# #156 - Buyer Spotlight: Glenn Cunningham, Fairway/Gourmet Garage/ShopRite

- Show: [The Startup CPG Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast)
- Published: 2024-08-13
- Length: 40m
- Episode: 66
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-08-13-156-buyer-spotlight-glenn-cunningham-fairway-gourmet-garage-shoprite
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/229e04a7

## Summary

Glenn Cunningham, Director of Center Store for Village Supermarkets (part of the Wakefern co-op), explains how his company sources and scales emerging brands across its banners: Fairway Market, Gourmet Garage, and ShopRite. He details the cooperative model that allows buyers to share trend data, the specific criteria for launching products in high-end specialty stores versus mass-market ShopRites, and the importance of distributor partnerships with UNFI and Rainforest. Cunningham highlights current consumer trends like protein-rich foods, non-alcoholic beverages, and the impact of health tech, while emphasizing that passion and effective in-store demos are critical for new brands to succeed.

## Outline

1. Introduction: Glenn Cunningham and Village Supermarkets
2. The Wakefern Cooperative Model and Store Banners
3. Sourcing Strategies and Distributor Partnerships
4. On-Shelf Success: Demos, Social Media, and Feedback
5. Fancy Food Show Experience and Local Brand Support
6. Current Consumer Trends: Protein, Beverages, and Health

## Topics

- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Village Supermarkets (company)
- Wakefern (company)
- Fairway Market (product)
- Gourmet Garage (product)
- ShopRite (product)
- UNFI (company)
- Rainforest (company)
- Fancy Food Show (other)
- Startup CPG (company)
- Snoods (product)
- Dancing Elephant (product)
- Swoon (product)
- Actual Veg Burgers (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Advice Line with Sarah Kauss of S'well](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-06-20-advice-line-with-sarah-kauss-of-swell) (How I Built This)
- [Advice Line with Andy Dunn of Bonobos](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-04-17-advice-line-with-andy-dunn-of-bonobos) (How I Built This)
- [094: How New Startup Products Get Into Big Retailers](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-09-22-094-how-new-startup-products-get-into-big-retailers) (Product Startup)
- [Advice Line with Jeni Britton of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-03-27-advice-line-with-jeni-britton-of-jenis-splendid-ice-creams) (How I Built This)
- [Advice Line with Ben Goodwin of Olipop](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-09-03-advice-line-with-ben-goodwin-of-olipop) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-08-13-156-buyer-spotlight-glenn-cunningham-fairway-gourmet-garage-shoprite. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Startup CPG Podcast.