First, we're in the ACME in Paoli. For those who don't know, ACME is a chain of 120 stores in the SE Pennsylvania and NJ area. We are starting with one store- Paoli and will roll out into others. as time marches on. Ugghh. Would love to be in all 120 stores in one shot. Oh well....
So, there I am shopping at the Paoli store with Michael when the Manager came up to us and told us that our sauces were now on the floor. Michael and I raced over to where they were on display only to find that they had only 3 of the 4 sauces for sale. The Roasted Red Pepper was missing. HEY! That's one of our biggest sellers! Customers go bonkers for that one. We talked to the Manager and emailed him as well. He must check with his (our) distributor to see where the hell those cases of Red Pepper are. When they get the Red Pepper is anybody's guess. Hope it's soon. It's weird seeing only 3 of our 4 sauces on the shelf.
Again, there is this "thing" about the food business. For every good thing that happens, there is a "thing" that goes haywire. You get into a store---one SKU is missing. You get a meeting with a store to present your product-- but need to wait 3 months to meet. The store wants your simmer sauces-- but beat the crap out of you on price, demanding free fill or paying to get an off shelf position (that means you get out of grocery aisles and into the perimeter where all the customers travel).... like the meat dept. or produce, etc.
Doesn't matter. It's rhino time. We just gotta keep charging ahead. Clawing for every bit of business we can get. Can't go after new business now though. It's the holidays and managers and buyers are all going nuts with the holiday crush. We will be calling them right after New Years. Got to go now...
tomorrow I demo for 4 hours and need to get ready.
I hope I sell every last jar of our simmer sauces.
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