established; a rhythm that caused a very temporary hiccup in the refrigerated dairy aisle.

Farger, who transitioned to Thompson Falls from the Lolo Harvest Foods location, noted that although Sanders County Harvest Foods is larger square footage-wise, the amount of total refrigerated dairy space is less. This has led to the store taking the advice of their new distributor's merchandising counselor. Customers may have noticed a change in the location of frozen products.

"They came in and really created a better flow and use of space, since our product placement was rather fragmented – with breakfast items mixed with dinner and veggies," Farger explained, noting that once customers find their bearings with the new placement the flow of the shopping experience is improved and streamlined.

United Retail Merchants (URM) is filling the spaces left by Western Family, and Farger couldn't be more excited for the store and customers to try the new items that are hitting the shelves.

"We left this company years ago, and after trying many others, I'm thrilled to get back to URM," said Farger. "They are a cooperative, so Harvest Foods is part owner. Meaning we are able to get deeper deals and savings, which get passed on."

He also touted the company's brand development, which uses customer feedback, taste trials and testing to provide the best one-off brand products available. For example, Farger could always tell the difference in cream soda and cola prepared by Western Family as opposed to the big brands, but he's impressed with the taste tests that were conducted by the URM brands to create their versions. That goes for all products under the URM umbrella that is looking to replace Western Family in the minds of consumers through superior quality.

Rather than looking for the Western Family versions of products that lined nearly every shelf, customers will become familiar with the less-generic-looking URM brand labels such as Wide Awake coffee. The biodegradable bag of grounds features a wide-eyed owl and colorful design. And, to one-up the plain look of the Western Family, Wide Awake provides flavors other than light, medium and dark.

ValuTime will be the new face of canned goods, while new parents will use Tippy Toes products for baby needs. Pet owners can look forward to the products of Pure Harmony and Paws, and the new flavors of ice cream offered by Cow Belle will have to be given a test drive. Other labels include TopCare medical supplies, Simply One paper-based products, CharKing grill supplies and Buckley Farms processed meats.

Being a veteran in the grocery business (and the armed services – he even ran a store for the Navy), Farger is deftly navigating the disturbance in distributors compared to other stores. But he gives the credit to the employees.

"We have a really great team here and we've been highlighting their abilities lately," Farger said. "When I came on we had all the right tools in the shed, now I feel like we are utilizing their attributes effectively."

Amidst the changes, there are some products that may have fallen through the cracks and Farger wants to hear about it.

"All our staff are trained to take customer suggestions and move the procedure along to getting a product on the shelves," Farger explained. He did note that some special items such as black toothbrushes or the myriad organic foods can be hard to find or not as in-demand, but he's willing to pull strings and use resources to get the products in the customer's hands. If he can't justify the cost of putting the requested product on the shelf, he'll gladly order the item by the case for a wholesale straight-to-customer transaction.

"We are an island out here, with limited options in the area for customers," said Farger. "Because of that unique situation, we'd like to do our best to make sure no one has to 'leave the island' to get the things they need."