Mollie Stone’s Markets Invests in Digital Supply Chain Operating System Vori

‍‍Vori, the digital B2B ordering platform optimizing the grocery supply chain, today announced that it has partnered with, and received investment from, Mollie Stone’s Markets, an independent family-owned grocery innovator that has served Northern California for more than three decades, across 9 store locations. 

With this investment, Vori plans to continue to build turn-key solutions that power 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,” said Brandon Hill, CEO & co-founder of Vori. “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.”

Mollie Stone’s has experienced the benefits of Vori firsthand, seeing manual inventory replenishment processes, such as handwriting orders and calling suppliers to place wholesale orders, completely transformed into just a few clicks. Vori’s technology allows Mollie Stone’s buyers to walk their aisles once and reorder merchandise from multiple vendors. The buyers find it easier to access the products their communities need and love without worrying about ordering mistakes or errors, such as under or over-ordering, due to Vori’s digital inventory tracking and electronic order history.

Never a company to sit on the sidelines, Mollie Stone’s has adapted to a shifting consumer landscape for over three decades, and investing in Vori is an extension of that forward-thinking way of operating. 

Like many independent markets, Mollie Stone’s has faced the challenges of time-consuming, antiquated reordering processes. As a result, the Mollie Stone’s team previously had a hard time making data-driven ordering decisions. On top of this, the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions made in-person ordering with vendors impossible, which was particularly problematic when grocery demand was spiking drastically. 

When the Mollie Stone’s team implemented Vori, they found that the platform’s easy-to-use digital interface and scanning app made inventory replenishment faster and more seamless. Thus, reducing time spent on reordering and increasing the time they are able to spend on serving customers. On average, retailers using Vori cut the time it takes to replenish inventory by up to 80%. Vori’s wall-to-wall ordering platform also allows Mollie Stone’s to digitally connect with their suppliers in one place, alleviating reliance on in-person re-ordering 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, Vice President of Mollie Stone’s Markets. “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.” 

Mollie Stone’s Markets has always been rooted in community and local enrichment. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Mollie Stone’s raised $221K+ in donations to Bay Area hospitals and delivered groceries to 160 area codes in the Bay Area. Before the pandemic, Mollie’s offered community-minded services to support their customers, such as the MollieBus (driving customers home with their groceries in certain San Francisco neighborhoods), and Mollieland (a daycare for customers’ children while their parents shop at Mollie’s San Mateo location). 

In that spirit, Mollie Stone’s leadership is at the forefront of taking measures to remedy food insecurity throughout Bay Area communities, an issue that is always top-of-mind for Vori. 

Vori’s technology democratizes access to the food supply, empowering retailers to provide their communities with food from local, regional, DSD, national, and global suppliers. By partnering with Vori, Mollie Stone's is showing that regional businesses can truly compete with large chain grocery retailers, and in many ways are more technically advanced.

About Mollie Stone's Markets

Mollie Stone’s Markets is family-owned and has operated locally since 1986. Along with organic and natural food, Mollie’s carries a complete selection of national brands, special dietary foods, hard-to-find products, handpicked premium produce, and high-quality perishable Deli, Bakery, Cheese, Meat and Seafood Departments. They have been making significant contributions to the economic vitality of the communities in which its stores are located, while simultaneously demonstrating corporate responsibility through sustainability initiatives, generosity, and a progressive working environment. Mollie Stone’s Markets has been making a difference in people’s lives through food since 1986. Visit molliestones.com.

About Vori

Vori is the only modern operating system for the grocery industry. Our technology democratizes access to the local, national, and global food supply, empowering retailers to provide their shoppers with flavors and products from an in-depth marketplace of high-quality suppliers. Vori allows store buyers to streamline their operations with wall-to-wall ordering and multi-vendor product discovery, right at their fingertips. Founded in 2019, Vori is backed by investors who share their vision of a future where food moves freely. Their investors include Greylock, Y Combinator, Village Global, South Park Commons, grocery industry experts from Safeway/Albertsons, and co-founders of Instacart, DoorDash, and Twitch. Learn more at vori.com.