Suppliers price their book in two tiers: customers who price-check, and customers who don’t. The price difference between the two is rarely below 5% and often above 12%, even on commodity produce.
The rotation
Once a quarter, get a fresh quote on your top-10 produce lines from two competitors of your current supplier. You don’t need to switch — you just need your supplier to know you have the comparison. Most matchings happen on the spot.
How to send the email
One line: “Hi, can you quote the attached spec for next month’s delivery? Need it by Wednesday — comparing three suppliers.” Attach a spreadsheet of items + quantities. Done.