Commentary

Commentary From Our President Fond Memories of Gerry D’Amour Michael D. Sleeper, Chief Executive Officer, Imperial Distributors, Inc. I was first introduced to Gerry D’Amour in the late fifties by my father’s younger brother Arnold Sleeper, who owned a Health and Beauty Aid rack jobbing business in Springfield, Mass.  Both he and Gerry returned home [...]

Commentary From Our President New Items Create Sales Gains and Excitement in Non-Foods Michael D. Sleeper, Chief Executive Officer, Imperial Distributors, Inc. New product launches have been scarce for non-foods over the past few years.  Although line extensions with product enhancements have been significant, HBC has not seen new block-buster items, while GM has had winners [...]

Commentary From Our President Helping Non-Foods Become a Better Category Michael D. Sleeper, Chief Executive Officer, Imperial Distributors, Inc. Sometimes I feel General Merchandise and Health & Beauty Care isn’t getting as much attention these days as it should. Even a highly rated consultant, whom we admire, hardly ever mentions GM/HBC in his dispatches to [...]

Commentary From Our President 3 Steps to Boost HBC Performance Michael D. Sleeper, Chief Executive Officer, Imperial Distributors, Inc. Unless you are highly focused on your Health & Beauty Care (HBC) department, you might think the department’s sales are satisfactory, especially considering the state of the economy. But the reality is that supermarkets are losing HBC [...]

Commentary From Our President Congratulations to Ralph Crowley Jr, MFA Person of the Year Michael D. Sleeper, Chief Executive Officer, Imperial Distributors, Inc. One of Worcester’s favorite sons, Ralph Crowley Jr., CEO of Polar Beverages, is incredibly deserving and a wonderful choice to receive this year’s MFA Person of the Year Award which will be [...]

Commentary From Our President Breathing New Life into HBC/GM and Seasonal Non-Foods…. It CAN be Done!!! Michael D. Sleeper, Chief Executive Officer, Imperial Distributors, Inc. In a recent business review for a strong six store independent, I was extremely pleased to see same store, year-over-year Non-Food sales up by 10%. The results were even more stunning [...]

Commentary From Our President Breathing New Life into Supermarket HBC Michael D. Sleeper, Chief Executive Officer, Imperial Distributors, Inc. Today’s HBC and GM categories offer premium, mainstream and economy brands.  But it’s the growth rate of private label brands, compared to national brands, which have created a sea of change in sales for retailers. Whether [...]

Commentary From Our President Breathing New Life into Supermarket HBC Michael D. Sleeper, Chief Executive Officer, Imperial Distributors, Inc. Has HBC lost its edge in supermarkets??? Have fresh and prepared foods taken over management focus while competition from chain drug and mass merchants grows tougher? How much has our down economy impacted HBC in supermarkets? [...]

Commentary From Our President Make HBC Your #1 New Year’s Resolution Michael D. Sleeper, Chief Executive Officer, Imperial Distributors, Inc. Here are TEN reasons why management should make HBC its top priority on the New Year’s Resolution To Do list. PROVING ITS WORTH. If ever a store department proved itself worthy of confidence, it’s HBC.  During the [...]

Commentary From Our President This Holiday Season, Think Positive Michael D. Sleeper, Chief Executive Officer, Imperial Distributors, Inc. What’s to be merry about this holiday season?  If you read the headlines, there‘s not much space for merriment.  With the economy still lagging, heavy unemployment and home foreclosures, supermarkets are facing even more challenges. Wal-Mart and [...]