Mollie Stone’s Invests in Digital B2B Ordering Platform
Mollie Stone’s Markets, an independent family-owned grocery store chain in Northern California, has invested in Vori, a digital B2B ordering platform that aims to optimize the grocery supply chain. Using this investment, Vori plans to continue to build turnkey solutions for independent grocery retailers.
“Mollie Stone’s Markets is innovative and forward-thinking, making them a model for natural and independent grocers all over the country,” noted Brandon Hill, CEO and co-founder of East Palo Alto, Calif.-based Vori, a Black-owned startup. “Their investment gives us, and the industry, a signal that Vori is on the right path. We’re thrilled to have Mollie Stone’s as a partner on our journey toward a less fragmented grocery supply chain.”
Since implementing the solution, Mollie Stone’s has seen manual inventory replenishment processes, such as handwriting orders and calling suppliers to place wholesale orders, transformed into just a few clicks. Vori’s technology enables Mollie Stone’s buyers to walk their aisles once and reorder merchandise from various vendors. The buyers find it easier to access the products their communities require, without worrying about ordering mistakes or errors, such as under or over-ordering, thanks to the solution’s digital inventory tracking and electronic order history.
Before implementation, Mollie Stone’s team had a difficult time making data-driven ordering decisions, a state of affairs exacerbated by COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, which made in-person ordering with vendors impossible — a particularly problematic development when grocery demand was spiking so dramatically.
Vori’s easy-to-use digital interface and scanning app made inventory replenishment faster and more seamless, thereby reducing time spent on reordering and increasing the time that Mollie Stone’s associates are able to spend with customers. On average, retailers using Vori reduce the time it takes to replenish inventory by up to 80%. Vori’s wall-to-wall ordering platform also lets Mollie Stone’s digitally connect with suppliers in one place, so that the company doesn’t have to rely on in-person reordering via sales representatives.
“As a cornerstone for several communities across Northern California, the increased efficiency that Vori has brought our business allows us to serve our customers better,” said Aaron Stone, VP of Mill Valley, Calif.-based Mollie Stone’s Markets, which operates nine stores in the region. “As we look toward the future of the natural and independent retail industry, we know solutions such as Vori are vital to our survival. We look forward to continuing to work with Vori to build solutions on which we and our industry peers can rely.”
According to Vori, its technology democratizes access to the food supply, empowering smaller retailers to provide their communities with food from local, regional, DSD and national supplies. The company’s other investors include Greylock, Y Combinator, Village Global, South Park Commons, grocery industry experts from Safeway/Albertsons, and co-founders of Instacart, DoorDash and Twitch.
