Section 7: Vendor Choices 1

1
Food Purchasing for Child Care Centers

• Section 7
• Vendor Choices(Step 4)

2
Lesson Objectives
The learner will be able to

• name the vendor choices in his/her community and
  list some of the advantages and disadvantages of
  each and
• write an information sheet for vendors for
  his/her center.

3
Choices Available to You

• Depend on the community where your center is
  located

4
Words Meaning . . .
. . . a business that sells food and supplies

• Vendors
• Suppliers
• Stores
• Distributors
• Retail vendors
• Wholesale vendors

5
Identifying Your Choices . . .
. . . is called a market area analysis.
6
Possible Choices

• Specialty stores
• Local grocery stores
• Supermarkets
• Wholesale clubs
• Wholesale grocery distributors
• Institutional distributors
• Institutional jobbers

7
Specialty Stores
Advantages
8
Specialty Stores
Disadvantages

• Have limited variety
• Do not have CN labeled convenience foods
• Usually do not deliver
• Takes time to pick up items
• Make more stops to get food

9
Local Grocery Stores
Advantages

• Fresh, frozen, and canned foods
• Convenient location
• Charge accounts
• One check at end of month
• Use of stores money until receive tuition or
  government payment

10
Local Grocery Stores
Disadvantages

• Limited variety of food
• No CN labeled convenience foods
• Small cans and packages
• More time needed to prepare meals
• No delivery

11
Supermarkets
Advantages

• Wide variety of fresh, frozen, and canned foods
• Weekly promotions with cost savings

12
Supermarkets
Advantages

• 24/7
• No. 10 cans
• Reduced time for meal preparation
• Charge accounts

13
Supermarkets
Disadvantages

• No CN labeled convenience foods
• Limited delivery

14
Wholesale Clubs
Advantages

• Wholesale prices
• No. 10 cans and other quantity pack items
• Phone orders

15
Wholesale Clubs
Disadvantages

• No charge accounts
• No CN labeled convenience foods
• Annual membership fee
• No delivery

16
Wholesale Grocery Distributors
Advantages

• Charge accounts
• Delivery
• Order by
• Salesperson
• Phone
• Computer

17
Wholesale Grocery Distributors
Disadvantages

• Small home-size cans
• Very few frozen foods
• No CN labeled convenience foods
• Minimum delivery requirements possible

18
Institutional Distributors
Advantages

• Charge accounts
• Delivery
• Order by
• Salesperson
• Phone
• Computer
• CN labeled convenience foods

19
Institutional Distributors
Disadvantages

• Minimum delivery requirements may apply.
• Containers may be too large for your center.
• It is necessary to carefully evaluate your
  centers needs.

20
Institutional Jobbers
Advantages

• Food delivered immediately upon being sold
• Combination of large and home-size containers

21
Institutional Jobbers
Disadvantages

• Must pay for food when purchased
• Offer limited selection of food
• Do not know in advance what is for sale
• Often do not have refrigerated trucks

22
If You Are Not Sure . . .

• Ask questions.
• Ask other
• child care centers,
• schools,
• restaurants,
• nursing homes, or
• hospitals.

23
If You Are Not Sure . . .

• Ask your State CACFP Agency or licensing agency
  representative.
• If you have a sponsoring agency, ask its
  representative.

24
If You Are Not Sure . . .

• Read the names of companies on the delivery
  trucks you see.
• Copy the phone numbers.
• Call the vendors.
• Ask the vendors if they are interested in your
  business.

25
Information Sheet for Vendors

• Purpose
• Tell vendor about your center
• Provide credit information

26
Information Sheet for Vendors

• Name of the center
• Address
• Phone number
• Fax number
• E-mail address

27
Information Sheet for Vendors

• Organization of the center
• Non-profit, for-profit, or public
• If non-profit, list of members of board of
  directors
• If for-profit, list of owners

28
Information Sheet for Vendors

• Number of meals served daily
• Days and hours of operation
• Name, address, and phone number of
• the centers bank and
• the officer who handles the centers account
• Names of the centers employees authorized to
  place food orders