DaveP

I spent 13yrs in the food business. 5yrs as a broker - the rest as manufacturers.

My opinion of the food business - IT SUCKS! The retailers are the worst part of it.

Just my $,02

Madcow

Hey, don't ask me. My opinion of food brokers is about one step below used car salesmen.

toolman

Wildthing,

Thanks for your input. I'm buying an existing deli provisions route from someone. It's alot different than what a broker does. Very interesting job you have though. Good luck to you!

Toolman

DaveP

Wildthing - have you always worked in the Ohio market?

I worked in every market east of the Mississippi and the retailers in Ohio & Indiana are pushovers!

Try working NYC, Boston, Royal AHOLD, Winn Dixie, PUBLIC, HARRIS TEETER and the rest of those sc*mbags.

You would think differently of retailers.

Madcow

This is the sort of thing I have a problem with. As opposed to giving your customers the best possible price your taking them for bus and boat rides. And who in the end pays for it? The loyal end consumer. Any time a broker or a wholesaler offers me a perk, I tell him to keep it and give me a better price. I don't want to have to raise my prices so I can go for a bus ride. I know this goes against normal practices in the food industry, but I'd rather look out for my customers instead of them looking out for me.

Madcow

And as far as the Prima Donna comment, ask my customers and my suppliers what they think. Don't dump your complex's on me.

MitchStellin

Hey WildThing, you better not let me hear you say Meijers.....there is no "s" it is Meijer. I correct at least one person a day on this.

Madcow

In all honesty Wildthing, I don't know you and I don't know how you do business. Sorry to dump on you, but I had a run in with a salesman this week and it kinda' left me with a bad taste in my mouth. However I am disenchanted with the industry because of the perks. I see more ofter than not it's not the business owner who gets the perks but the buyer, and this influences the purchase to the point where everyone gets screwed but the buyer sometimes. Again sorry to dump on you and I'll PM you with my cell # and if you want give me a call next week. As for Toolman, this is a great business to be in , 'cause as they say "everyone has to eat".

ragtop409

Man, listining to you to bicker like little girls makes me think the meat bizz is just like the beer bizz. Rag's

Ms PatriYacht

Madcow, I am glad to see that you have apologized, I have been annoyed by your original post. I realize that you are not part of chain like Kroger so I am sure your experiences and business practices are different, but you sort of lumped food brokers in as a single group. Having spent about 20 yrs in consumer product sales, selling mostly to the large chains through brokers, I found that they worked their a**s off . The 4 years that I spent calling on the food side of the business was the worst and most unfair selling arena I have ever been in. From my view, it appeared that the grocery broker did just about all the work for the retailer, from designing the set, setting the shelves, rotating the goods, hauling it out from the back, sampling the product, and a lot more. I can see why you could be down on the business because your opinion on buyers seems on par with mine. A majority of the buyers in the chains (not all) were the rudest, greediest, and laziest bunch of customers I ever met, from their corporate demands such as $30,000 plus slotting allowance and the astronomical add fees, to their continuing thirst and appetite for lunches and dinners.
I am happy to say that for the last six years I have been in the industrial market, where I have a chance to sell not only on the price of the product but by the merit of it as well.
Wild Thing you sound like one of the good guys, some one who likes his job and is happy to provide great customer service, similar to those brokers that I had the privilege of working with.
Toolman, good luck with your venture it sound like you will be dealing on a store level not the chains. if the deal is not closed it is my advice, to ride on the route several times. Do a few surprise rides, call the morning of, this way he can't set if up that you only see the best customers.