The CORE Blog
Sharp takes on a shifting supply chain.
Inflation, tariffs, sourcing strategy and the outlook for hospitality & foodservice — practical guidance from the operators and procurement veterans behind CORE.
Latest articles
LatestProcurement
What Is CORE's Procurement Center of Excellence?
CORE Insights Group has launched a Procurement Center of Excellence (COE): a single platform uniting its people, processes, and technology (including data and AI) to deliver best-in-class sourcing across CORE360, CLUB360, CORE Consulting, and Lifecycle Facilitation Services, while building a supply chain talent pipeline for clients and the hospitality industry.
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Procurement
Can you work with any distributor?
Do you have to switch distributors to work with a GPO? With CORE, no — CORE works with your existing distributors and opens the market beyond any single one, so you keep the relationships that work and gain leverage where they don't.
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Procurement
How does CORE get paid?
How does CORE get paid? One transparent, agreed fee — never a markup on your spend — with 100% of every rebate and allowance passed back to you. It's the operator-favorable alternative to the typical GPO model.
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Cost Control
How to Reduce Restaurant Food Costs
A practical, procurement-first playbook for lowering restaurant food costs: track true food cost %, tighten purchasing, engineer the menu, and cut waste — without cutting quality.
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Procurement Service
The real story of 2025 (and what to expect in 2026)
2025 brought pressure but not the disruption many feared. Here is an honest look at how hospitality outperformed the fear narrative, and what CORE expects operators to face in 2026.
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Procurement
Tariff Turmoil: Taking a long- and short-term view
Tariffs are causing turmoil for sourcing strategies in 2025. CORE Insights Group weighs the potential long-term benefits against the short-term price and supply chain turbulence ahead.
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Procurement Service
How to prepare for 2025? Who the hell knows!
No one knows what 2025 holds, but CORE Insights Group's century of combined industry experience says you can still prepare for the unexpected with a strong sourcing strategy.
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Procurement Service
Operators: Get Ready for Change in 2025
As a new administration reshapes labor, energy, tariffs and food costs, here are the key 2025 themes restaurant and hospitality operators should prepare for.
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Procurement Service
Shifting the Paradigm: A Refreshing Approach to Procurement Services
CORE Insights Group's founders saw the procurement industry draining operators of cash and capability — so they built a transparent, operator-first model to shift the paradigm and deliver value to those who deserve it.
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Procurement Service
Understanding the Vital Role of Food Supply Services in Ensuring a Safe and Nutritious Food Supply
Access to a safe and nutritious food supply is a basic human right — and food supply services, including food service purchasing, are crucial to ensuring everyone can meet it.
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