Whether it is procurement, territory covered, number of truck runs, size of orders, promotions, collection of payment, size does matter at distribution. We had to grow to keep pace with the industry. We made a very deliberate strategic decision 6 yrs ago along these lines and formed a strategic plan accordingly. In danger due to scale issue. Our access compromised by bigger players fighting over limited resources.
Natural foods is a maturing industry where price with stable service are the issues of the day.
He who has the lowest cost to do so will prevail. And well capitalized. To remain relevant to our members, to support the systems they need, we had to grow or sell. There essentially was not another viable option on a long-term basis. And time was limited.