Located 2,500 miles from the continental U.S., and spread across four Hawaiian Islands hundreds of miles apart, the Foodland chain of 31 supermarkets faces more logistical challenges in keeping its shelves stocked than most U.S. food retailers.

“Supply is a challenge,” Robert Murphy, the chain’s chief information officer for the past nine years, told SN this month during a visit to the National Retail Federation’s Annual Convention & Expo here. “The majority of our products come across the water. And lead times are huge. We have a two-week turnaround compared to three days [on the U.S. mainland] for a meat order.” Distribution across Hawaii’s four main islands — The Big Island, Maui, Oahu and Kauai — also increases costs. “When people get sticker shock, there’s a reason,” he said. Read more