TEMPLE, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--McLane Company, Inc., a leading supply chain services company providing grocery and foodservice solutions, announced today it has been chosen as the main distributor for fred’s Pharmacy. With more than 650 locations across the Southeastern part of the United States, this new service agreement allows McLane’s nationwide reach and expertise to consolidate the work of fred’s 60-plus previous distributors.
The multi-year contract, beginning in October, includes distribution of key product categories tailored specifically to fit the needs of fred’sunique format of a discount retailer and pharmacy.
“McLane is well-known in the industry for offering supply chain efficiencies and additional benefits of scale of a single source of supply for key consumable categories,” said Chief Executive Officer, fred’s Inc., Michael Bloom. “Partnering with McLane as an alternatedistribution source allows us to improve our efficiencies and overall direct-to-store process including our ability to improve service, assortment, and freshness; and ultimately grow sales and profit.”
fred’s recently participated in McLane’s value-add Center for Category Innovation (formerly Lab Store) process, where the retailer was able to benefit from McLane’s proprietary sales database and category managers to identify and capitalize on key merchandising trends and market-specific product mix and planograms.
“fred’s has uniquely positioned itself to be a successful pharmacy retailer with a broad value based assortment in the Southeast,” said Tony Frankenberger, president at McLane Company, Inc. “It’s a privilege to be chosen as asupply chain provider for fred’s,and further help the company reach its goals.”
About fred’s Inc.
fred’s Inc. and subsidiaries operate in 15 states in the southeastern United States with 304 full-service pharmacy departments located within fred’s stores, including four franchised locations. Additionally, fred’s Inc. has 57 Xpress pharmacy locations, three specialty pharmacy locations and more than 650 discount general merchandise stores chain-wide. With a unique store format and strategy, combining the best elements of a discount dollar store, drug store and mass merchant, fred's stocks more than 12,000 frequently purchased items addressing the daily needs of its customers. For more information aboutfred’s, please visit www.fredsinc.com.
About McLane
McLane Company, Inc. is one of the largest supply chain services leaders, providing grocery and foodservice supply chain solutions for convenience stores, mass merchants, drug stores and chain restaurants throughout the United States. McLane, through McLane Grocery, McLane Foodservice and wholly owned subsidiary, Meadowbrook Meat Company, Inc., (MBM), operates 80 distribution centers across the U.S. and one of the nation’s largest private fleets. The company buys, sells and delivers more than 50,000 different consumer products to nearly 90,000 locations across the U.S. In addition, McLane provides alcoholic beverage distribution through its wholly owned subsidiary, Empire Distributors, Inc. McLane is a wholly owned unit of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK) and employs more than 20,000 teammates.
