week #9 February 27th, 2023

Dear Customers,
As the second truly bad month of winter comes to an end, we find ourselves uncharacteristically optimistic! The daylight hours are obviously more plentiful at the end of February than they were at its beginning. A couple of days of unseasonably warm weather has long dormant flower bulbs poking their tentative heads up through the previously frozen soil and I’m reminded anew how absolutely powerful our sun is. It doesn’t matter how much ice is packed onto the driveway or on the eaves of our houses. . . a few hours of unmitigated sunshine and its all just a bad memory!

One of the things that happens at this time of year over the next few weeks is our annual food show, sponsored by our primary supplier. When we were with Olean Wholesale all those years, they had a food show in the spring and another along about the middle or end of August. This was a chance for retailers to take advantage of tremendous deals, new technology and basically just to rub elbows with other store owners and find out how they fared the winter.

Since migrating to C&S Wholesale a few years ago, we still have access to two food shows annually but they are held in Connecticut which is a bit of a commute for those of us in Northwest Pennsylvania! One would thing that we could go online and place our orders but for some inexplicable reason, they want to see our smiling faces at the food show. They ensure that happens by making many of the hot deals available only to those who attend! Seems a bit high handed to me, but nevertheless, the items we pre-order will be making their way to our store soon and for several weeks afterwards – often right on into the summer!

Unlike some companies, when we get a deal, we pass it on to our customers. Check the aisles often over the next few weeks and months to take advantage of the special hot food show prices available in every department! Unlike some companies, when we get a deal, we pass it on to our customers. Check the aisles often over the next few weeks and months to take advantage of the special hot food show prices available in every department!