Major U.S. Grocers Generate Savings, Improve Supply Transparency and Boost Margins

PHOENIX, AZ--(Marketwired - August 11, 2015) - Facing rising consumer demand for food transparency and sustainability^[1], volatile supply prices and a prolonged egg shortage^[2] that's raising prices by nearly 40%, many grocers and wholesalers, including Meijer^[3], Price Chopper^[4], Raley's^[5], Bashas'^[6] and SpartanNash^[7], are relying on Intesource^[8] to overcome these challenges and uncover new business value through procurement.

"Volatile supply prices are squeezing profit margins and limiting supply options, making it difficult for grocers to deliver quality products without significantly raising prices on consumers," said Brian Miller, VP of Services at Intesource^[9], the go-to e-sourcing specialists for grocers, retailers and restaurants. "The key to combatting these market pressures is investing in a smart sourcing strategy that will secure meaningful savings, increase supply chain transparency and drive bottom line results."

Despite the complexities inherent in today's food supply chains, there are still tremendous opportunities to generate valuable savings, influence innovation and find marketable sources of supply. In the first half of 2015, Intesource has identified $26.3 million in total savings for its grocery customers, including:

• 79 percent savings on paper bags
• 62 percent on Styrofoam products
• 77 percent savings on beef supply
• 65 percent savings on back office materials such as copy paper

"Driving savings that impact our entire business is always a top priority, but it becomes even more important when supply shortages cause price increases," said Jim Buhr, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Information Officer at Bashas', a 120-store grocer based in Arizona. "Intesource works as an extension of our internal team, helping us scale on demand, uncover new savings and deliver transparency to the market, which ultimately enables us to offer the best prices and products possible to our customers."

Intesource currently works with over 35 percent of Forbes' largest private food market companies. The company's full-service approach to e-sourcing and deep industry and category expertise keeps customers profitable, efficient and growth-orientated regardless of market conditions.

For more information on generating savings, profitability and supplier value, check out Intesource's latest report, Seven Proven Ways to Reduce Operational Costs.^[10]

About Intesource, a PROACTIS Company
Intesource eliminates operational headaches from the sourcing equation by offering the industry's only enterprise wide, unlimited, full-service e-sourcing package. Intesource's turnkey approach to e-sourcing consistently drives double-digit savings without requiring additional staff or process overhauls -- an approach that saves valuable time and frees up staff to focus on strategic initiatives.

With a history of success in the most challenging sourcing climates, and expertise in both direct and indirect categories, Intesource ensures that buyers are getting the best value every single time. Learn more at www.Intesource.com^[11].

About PROACTIS
PROACTIS is the leading independent provider of Spend Control and eProcurement solutions. Hundreds of organizations around the world use PROACTIS software and services to manage all their external expenditure to ultimately reduce costs, improve efficiencies and mitigate supplier risk.

• PROACTIS Source-to-Contract provides a framework of sourcing, contract, catalogue, and supplier management capabilities that enable the management of all spend categories and suppliers
• PROACTIS Purchase-to-Pay automates and streamlines the entire day-to-day buying process, from request through authorization, ordering, and invoice processing
• PROACTIS Supplier Interaction and Commerce provides a cloud-based channel for all forms of electronic interaction with suppliers

Widely used in mid-to-large sized organizations across private, public and not-for-profit sectors, PROACTIS is routinely integrated with ERP and financial systems. For further information, visit proactis.com.

References

1. ^{^} food transparency and sustainability (ctt.marketwire.com)
2. ^{^} prolonged egg shortage (ctt.marketwire.com)
3. ^{^} Meijer (ctt.marketwire.com)
4. ^{^} Price Chopper (ctt.marketwire.com)
5. ^{^} Raley's (ctt.marketwire.com)
6. ^{^} Bashas' (ctt.marketwire.com)
7. ^{^} SpartanNash (ctt.marketwire.com)
8. ^{^} Intesource (ctt.marketwire.com)
9. ^{^} Intesource (ctt.marketwire.com)
10. ^{^} Seven Proven Ways to Reduce Operational Costs. (ctt.marketwire.com)
11. ^{^} www.Intesource.com (ctt.marketwire.com)