Areas USA enhances procurement efficacy with the power of a GPO

Serving 350 million guests a year, travel and dining leader Areas USA depends on its GPO, Entegra, to enhance supply chain efficiencies and garner savings.

^{At Entegra’s Connect23, Paula Lopez, Director of Supply Chain and Merchandising, Areas USA, sat down with Patricia France, Entegra’s Senior Director of Marketing, to discuss what Entegra brings to Areas' purchasing framework.}

Globally, Areas boasts 740 concessions and restaurants in 90 airports. Recently awarded 15 new locations at the San Diego airport alone, and currently operating points of sale in 10 U.S. based airports, Areas continues to grow its footprint.

As Areas portfolio continues to flourish, Lopez explained how Entegra helps her and her team to keep costs down while creating new opportunities.

Beyond food: Entegra’s procurement services helps spur category growth

What made Areas select Entegra? “We wanted to find savings in all of our categories.” Kicking off the conversation, Lopez explained that there was absolutely a financial component.

“Once we started working with Entegra,” she continued, “We found out that we were able to expand to other categories.” While the initial mandate was to save on food and disposables, other services and general expenses — like equipment — opened the door to additional savings.

Entegra group purchasing seen as an extension of the Areas team

“The Entegra team is phenomenal,” said Lopez, citing Entegra’s extensive knowledge of both categories and products as helpful to Areas.

“I consider Entegra an extension of my purchasing department,” continued Lopez when asked to describe the relationship between Areas and Entegra.

Lopez lauded Rob Medley, an Entegra Client Procurement Director, as influential at the relationship’s start in 2019 and beyond as well as Katie Noble, also an Entegra Procurement Director, who regularly introduces new categories to the Areas program. Noble ensures that Areas has the right market baskets and follows processes to ensure the best fit for the Areas portfolio. Ultimately, Lopez said, the Entegra collaboration has “been able to maximize the savings.”

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