Dallas – 7-Eleven, Inc. has awarded Bake Fresh Company, LLC the company’s 2010 Retailer Initiative Award, citing the dramatic turn-around of a Colorado commercial bakery the Chesapeake, Va.-based company assumed just a year ago.
Jesus Delgado-Jenkins, 7-Eleven® senior vice president of merchandising, marketing and logistics, presented the award to Bake Fresh President and CEO Jeffrey Saunders, at the annual Retailer Initiative Awards dinner and ceremony Oct. 10. This is the second time the commercial baker has won the honor. Retailer Initiative is 7-Eleven’s strategy for providing customers with what they want through strategic item-by-item management at each store.
“Bake Fresh has embraced 7-Eleven’s strategy to narrow our focus with laser-like precision and drive continuous improvement,” Delgado-Jenkins said. “They have proved to be a tremendously dynamic, forward-looking partner that not only produces great-tasting products but also participates in the successful team-merchandising process that goes along with building a great program.”
After winning the bakery business for 7-Eleven’s Colorado stores in September of 2010, Bake Fresh promptly transformed the existing bakery into a first-class, efficient facility delivering noticeably higher quality product to local stores. Customers could tell the difference, and bakery sales in the market experienced double-digit increases.
To show local 7-Eleven franchisees and merchandisers the remodeled facilities and new baking equipment first-hand, the Bake Fresh operations team held tours to demonstrate how high-quality baked goods could be a compelling customer draw and increase store sales. The partnership with 7-Eleven’s local fresh-bakery operations team proved to be the catalyst for the bakery business turn-around in the Denver area.
“Winning this award from 7-Eleven, our biggest and best customer, is doubly-sweet the second time around,” Saunders said. “From our successful partnership serving East Coast 7-Eleven stores, our Bake Fresh team understood the company’s expectations when we took on the challenges at the Denver bakery. Certainly our first reward for taking on that new business was the dramatic turn-around in quality we could serve up for 7-Eleven customers. The Retailer Initiative Award is just the icing on the cake!”
Bake Fresh has long been a team-merchandising leader for 7-Eleven bakery operations in the Chesapeake and New England regions. The supplier has established production efficiency and execution, and quality assurance standards that serve as best practices for other 7-Eleven bakery partners.
This annual honor recognizes a top supplier and business partner that excels in supporting 7-Eleven stores and meeting their customers’ changing needs. Honored companies provide team merchandising, demand-chain solutions, beneficial cost of goods, category management, product innovation and creativity in advertising and promotional programs.
Candidates were nominated by 7-Eleven’s merchandising and operations personnel and judged on 2010 business activities. The award recipients were chosen by the 7-Eleven Awards Committee, composed of senior executives. This is the 10th year 7-Eleven has presented its Retailer Initiative award. Last year’s winner was The Hershey Company, another two-time winner. Other winners are Kraft Foods, Mars Snackfood US, Miller Brewing Company, a tie between UST Inc. and Bake Fresh, Pinnacle Food Products, Inc. (now Insight Beverages), Nestlé Waters North America and Anheuser-Busch.
Nominations for next year’s award will begin in January and recognize efforts during 2011 that support 7-Eleven’s Retailer Initiative strategy and team merchandising to maximize sales potential for both organizations.
About 7-Eleven, Inc.
7-Eleven, Inc. is the premier name and largest chain in the convenience retailing industry. Based in Dallas, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses more than 8,800 7-Eleven® stores in North America. Globally, there are approximately 43,300 7-Eleven stores in 16 countries. During 2010, 7-Eleven stores worldwide generated total sales close to $63 billion. 7-Eleven has been honored by a number of companies and organizations recently. Accolades include: #2 on Forbes magazine’s 2011 list of Top Franchises for the Money; #4 spot on Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list for 2009, #3 in Forbes magazine’s Top 20 Franchises to Start, and #2 in Franchise Times Top 200 Franchise Companies. Hispanic Magazine named 7-Eleven in its Hispanic Corporate Top 100 Companies that provide the most opportunities to Hispanics. 7-Eleven received the 2010 Retailer of the Year honor from PL Buyer because of the company's private-label brand initiative. 7-Eleven is franchising its stores in the U.S. and expanding through organic growth, acquisitions and its Business Conversion Program. Find out more online at www.7-Eleven.com.
About Bake Fresh Company, LLC
Bake Fresh Company, LLC (formerly known as BakeFresh Manufacturing Company) is a Chesapeake, Va., based wholesale manufacturing company that supplies 7-Eleven, Inc., among other outlets with fresh, delicious high quality baked goods. The company was founded in 1988 as a Central Production Facility to service a multi-unit Dunkin Donuts Franchisee. In 1996 the company signed a wholesale manufacturing agreement with 7-Eleven, Inc. which continues today. In 2005 Bake Fresh expanded into the New England market and then the Denver marketplace in 2010. Bake Fresh delivers fresh donuts, muffins, brownies, cookies and other baked goods 365 days a year and consistently looks for ways to grow the 7-Eleven bakery business.
Bake Fresh Company, LLC / 7-Eleven, Inc.