The category leader launched national coverage this year, which is fueling expansion
IRVING, Texas, March 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — As grocery retailers plan to expand meat offerings in 2023, the focus will be on increased access to fresh and organic offerings. Fresh meat products are a critical driver of growth for retailers, and this is why they rely so heavily on dependable suppliers and brokers. Epic Sales Partners, the largest independent fresh-food sales agency in the United States, helped over 75 retail chains and over 2,000 storefronts access over 300 different meat products in 2022. They have increased this commitment in 2023, with a goal of helping retailers and meat suppliers provide local communities access to more than 600 different meat products in 2023.
In a recent survey published by Supermarket News, over 43% of retailers felt that fresh meat presents the biggest challenge in 2023. This can largely be attributed to unpredictability with the supply chain, pricing, and overall inflation. This is why Epic only works with meat suppliers and manufacturers who have a strong commitment to predictability and consistent growth.
“Retail shoppers still prefer to shop for fresh meat in their local stores,” said Dave Huddle, President of Epic Sales Partners – Central. “Our retail partners rely heavily on quality meat suppliers to meet these demands and to consistently increase store traffic due to the availability of fresh meat products.”
The industry expects to see a 5.5% increase in food sales in 2023. In addition, inflation has decreased for perimeter departments, which includes fresh meat. A recent study by IRI, “Impact Of Inflation On Consumer Behavior,” shows that as inflation has decreased, demand has increased. Retailers especially experienced volume growth in pork, chicken, and beef during the latter half of 2022.
“Epic stays ahead of trends and works with meat suppliers across the country to supply a steady supply chain of quality products,” said Mark Wilhelm, President of Epic Sales Partners – West. “Our growth in the variety of meat products helps meet the increasing demands of retailers and consumers.”
The Epic team is attending the Annual Meat Conference, hosted by the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) and the Food Industry Association (FMI), March 6-8, 2023. The event includes over 1,500 meat and poultry professionals. As the largest independent food sales agency in the country, Epic looks forward to building new partnerships to further support its commitment to growth in the year ahead.
ABOUT EPIC SALES PARTNERS
Epic Sales Partners, Inc. provides headquarter management, retail merchandising, data analytics, technology and administrative services for the fresh, specialty, natural and organic departments. Epic serves almost 100 retailers on behalf of over 350 food manufacturers generating retail sales of $1 billion annually.
With over 35 years of experience, the company has 193 associates with an average tenure of 7.2 years who are trusted category experts that add value to retailers and manufacturers across America.
Epic is headquartered in Irving, Texas, with an additional 9 sales offices across the United States. Epic unifies Premier Sales Solutions, Maher Marketing, Frontier Food Brokerage and MPF Sales and Marketing together under the common brand “Epic Sales Partners.” The company is commonly owned and managed.
