Showcasing Truly Grass Fed on the US Stage

A few weeks ago, the Truly Grass Fed team came together for another successful trade show with one of North America’s largest grocery wholesalers, United Natural Foods. Serving thousands of retail locations, UNFI has been a strategic partner for companies seeking national exposure and broad retail distribution.

They offer several opportunities each year to exhibit our portfolio. This particularly well attended Holiday & Winter Show attracts over 1,400 retail buyers and vendors who travel to Connecticut to interact with over 700 companies.

The two-day event allows our sales team to meet with new and existing retailers, as well as strengthen relationships with both the UNFI category teams and our broker partners, all of which help drive new business, increase customer engagement and open new distribution opportunities for the brand.

Each morning, before the show kicked off, the Truly Grass Fed team stopped by a local bakery to purchase fresh, crusty baguette used as the perfect vehicle for a rich layer of our salted butter. We also displayed cheese platters that showcased the exceptional products produced at our Wexford facility. Attendees are always interested in the story behind where our products are made and those conversations almost always lead to stories of trips they have taken to Ireland or plan to take in the future.

Beyond networking, we use these events to identify emerging trends and gather market insights. Some of the reported takeaways include a renewed drive toward premium private label expansion, products that offer affordable indulgence during a time when consumers are feeling the pinch of grocery expenses and lastly a push toward data-driven assortment planning in order to improve margins, build more relevant product assortments and ultimately a better shopping experience.

From coordinating product samples and displays to meeting with customers throughout the event, success is the result of a true team effort across sales, marketing and the farmer-owned cooperatives in Ireland that supply our premium milk. Attending these shows requires extensive planning and coordination, but the opportunity to strengthen customer relationships, showcase our products and telling the Tirlán story makes the investment well worth it. And as a bonus, experiencing a local New England favourite like a butter-drenched lobster roll doesn’t hurt either!