The 2025 Spring Case Lot promotion has once again proven to be one of Associated Food Stores’ most successful initiatives, generating an impressive $6.9 million in sales and highlighting the power of cross-departmental collaboration, what the company refers to as “One Associated.”
“If there’s one promotion that exemplifies One Associated, it’s case lot,” says Boyd Irving, Vice President of Exclusive Brands. The promotion’s success is built on a foundation of teamwork, with virtually every department contributing to its execution.
The Spring Case Lot promotion has seen extraordinary development over the years. In Spring 2020, during the early days of the pandemic, sales reached $3.9 million. Fast forward to 2025, and that figure has nearly doubled to $6.9 million, making this year’s event the third most successful spring promotion in company history.
“Customers react differently during case lot. Whether it’s FOMO, or just raw excitement, they love the thrill of the deal,” Boyd explains. “The consumer knows this is the best time of the year to purchase.”
The DeJarnett Partnership
At the heart of this success story is AFS’s valued relationship with DeJarnett, the company’s in-house broker. With a team of 18 professionals, including 10 field members, DeJarnett plays a crucial role in every aspect of the Case Lot promotion.
The process begins with DeJarnett and AFS Exclusive Brands collaborating in a half-day pre-planning session approximately four months before the promotion launches. DeJarnett then inputs the promotion details into the new AMP portal, where category managers refine the offerings.
One of DeJarnett’s most valuable contributions is their sophisticated forecasting process. Using Topco’s Horizon platform, which displays AFS’s inbound purchases for the past 52 weeks by month, DeJarnett helps predict future orders based on historical data and current trends.
“Their expertise and dedication have been instrumental to our success,” Boyd notes. “The forecasting they provide ensures we have the right products in the right quantities at exactly the right time.”
A Showcase for Exclusive Brands
More than 95 percent of Case Lot items are exclusive brands, offering an unparalleled opportunity to showcase AFS’s robust product lineup. The promotion features an impressive assortment of “club pack” sized items, including 25-pound packages of beans, sugar, and flour.
“If our membership needs it, we bring it,” says Boyd, highlighting the customer-focused approach that drives product selection.
The Power of “One Associated”
The Case Lot promotion follows a complex lifecycle that touches nearly every corner of the organization. After initial planning with DeJarnett and Exclusive Brands, the process moves to Category Management, then returns to DeJarnett and Topco for forecasting. Once orders are placed, the buyers, procurement, and distribution teams (including Receiving and Logistics) coordinate the massive movement of goods. AFS advertising and marketing develops promotional materials before the promotion finally reaches ARO and MRO retailers.
The logistical demands are particularly challenging, with Boyd describing the coordination of weight and transportation as “a herculean feat” .
Unlike the Fall Case Lot promotion, which is regionalized to manage distribution center capacity, the Spring promotion runs simultaneously across all membership. This synchronized approach creates a unified shopping experience while still managing to move extraordinary volumes of product.
As consumers continue shopping by the truckload, the Case Lot promotion remains a monument of what can be achieved when all Associated Food Stores’ departments unite around a common goal: creating the best possible value for independent retailers while delivering unbeatable deals to shoppers.