ProBuy Purchasing Consulting

The first premise that you must always keep on mind is that nothing is free. When you see a difference in distributor prices between like items there are only a few possibilities. If you are a “street account*" (no program) the difference in price may be sales person manipulation. However, for program accounts*, that price difference could be pack size, “further processing”, grade or product size. Like it or not getting the “best price” needs your time and effort. Every product category has its own set of rules. For instance, canned green beans. Most operators think that a #10 can of green beans is a #10 can of green beans. Most distributors have up to four levels of “quality”. Some use a color scale, green, blue, yellow pack etc. Sysco uses Reliant, Classic, Supreme and Imperial. Some operators say that they would never buy Reliant because it must be garbage. Other say that they only buy the best so they buy Supreme or Imperial (if that product is available in Imperial).  Here a...

In my opinion, other than the ware wash chemical business, the fresh seafood business is the most deceptive industry out there. Having fresh seafood on your menu can be the most challenging food product category you have. I was the President of the Food Service division of a large Seafood processor / distributor. I only lasted 18 months. Once I saw the amount of bait and switch, I could not look myself in the mirror. The reality is that the FDA only regulates the seafood industry for safety. Unlike the USDA who not only monitors wholesomeness, it rates beef quality by grade. You know what you are getting. When a seafood operator finds that the market loves “snapper” it just makes names up. Years ago, “Snapper” was actually a species called American Gulf Red Snapper. It was over fished and at one time it was illegal to commercially fish in the Gulf. The closest legal species is called Drum. But the industry now has “Pacific Snapper” which is actually Rock Fish. It eats well but it...