EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

Food Lion LLC, an Ahold Delhaize company, provides equal employment opportunities to all associates and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity or gender expression.

If you are granted the opportunity to do business with Food Lion, we will expect that you interact and treat our associates with the same level of protection set forth above in our equal employment opportunity statement.

WHAT IS SUPPLIER DIVERSITY? 

Supplier Diversity is a business initiative to build and support a vendor base that reflects the diversity of our customers. Supplier Diversity and Inclusion is the intentional procurement business ​practice of utilizing women-owned, minority-owned, Veteran-owned, LGBT-owned and disabled-owned suppliers throughout a company's supply chain.​

We take the inclusion of diverse suppliers seriously at Food Lion. Without it, we couldn't stock our shelves every day with the wide variety of products that keep our diverse world of customers satisfied. Nor would we be able to keep our prices low.

We develop these relationships by incorporating diverse businesses into the everyday process of category reviews and product or service bids. We seek out the best suppliers; companies that can meet our requirements and whose products and services meet the needs of our customers.

Food Lion has numerous opportunities for diverse suppliers and our approaches to supplier inclusion are as varied as the businesses and individuals with which we partner.

OUR SUPPLIER DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION CORPORATE STATEMENT:

"Food Lion recognizes the importance of supplier diversity and inclusion. If the company is to continue to grow in an increasingly diverse marketplace, we must encourage and support the growth and development of diverse owned business enterprises. We believe that doing business with diverse owned suppliers enhances our product offerings, while helping to grow the towns and cities we serve. It's the right thing to do and the smart thing to do. Our goal is to develop an increasing number of qualified diverse suppliers capable of doing business with Food Lion. This goal supports the company's policy of providing its customers with a variety of quality products and services at low prices.”

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION (DE&I) ROLE IN SUPPLIER DIVERSITY

Food Lion’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) team:

  • Connect diverse suppliers with the Supplier Diversity Manager who registers on Food Lion’s supplier diversity portal.

Serve as an advocate for promoting diverse and local suppliers through Marketing Commercial Plans and Supplier Diversity initiatives and product/service launches.

QUALIFICATIONS AS A DIVERSE BUSINESS

A diverse business must be a U.S. privately held company that is at least 51% owned, operated and controlled by a minority, woman, veteran, person with a disability or a member of the LGBT community. They must have certified status as a diverse business through an authorized third-party organization. The owners must be involved in operations, demonstrating ownership and control.

In corporations, members of one or more of the following groups must hold at least 51% of the voting interest and 51% of the beneficial interest.

Food Lion’s Supplier Diversity Program recognizes the following minority classifications:

  • Asian Indian American and Asian-Pacific American
  • Black/African American
  • Hispanic/ Latino (Latin-American)
  • Native American
  • Woman-Owned Business (WBE)
  • Disability-Owned Business (DOB)
  • LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender)
  • Military Veteran or a Member of the Armed Forces, National Guard or Military Reserves of the USA
  • Business entity that meets the requirements for the following Small Business Administration programs:
    • Small Disadvantaged Business
    • Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone)
    • SBA 8(a) Program
  • Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) as defined by the U.S. Department of Transportation
  • Qualify as a diverse or small business under any local, state, or federal government program 

Food Lion has numerous opportunities for diverse suppliers and our approaches to supplier inclusion are as varied as the businesses and individuals with which we partner.

CERTIFICATIONS

Third-party diversity certifications are strongly encouraged; local suppliers to the Food Lion footprint are encouraged.

Food Lion will accept certifications from various third-party certifying agencies to further our supplier inclusion goals and develop diverse supplier relationships. If you have not been certified, or are self-certified, it is recommended that your company become certified with a recognizable certification agency prior to submitting an application through our supplier diversity portal. Below is a list of organizations that provide different certifications:

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CERTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION?

Certification means that your company has documentation from a third-party agency, verifying that it meets valid ownership requirements. Suppliers are responsible for acquiring and maintaining valid certification.

Registration is the act of completing your profile in our database.

BECOMING A FOOD LION SUPPLIER - REGISTRATION

The Brands of Ahold Delhaize USA have a centralized Supplier Diversity program that sits within Peapod Digital Labs and they are a key partner in helping us identify potential, diverse-owned suppliers. 

Diverse-owned suppliers who want to be considered in the merchandising review process are to register on RangeMe.  It is the product discovery platform utilized by Food Lion, as well as the other Great Local Brands of ADUSA.  https://www.rangeme.com/aholddelhaizeusbrands

Diverse-owned suppliers who want to provide goods or services for the operational side of Food Lion’s business are to register on SupplierGATEWAY.  https://aholddelhaize.suppliergateway.com/ . This database is checked in preparation for RFPs and other internal procurement opportunities.

Please email the Supplier Diversity Inbox, SupplierDiversity@PeapodDigitalLabs.com, monitored by Peapod Digital Labs, an Ahold Delhaize USA company.