RangeMe Reaches Milestone With 125,000 Suppliers

RangeMe has logged a milestone achievement with more than 125,000 suppliers on its online platform, which streamlines new product discovery between product suppliers and retailers. Company officials said the number underscores the company’s significant growth over the past two years, which surged from 1,500 product suppliers in 2015 to more than 125,000 CPGs that actively market their brands and products on RangeMe’s platform.

Since launching RangeMe almost three years ago with a goal of changing the way retailers source products, “reaching more than 125,000 suppliers—a number we expect will continue to rise—validates that we’re doing just that,” said Nicky Jackson, founder and CEO of the San Francisco-based company, in a statement.

Since suppliers and manufacturers often face an uphill battle trying to get their products in front of regional or national buyers, Jackson said RangeMe’s platform brings the buyers to the suppliers and eliminates many of the roadblocks suppliers often encounter. Rather than letting samples and pitches languish, the platform makes it easier for retailers to discover new products that speak to their consumers’ needs.

"Overseeing nearly half of our dog- and cat-supplies online assortment, I'm constantly searching for innovative, competitive products that fit specific needs and help expand our business in the e-commerce channel," said Andrew Frechette, category manager of e-commerce for Petco. "RangeMe has become an essential part of this process as it gives me the ability to source relevant products at my own speed while also helping me find products I might not have initially been searching for."

Related:RangeMe Launches ‘Verified’ Listings

By providing an efficient way to source innovative new products and manage the inbound product submission process, RangeMe promotes new product discovery for retail buyers. Regional and national buyers at retailers such as Whole Foods Market, Target, Petco, Ulta Beauty, CVS, Rite Aid, Dollar General, Meijer, Hy-Vee and Sprouts have utilized RangeMe to source new and innovative products.

For suppliers, RangeMe not only offers significant access to retail buyers, but also gives them greater control over the marketing of their products.

“If I had advice for suppliers, I’d say, ‘Don’t ignore RangeMe.’ The faster you set up your products, the faster buyers will reach out to you,” said Mark O’Brien, sales manager at emerging foods brand Terrapin Ridge Farms. “Your products on RangeMe work for you every day just like a booth that’s set up 24/7 online.”

Contributing to this extensive surge in brands was the 2017 launch of RangeMe Verified, which Jackson said significantly decreases the time it takes buyers to source products by ensuring brands have high-quality product images, insurance, packaging dimensions and nutritional labels. The Verified program also increases a brand’s visibility on RangeMe via an easy-to-spot badge that places them above nonverified brands as buyers review their product submissions and search for new items.

“RangeMe is constantly evolving as the needs of our suppliers and buyers continue to grow,” Jackson said. “And as more companies begin to leverage RangeMe, standard CPG processes can and will change to adapt to a faster-moving, more agile industry.”