News
March 1, 2017Merchants Distributors LLC partners with SparkShoppe for Shopper and Digital Marketing Services
SparkShoppe, a marketing firm that specializes in shopper and digital strategy and solutions that engage shoppers while driving sales for retailers, has partnered with Merchant Distributors LLC (MDI), a division of Alex Lee, Inc., for Shopper and Digital Marketing services. MDI joins Price Chopper/Market 32 as SparkShoppe’s major retail clients.
MDI, a privately-owned wholesale grocery store distributor headquartered in Hickory, North Carolina, supplies more than 600 retail food stores with food and non-food items in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. MDI celebrated its 85th anniversary in September 2016.
“MDI needed a turnkey solution for shopper marketing for the 600+ stores that we service,” said Tom Hutchison, who leads Marketing, Services, and Innovation at MDI. “Nothing of this scale has ever been done within the independent grocery channel. This is a first, and together with SparkShoppe we will be able to deliver significant shopper marketing and sales value for both independent retailers and the brands. We continue to seek out partners and solutions that enable MDI and our retailers to compete with large chains and focus on the consumer.”
Originally an innovative initiative within the marketing department at Price Chopper/Market 32, SparkShoppe developed in response to the growing need for shopper and digital marketing at brand level, across the broader supermarket channel, and in cross-industry applications.
“Presenting our programs at national trade conferences sparked tremendous interest from other progressive retailers and brands of all sizes,” said Heidi Reale, founder and president of SparkShoppe. “It became apparent that there was a need in the industry for a shopper marketing team with retail knowledge, consumer marketing experience and digital and analytical expertise.”
SparkShoppe brings a total marketing solution to its clients, including retail marketing strategy development, shopper and digital marketing, brand management, content management strategy development, consumer insights, and multicultural marketing.
