The Raley’s Companies is bigger than just its Raley’s banner — and now the grocery company has an impact report reflecting that.
For the first time, the regional grocery company evaluated its entire store fleet and operations portfolio to establish benchmarks in areas like sustainability and labor.
In addition to the Raley’s division, the grocery company’s expanded impact report consolidates Bashas’ family of brands, which includes Bashas’, Food City, AJ’s Fine Foods and Bashas’ Dine Markets, as well as the FieldTure family of brands, which includes Full Circle and Farm Fresh To You. The report, released April 22, creates first-time benchmarks for initiatives around commitments to team members, sustainability efforts and community impact.
The Raley’s Companies’ previous impact report looked only at its Raley’s Operating Company, which comprises Raley’s, Raley’s O-N-E Market, Bel Air and Nob Hill Foods brands. Published in July 2023, that report documented the Raley’s division’s progress on various initiatives throughout 2021, but did not include any updates on Bashas’, the Arizona-based grocery chain The Raley’s Companies acquired at the end of 2021.
Here’s a look at two areas of The Raley Companies’ impact report and how these new benchmarks reflect the company’s future plans.
Sustainability for all
Over the last two years, The Raley’s Companies donated 17.5 million pounds of food through its Food Rescue Program and recycled nearly 4.5 million pounds of material, including plastic, film and aluminum, according to the impact report. Nearly 9% of compostable packaging was used in fresh foods and deli services, and the grocer is working on ways to use less cardboard, The Raley’s The Raley’s Companies’ Vice President of Community Impact and Public Affairs Chelsea Carbahal noted in an interview.
These data points mark new, specific benchmarks for the grocer, whereas the 2021 impact report was based on Raley’s actions reported on broader sustainability markers such as overall diverted waste.
While sustainable initiatives are being enacted across the company, each of the grocer’s divisions had success in different areas. The latest report highlights Bashas’ sustainable bagging solution, FieldTrue’s support for regional farmers and Raley’s ongoing efforts to reduce the global warming potential of refrigeration equipment.
Raley’s sustainable refrigeration system is currently operating at just one store in Sacramento, California, Carbahal said, adding that the store is serving as the model for the grocer’s planned rollout of GWP refrigeration at new and remodeled stores.
Having only been in Arizona for two years, The Raley’s Companies has not yet built a new store in the state, minimizing its level of opportunity to implement more sustainability efforts. The GWP refrigeration system can be utilized in Bashas’ stores, but Carbahal did not specify when the system would be installed.
Investing in employees
The Raley’s Companies invested $475,000 in leadership development programs and education opportunities throughout 2022 and 2023. That investment went, in part, to the company’s Store Team Leader (STL) program, which has garnered a 73% retention rate since its inception last year, according to Carbahal.
“Our investment in our team members is all centered around learning development and helping them achieve their personal goals,” she said.
The grocery company is finding success in looking for leaders within its current employee base, with 94% of its store team leadership positions currently filled by internal candidates, according to the impact report.
The STL Leadership Track program along with its Leader Launch program are the latest educational courses the grocery company has made available to its employees, Carbahal said. The Leader Launch program serves as employees’ first introduction into a leadership position and for anybody who wants to get into management, whether that be at the grocer’s support center or within stores, Carbahal said.
Currently, 1,100 team members have completed at least one leadership program within the last two years, and the company has promoted 14 of the 22 STL Leadership Track participants, per the report.
Outside of what The Raley’s Companies offers in leadership education, the company is also providing tuition reimbursement for other educational training, including programs run by FMI — The Food Industry Association and the Retail Management Certification Program.
In addition, nearly 200 employees are actively enrolled in a college Retail Management Certificate program, according to the report.
As the grocery company continues to focus its efforts on promoting internally, it also took a first-time look at the diversity makeup of its team members and leaders.
Nearly half (48%) of the grocer’s team members, 41% of its store team leaders and 34% of employees director level or above are considered diverse based on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s ethnic, racial and cultural groups.
The report also noted the high percentage of female leaders within the company, with 42% of team members at the director level or above being female and 59% of its executive committee being female.
