Rutter’s is intent on cultivating relationships with both its customers and the local supplier base. Cheri Booth is playing a key role in making sure it happens.
By David Bennett, Senior Editor
Cheri Booth has been working at Rutter’s for more than 10 years, but these days, she has a fresher perspective on her work.
Booth serves as Fresh & Local category supervisor for the York, Pa.-based convenience chain. She plays a vital role when Rutter’s last fall began expanding its Fresh & Local initiatives by adding seasonal fruits and vegetables to grab-and-go cold cases and fresh, restaurant menu offerings.
Now the c-store is offering customers a fresh assortment of watermelon, blueberries, heirloom cherry tomatoes, sweet corn and yellow and green squash in the grab-and-go case—located in the center of the store. Watermelon, blueberries, tomatoes and other produce items are sold in ready-to-eat packaging, perfect for a quick, healthy snack.
The sweet corn and squash are fresh packed whole for customers.
In her role, Booth is responsible for bringing fresh supplies to Rutter’s expanding retail table. For that, CSD is recognizing her as a 2019 Category Management Leader.
LOCAL FOCUS
Having steadily promoted a robust foodservice program, Rutter’s is now using fresh and local ingredients in its on-site restaurants.
Some of the ingredients include sliced and chopped sweet onions, sliced green peppers and mushrooms, all grown in Pennsylvania. And as the growing seasons change, so does the fresh selection.
In describing the overarching scope of her role, Booth said her immediate duties are transparent within the convenience chain.
“I am responsible for several of my own in-store categories, and I overlap all c-store categories if a product is fresh or local and work with the category supervisors for implementation of new local/fresh products,” Booth said.
However, the dynamics of her role requires Booth to research local businesses and products that are regionally relevant to the 73 store locations.
“I work with local businesses to tell consumers the story behind the product, such as if the company is family owned, the span of generation, the employment opportunities for the community the company provides, sustainability efforts that it undertakes, etc.,” Booth said.
According to LocalHarvest.org, the average commute for fruit and vegetables in the U.S. is 1,500 miles—a long time by the average person’s standards. Rutter’s reasons that local foods travel a fraction of that distance and still maintain their appearance, taste, quality and nutrients.
The premise of offering local foods is starting to grow in terms of being a strong selling point with Rutter’s customers, not to mention establishing beneficial ties with neighborhood suppliers.
“Working with a produce supplier has allowed us to continue to grow our fresh and local initiatives through backhauling and distribution with some of our local partners while also providing fresh, quality offerings,” Booth said.
BEFORE FRESH
Born and raised in Red Lion, Pa., Booth joined Rutter’s in 2018 first as a team member. She has also filled the role of restaurant manager and food service quality supervisor, before being named Fresh & Local category supervisor last year.
Rutter’s now works with more than 55 local brands, including Spring Glen Fresh Foods, Kunzler & Co. and Wintergarden Quality Foods, plus 12 Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia produce farms for both retail packaged products and ingredients for freshly-made restaurant items.
To expand its fresh fare further, Rutter’s menu recently added pork belly from local vendor Garrett Valley in Swedesboro, N.J.
The convenience store retailer is aware of the growing demand for transparency, which aligns with its fresh initiatives.
“Consumers now more than ever are reading labels, looking for clean labels—what’s in their food—along with a strong commitment to buying local and the sustainability efforts being taken by those businesses,” Booth said.
