
IRSSC 2023-2024 Summary
IRSSC 2023-2024 Summary:
The Independent Retailer Shared Services Cooperative continued to work with various food businesses (often 7 days a week) to navigate many challenges with respect to local businesses. We produced innovative marketing materials and have offered marketing resources available at a low cost through our social media marketing campaign, and continued to facilitate collaboration with educators and school activities.
We partnered with local businesses, agricultural producers, and aggregators to promote local food and value-added agricultural product brands, and to offer discounts on major prepared food product sectors to shoppers who purchase fresh, local food and value-added products.
Our public relations campaign expanded by promoting the overall impact local grocers and garden centers have on Maine’s economy and we created new market opportunities by using IRSSC members’ and non-members stores as the focal points for local businesses to help sell to the underserved, all in support of increased consumption (and therefore sales) for local entrepreneurs and local food products. Our target audience was encouraged to buy more locally produced products: alternative possibilities that can help increase the demand for local food while helping local grocers to market, and promote exclusive deals for consumers on healthy local foods while also assisting local food banks with monetary donations.
Our business plan has changed to a degree over the past several years, however, our business and marketing plans have not changed. We provide industry insights and marketing support, to members and non-members.
“We help independent businesses become more vibrant and resilient partners”.
Over the past 12 years the IRSSC has helped independent businesses secure financing totaling over 26 million; grants over 600,000 and our vendor negotiation training has resulted and supported: past, present, and non-members secure well over one million in untapped vendor trade funding.
Photo: Engin_Akyurt onPixabay.