Broulim’s Fresh Foods: Navigating Growth in a Competitive Market
Company Background
Broulim’s Fresh Foods is a regional grocery chain based in Idaho, has been serving its community since
1922. It focuses on being a hometown grocery store with personalized customer service you will not find
anywhere else. Known for its customer-centric approach and community involvement, Charlie Broulim
started his first grocery store on Main Street in Rigby, Idaho in 1922. In 1962 Dick Broulim purchased
the family business from his father after returning home from graduate training in Chicago. Broulim’s is
a third-generation family business, with approximately $170M in revenue from 10 stores and about 800
employees. The company would like to focus on the following key questions:
1. How to grow profits in a competitive and changing landscape?
2. What strategies can Broulim’s adopt to differentiate itself from larger competitors and higher
competitive markets while balancing it’s strategy in rural markets with little competition
(currently half of the stores fall in this category)?
3. How can Broulim’s leverage technology to improve customer experience and operational
efficiency?
Tough Competition
Broulim’s is in a competitive market facing other grocery store retailers. Some of their publicly traded
competitors are below. Other non-publicly traded competitors are included in Ex. 3.
Company Name
Ticker
Symbol
Website
Brief Description
Walmart Inc.
WMT
walmart.com
One of the largest retail chains globally, offering a wide range of
products including groceries.
Albertsons Companies,
Inc.
ACI
albertsons.com
Operates numerous grocery stores across the United States, providing a
variety of food and household products.
Kroger Co.
KR
kroger.com
A major player in the grocery industry with a vast network of stores and
a strong regional presence.
Weis Market
WMK
Sprouts Farmer Market
SFM
Broulim’s & Associated Food Stores
Broulim’s is a member of the Associated Food Stores group. Associated Food Stores (AFS) is a
cooperative that supports independent grocery retailers that was founded in1940. AFS is headquartered in
Salt Lake City, Utah. The purpose of AFS was to help independent grocers compete against larger
national chains by combining their buying power. This cooperative model allows members to benefit
from shared resources and economies of scale. AFS serves nearly 450 independently owned retail
supermarkets across Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and
Oregon12. It provides a range of services to its members, including distribution, marketing, and retail
support. They also focus on sourcing local products whenever possible to support local economies12. The
leadership team for AFS includes: President & CEO David Rice, Executive Vice President & COO Roger
White, and other experienced executives2.
SWOT Analysis in Brief:
▪
Strengths: Strong community ties, loyal customer base, high-quality products.
▪
Weaknesses: Limited geographic presence, higher prices compared to national chains.
▪
Opportunities: Expansion into new markets, adoption of e-commerce, partnerships with local
producers.
▪
Threats: Intense competition, economic downturns, changing consumer preferences.
NOTE: This client brief was prepared for the purpose of class use only by Mark Morris with the help of Copilot AI that pulled sources from the
Broulim’s website, the Associated Food Stores website, Dun & Bradstreet, Datanyze, and other sources .
Ex. 1 Broulim’s Leadership Team
Name
Title
Brief Background
Robert
Broulim
President &
CEO
Robert, 3rd Generation Owner, has been
leading Broulims, continuing the family
legacy since taking over from his father. https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardHe focuses on maintaining the company’s broulim
community-centric values while driving
growth.
Brock
Leonardson
Chief
Financial
Officer
Brock oversees the financial operations of
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brockBroulims, ensuring fiscal responsibility
leonardson
and strategic financial planning.
Mitch
Johnson
Controller
Mitch manages the accounting and
financial reporting functions, ensuring
accuracy and compliance.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchjohnson
Bart Snarr
District
Manager
Bart oversees store operations, ensuring
high standards of customer service and
product quality.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-snarr
Director,
Marty Layton Human
Resources
Devon leads the HR department, focusing
https://www.linkedin.com/in/devonon employee development, recruitment,
marrott
and retention.
Director,
Marketing
Cam is responsible for the marketing
strategies and initiatives, enhancing
Broulims’ brand presence.
Richard
Broulim
VP Operation
Richard is a 4th generation owner with a
responsibility to ensure day-to-day
operations run smoothly and grow more
efficient.
Skyler
Oswald
Skyler is a 4th generation owner who
VP Perishables
helps keep the produce fresh and the story
& Marketing
of Broulim’s relevant.
Cam Meyers
LinkedIn Profile
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cam-meyers
Ex. 2 Store Locations
Store Location
Address
City
Zip
Code
State
Population
Rigby
150 N State St
Rigby
83442
ID
4,112
Rexburg
124 W Main St
Rexburg
83440
ID
39,409
Montpelier
130 S 4th St
Montpelier
83254
ID
2,597
Driggs
240 S Main St
Driggs
83422
ID
1,801
St. Anthony
301 Aspen Sq
St. Anthony
83445
ID
3,470
Soda Springs
110 S Main St
Soda Springs
83276
ID
2,964
Shelley
570 S State St
Shelley
83274
ID
4,409
Afton
240 Washington
St
Afton
83110
WY
2,011
Alpine
114 Greys River
Rd
Alpine
83128
WY
828
Ex. 3 Top Non publicly Traded Competition
Company Name
Website
Brief Description
Ridley’s Family
Markets
shopridleys.com
A family-owned grocery chain with locations across Idaho, Utah,
Nevada, and Wyoming, known for its community focus and wide
range of products.
WinCo Foods
wincofoods.com
An employee-owned supermarket chain with stores in the western
United States, known for its low prices and bulk food sections.
Harmons Grocery
harmonsgrocery.com
A family-owned grocery chain based in Utah, offering high-quality
products and exceptional customer service, known for its fresh
produce, bakery, and deli sections.
Rosauers
Supermarkets
rosauers.com
A regional grocery chain with stores in Idaho, Montana, Oregon,
and Washington, known for its friendly service and wide selection
of products.
Macey’s
maceys.com
A Utah-based grocery chain that focuses on providing a friendly
shopping experience and a wide variety of products, including
fresh produce and bakery items.
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