Bringing the Supermarket to You;

SouthEastern Foods Direct to the Home Shopping

By Roane Beard

Look into any textbook on the subject of sales, and you’ll be told that the key to success is to sell a product you believe in. If you can do that everything else will fall into place. It’s a philosophy that’s worked for salesmen and companies alike. For SouthEastern Foods, it’s been the foundation of a fifty-year legacy.

“We simply offer a fantastic product,” says Greg Pomas, the company’s president. “That’s what sets us apart. We deliver high-quality foods and appliances directly to the customer’s home. If they’re not satisfied, we’ll replace it. Guaranteed.”

Greg and his wife, Caron, have the experience to back up their claims. Greg grew up learning every aspect of the food business from his father, Gene, who opened Gulf Coast Foods in 1960, a direct to the home food service company that was the predecessor of SouthEastern Foods. When Gene passed away in 1986, Greg took up the torch and carried on the family tradition. Caron, the daughter of a food dealer from Michigan, added her own experience to the mix, and the two set out to expand the company’s area of operations. Now they service most of the southeast, including Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and parts of Louisiana, changing their name to SouthEastern Foods to reflect the larger range of operations.

“We strive to be better than the supermarket,” says Greg. “We want to deliver higher quality, better convenience, and one-hundred percent satisfaction. We supply about eighty percent of the grocery needs for most of our customers, delivering steaks, roasts, poultry, vegetables, and prepared meals. That, along with our flexible delivery schedule, makes it very convenient for the customer. The savings in time are enormous. Instead of spending an hour or more at the store every week, our customers receive one delivery every six months at a time that’s right for them. It only takes about a half-hour. It’s not even an extra bill—instead of shopping at the grocery store, you shop with us. And if for some reason you’re not satisfied with any of the products we deliver, we’ll replace them.”

“On top of that, we work with each of our customers to plan healthy, balanced meals well in advance,” says Caron. “After the customer places their initial order with our sales staff, one of our ‘home economists’ calls to discuss nutritional and dietary concerns. That way, we ensure that the food we deliver is right for each family.”

The food is the key element to the program, but the company also sells professional-grade appliances, cookware and accessories from Imperial, Messerstahl and Saladmaster. Again, convenience is the key to their approach in placing their products in customers’ homes.

“All sales are done through an in-home consultation,” Greg says. “In addition to setting up the program, our salesmen ensure that the customers have the tools they need. Obviously, refrigeration is an important factor. We sell professional-grade freezers of different sizes, suitable to large or small families, and for homes or apartments. All of our food is guaranteed against spoilage, and we back up the freezers as well.”

Do you like the sound of having your grocery shopping done for you? Give it a try. SouthEastern Foods offers trial packages, so you can see for yourself. Take a look at their website (www.sefcorp.com) or call 850-474-6525 for more information.