Fresh Food

K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc. has become part of FoodLink, the buying platform for fresh food retailers and wholesalers. The Abingdon, Va.-based grocer operates 104 stores in Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee.

“FoodLink represents a big step forward in the way K-VA-T purchases fresh, high-quality food for our customers,” said K-VA-T Director of Produce Mike Tipton. “The minute we went live, we were already seeing efficiencies and bottom-line benefits to our perishables buying team.”

Los Gatos, Calif.-based FoodLink connects all participants in the fragmented perishable goods supply chain. The network consists of more than 2,000 retail grocers and their fresh food suppliers, among them carriers and third-party brokers and wholesalers. The platform helps retailers manage the fresh food category to source the highest-quality products at competitive prices while reducing waste and inefficiencies across the supply chain. For suppliers, FoodLink simplifies the process of managing orders, tracking shipments, responding to change requests and receiving payment.