Shifting Retail Environments

S. Abraham & Sons

2019 Progress Report

Year Committed: 2017

Length of Commitment: 3 years

Select a Progress Report:

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Committed to increasing the availability of affordable, nutritious options, modifying its line of sandwiches and salads to meet PHA’s Healthier Food and Beverage Criteria and introducing SAS-sponsored employee wellness programs.

Verified Results

Implementation Date
May 2018
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Create and regularly update a list of products that meet the PHA Healthier Food and Beverage Criteria or PHA Healthier Recipe Criteria; identify such products with PHA logo and/or other icon.
Progress To Date

S. Abraham & Sons has created a PHA order guide containing 140 products that meet PHA Healthier Food and Beverage Product Criteria.
Implementation Date
May 2020
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Create a specific PHA Header and Planogram for 3-foot endcap (potentially with kid-friendly options) and mobile merchandiser rack with 100% of items meeting PHA Healthier Food and Beverage Criteria.
Progress To Date

S. Abraham & Sons has updated its "Whole Lot Better" planogram for a 3-foot endcap and mobile merchandiser rack with nine new products. 100% of the 30 products included in the new planogram meet PHA Healthier Food and Beverage Product Criteria.
Implementation Date
May 2018
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Develop new quarterly Pacesetter program in which at least 1 to 3 items meet PHA Healthier Food and Beverage Criteria; S. Abraham & Sons' entire customer base will receive information about the program.
Progress To Date

S. Abraham & Sons continues to offer its "Whole Lot Better" Auto-Ship, which will automatically ship top-selling food and beverage items that meet PHA's Healthier Food and Beverage Criteria quarterly. At least one healthier product is offered each quarter.
Implementation Date
May 2019
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Through relationship with commissary, modify existing line of sandwiches and subs (and any future additions) so that by year 2, a minimum of 25% of menu items containing dairy will use low-fat or non-fat dairy exclusively.
Progress To Date

S. Abraham & Sons has reformulated its recipes to include reduced fat cheese in place of full fat cheese for all 14 sandwich and sub items available.
Implementation Date
May 2020
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Through relationship with commissary, modify a line salads such that 25% meet PHA Healthier Recipe criteria at any given time.
Progress To Date

S. Abraham & Sons is making progress toward their goal that 25% of salad offerings meet PHA's Healthier Recipe Criteria. As of June 2019, one out of eight, or 12%, of salad options meet the criteria.
Implementation Date
May 2018
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Add a module for Sales training regarding PHA commitment; ensure relevant PHA updates are included in ongoing trainings.
Progress To Date

S. Abraham & Sons continues to make information related to the PHA commitment available on its internal online storage system, SOLO.
Implementation Date
May 2018
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Establish a sales volume or distribution drive goal with quarterly frequency around items that meet PHA Healthier Food & Beverage or Recipe criteria.
Progress To Date

S. Abraham & Sons continued its Distribute Drive for sales reps in 2018 and 2019, encouraging promotion and sales of two products that meet PHA Healthier Food and Beverage Criteria. A new Play to Win incentive program also featured four products that meet PHA criteria.
Implementation Date
May 2018
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Commit a front-quartile one or two pages of each monthly planner with deals on healthier items and marketing information to help the retailer bring these items to the forefront in their location; highlight any healthier items throughout monthly planner.
Progress To Date

S. Abraham & Sons continues to dedicate at least one full page of each Monthly Planner to feature a product that meets PHA's Healthier Food and Beverage Criteria.
Implementation Date
May 2018
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Highlight one item that meets PHA Healthier Food & Beverage or Recipe criteria per week in internal and external newsletters with order code.
Progress To Date

S. Abraham & Sons continues to promote a "PHA Item of the Week" that meets PHA Healthier Food and Beverage Product Criteria in each "On the Shelf" weekly newsletter.
Implementation Date
May 2018
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Create a two-sided 'SAS Top SKUs by volume' PHA tear-pad.
Progress To Date

S. Abraham & Sons continues to promote its two-page tear pad featuring Top Shelf and Cooler SKUs with 41 products that meet PHA Healthier Food and Beverage Product Criteria.
Implementation Date
May 2019
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Highlight PHA partnership and healthier items in fall and winter catalogs, at foodservice show, in Awesome Achiever Program (selling contest for sales reps and customers) and at SBX (business exchange top 25 manufacturers and top 25 chain accounts round robin buying show)
Progress To Date

Insufficient data for verification.
Implementation Date
May 2018
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Suggest a retail pricing in Monthly Marketing Program for a quarterly PHA bundle
Progress To Date

S. Abraham & Sons provides regular retail pricing and featured retail pricing on bundled products that meet PHA Healthier Food and Beverage Product Criteria in its monthly marketing program.
Implementation Date
May 2018
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Maintain four different SAS-sponsored wellness programs throughout the year which are centered around being more active and healthy where employees can win prizes. i. Through 'Walk the Talk' program, distribute information about PHA's Move to Improve Challenge to employees & get executive leadership involvement; promote PHA as charity of choice on Charity Miles moving forward
Progress To Date

S. Abraham & Sons maintains quarterly wellness programs that encourage employees to lead active, healthy lifestyles. 70 or more employees have participated in each of the recent "Sit Less" and "Slim for Summer" wellness programs. During wellness programs, employees are encouraged to track physical activity using the Charity Miles app. Participating employees qualify to win a weekly raffle prize and receive wellness points toward their health insurance incentive program.
Implementation Date
May 2018
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Incorporate wellness messaging into marlin board with quarterly frequency.
Progress To Date

S. Abraham & Sons provides health and wellness education to employees via its digital Marlin board. Wellness messages rotate with at least monthly frequency throughout the year and feature information about wellness programs and wellness tips on topics such as physical activity, self care and sleep.
Implementation Date
May 2018
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Place Drink Up collateral near filtered water in all facilities (warehouse, distribution center, HQ breakroom and meeting spaces).
Progress To Date

S. Abraham & Sons continues to promote Drink Up by placing signage at all filtered water locations within the warehouse, distribution center, headquarters breakroom and meeting spaces.
Implementation Date
May 2018
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Ensure that a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of vending machines options in corporate office and two warehouses meet Choice Plus criteria. Place Drink Up collateral by vending machines.
Progress To Date

S. Abraham & Sons has met its commitment to offer a minimum of 50% of vending machine options that meet Choice Plus Criteria at its corporate office and warehouses. Additionally, Drink Up collateral is featured on all vending machines.
Implementation Date
May 2018
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
By 2018, add the S. Abraham & Sons-PHA partnership information and Healthier Campus Initiative to marketing materials for university/college customers.
Progress To Date

S. Abraham & Sons has met its commitment by making information about PHA's Healthy Campus Initiative available to all university and college customers via its internal online storage system, SOLO.
Implementation Date
May 2018
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
By 2018, facilitate introductions between PHA and current 8 university/college and any new university/college customers to pursue partnership via Healthier Campus Initiative.
Progress To Date

In 2019, S. Abraham & Sons facilitated introductions between PHA and three university customers to encourage discussions about partnership via the Healthier Campus Initiative.

Partner Statement

Through our collaboration with PHA, steady progress has been made towards reaching the goals of bringing awareness and usable tools aimed at increasing healthier options in the convenience store marketplace. SAS has enhanced the Fruit Ridge Farms fresh sandwich line to include a whole grain option along with moving to low-fat cheese on all offerings, developed a branded endcap featuring PHA approved top skus and promotes a bundle of PHA approved items in our Monthly Marketing Planner. These are just a few of the ways SAS assists our retailers in marketing items within their stores to increase sales.

We are confident these marketing efforts will encourage retailers to invest in healthier options and impact consumers positively over time.