Getting Started (Retail Sale Items)

To help you initiate your relationship with Safeway, we suggest that you do the following:

• Visit one or more of our stores to compare your product or service to what we currently offer our customers.
  
• Evaluate your product in terms of its value:
• How will it help Safeway customers?
• What will they find useful or enjoyable about your product?
• How will it enhance the existing line of goods and services at Safeway?
• Is your cost and suggested retail price competitive?
• Additionally, for retail sale items:
• Does your product have the required universal product code (UPC) number for scanning, billing and inventory purposes, from the Uniform Code Council? (937) 435-3870;
  uc-council.org.
• Most food products for retail sales require a nutrition facts label. Please check with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for more information on labeling requirements and exemptions. 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332). Specifically for food items, the following site will provide you an in-depth look at a sample label: www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fdnewlab.html.

Once you have completed the process outlined above, notify the diversity contact. Be prepared to give a brief description of your product or service at the time of your call or within your e-mail communication.

You'll be asked to mail in any materials you have regarding your product or service. Once we receive your initial information, we will evaluate it and have the proper individual(s) contact you to schedule a meeting.

Evaluating Supplier Potential

We look at several factors when evaluating a supplier:

• Product supply – do you have adequate product in your pipeline to answer potential consumer demand?
• Product support – promotional support is necessary when introducing a new product to consumers. Do you have a promotional plan for your product that includes some or all of the following: advertising (TV, radio, and/or print), coupons, in-store product sampling, and point-of-sale (POS) materials?
• Product quality – Safeway has a commitment to provide quality products to its customers at value pricing. People expect the best and we work to provide it. Your product must meet Safeway standards before we will offer it to our customers.
• Past performance – What is the sales history of your product; where is it sold today? If you are a former supplier to Safeway, we examine your performance when evaluating a continuing relationship. Specifically, we look at the following factors: competitive pricing, consistent quality, on-schedule deliveries, extraordinary service, and a willingness to go above and beyond in time of need or emergency.