VAUGHAN, CANADA - There’s community, and then there’s community. Though the same word, the difference is in each’s application: the former is a noun found in the dictionary, while the latter operates as more of a verb with the mission of building a bridge of connection. Longo Brothers Fruit Markets is an excellent case study of these differences, especially with its recently revamped banana program.
I sat down to chat with Mimmo Franzone, Director - Produce and Floral, to find out more about Longo’s new Fairtrade program and how this reflects other movements happening in the fresh produce industry to build a better global community.
“Overall, sustainability has been a strong focus for Longo’s over the years, and it has been even more of a concern recently. As a result, we found the need to make the right decisions when it comes to our business on all fronts,” Mimmo shared with me. “Our three main focuses have been Environmental Stewardship, Responsible Sourcing, and Fueling Healthier Happy People. Our newly converted Organic Fairtrade Banana program is a true testament to all three areas of focus.”
The new Organic Fairtrade Banana program is an extension of Longo’s partnership with Equifruit, a small, Canadian, female-run importer of Fairtrade-certified bananas that works directly with cooperatives of small producers in Peru and Ecuador.
“A couple of years ago, we started working with our partners at Equifruit on a test basis by offering their organic Fairtrade bananas in five of our urban format stores,” Mimmo explained. “Through continuous focus on educating our guests about the program it became a great success. While working through our sustainability initiative, it was only fitting and the right thing to do to for our business, our guests, and our grower partners to introduce an Organic Fairtrade Banana program at all of our stores.”
Longo’s new Organic Fairtrade Banana program includes new signage to catch shoppers’ attention in-store. These POS materials include phrases like “These bananas build communities” and education on what Fairtrade means to Equifruit and Longo’s, which includes the following:
- Respecting the minimum prices set by Fairtrade International. The Fairtrade minimum price is meant to reflect local costs of sustainable production. This price must be respected year-round, which guarantees financial stability to farmers and their families
- Paying a social premium of $1 (USD) per 40 lb case. Social premium money is pooled by members of the small producer cooperative and is used for projects designed to improve the environment, local communities and infrastructure, or training on the farms
- Representing approximately $30,000 (USD) in social premium funds annually
- Respecting working standards, which are designed to protect human rights, such as prohibiting forced child labor and ensuring safe working conditions
Signage explaining these distinctions to shoppers will also be featured beyond Longo’s produce aisle, including in weekly advertisements.
“Most of our competitors in our market offer a traditional organic banana program. Longo’s, however, is currently one of the largest representations of Fairtrade bananas in our market, since we’re expanding our new program across our 36 stores, our PRONTO Eats format, and our online grocery delivery service, Grocery Gateway,” Mimmo noted.
Sustainability and other feel-good initiatives are more than words on paper, and Longo Brothers Fruit Market is exemplifying this to a tee. Taking a firm stand in improving farmers’ lives, building a community that sees strength in each other’s differences, and creating a better tomorrow is no easy task, but as one of the preeminent retailers making strides across all areas of sustainability, Longo’s is setting itself apart from the rest as an industry leader.
As more produce pioneers chart out our industry’s future course, AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
BENTONVILLE, AR - Recently, Walmart announced that it is taking a beat on one of its operations. The retailer’s personal-shopping service, Jetblack, is set to be shut down.
“We’ve learned a lot through Jetblack, including how customers respond to the ability of ordering by text as well as the type of items they purchase through texting. We’re eager to apply these learnings from Jetblack and leverage its core capabilities within Walmart,” stated Scott Eckert, Senior Vice President, Next Generation Retail and Principal, Store N˚8 on the company’s site.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the retailer is planning to end its Jetblack delivery services on February 21 and restructure the organization. The program is Walmart’s first portfolio company to launch from Store N˚8 and allowed members to order anything except fresh food by text message for $600 a year. Once orders were received, couriers gathered the items to be hand-delivered, usually the same day.
Eckert further wrote that Jetblack was initially launched to test and build technology with the intent that it could be used in other ways, including applying it to other parts of Walmart’s operations. The news site reported that Walmart aimed to use Jetblack’s human agents to train an artificial-intelligence system that someday would power an automated personal-shopping service, preparing Walmart for a time when web-browser search bars disappear and more shopping is done through voice-activated devices, Jetblack Chief Executive Jenny Fleiss stated before she left last year.
How soon will we see Walmart’s other avenues for future delivery services? Stay tuned to ANUK as we bring more updates.
CHICAGO, IL - Jewel-Osco and the University of Chicago are pairing up to keep produce a community affair. The university recently paid $19.8 million for a 48,000-square-foot Jewel-Osco near its campus for the sole reason of keeping fresh produce and other healthy food options in a key market.
“The University of Chicago considered the Jewel-Osco an important community asset and decided to purchase the property to ensure that it remains locally controlled rather than going to a national buyer,” Jeremy Manier, Assistant Vice President of Communications, wrote in an email obtained by Crain’s. “The University is committed to making sure the store remains a valuable resource for the community, similar to other commercial properties that the university owns in the area.”
Crain’s noted that a deed filed with Cook County disclosed that a venture associated with the university acquired the store from DL3 Realty and Terraco Real Estate—the companies that built the location. This investment from the university only furthers the investment Jewel-Osco first made in the community—both of which the news source anticipates will help stabilize the market and keep fresh produce in its midst.
The store, which is currently leased to Jewel-Osco’s parent company Albertsons, has already created 200 jobs for the community of Woodlawn.
How else will we see innovative collaborations between fresh produce advocates and retailers in 2020? AndNowUKnow will continue to follow along with the latest industry news.
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA - One of Canada’s largest events dedicated to the produce industry will be celebrating its 95th year in Toronto, Canada, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from May 12-14, 2020. Early bird registration is underway for the 2020 CPMA Convention and Trade Show, which will highlight the Flavours of the World offered by the global produce community.
“The 95th annual CPMA Convention and Trade Show will offer numerous networking and educational opportunities to help businesses flourish,” said CPMA President Ron Lemaire. “As the premier event in Canada for the fresh fruit and vegetable industry, it is extremely valuable for companies in our sector to make connections at this event. CPMA is also excited to showcase the industry-leading projects we’ve been working on over the past year including sustainability through the Plastics Packaging Roadmap, waste reduction through our Waste Efficiency Tool, Food Safety through the Canadian Food Safety Fund, and much more.”
According to the press release, attendees are able to access all the event has to offer by purchasing a Full Delegate registration. Full Delegates gain admission to meal functions, social events, and educational opportunities consisting of the Chair’s Welcome Reception, Business Sessions, After Party, Awards Brunch and other meals, including the Delegate and Companion Breakfast, during which you’ll hear from keynote speaker Chef Massimo Capra.
“This year’s event focuses on the component of flavour in produce and the effect that the globally interconnected industry has on our evolving tastes,” said Mario Masellis, Chair of the 2020 CPMA Convention and Trade Show Organizing Committee. “We expect the entertainment and production at the Convention and Trade Show to ‘wow’ attendees in the same way that spectacular flavours do.”
Early bird registration for the 2020 CPMA Convention and Trade Show ends March 6. Sounds like Toronto is the place to be come May! For more news in the produce industry, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
CHELAN, WA - With a name like Rockit™, there’s no telling how far Chelan Fresh’s miniature-sized apple will go. Produce aisles across the country? Obviously. On field trips, as school lunches, and inside office snacks around the world? I’d bet yes. Austin, Texas, for the celebrated South by Southwest (SXSW) Wellness Expo? Well, hey howdy ho, I told you there’s no telling how far this lil’ apple will go!
On March 14-15, the Rockit apple will make its debut on the SXSW stage, appearing at the revered and trendy event—which will be taking place at the Palmer Events Center in Austin, Texas—for the very first time.
“We are thrilled to be a part of such an impactful event that is home to the discovery of the latest and greatest products within the wellness industry,” said Julie DeJarnatt, Director of Retail Strategy for Chelan Fresh.
According to a press release, thousands of apples will be on display at the Rockit Apple booth (#337) for attendees to sample. Dawn Jackson Blatner, a registered dietitian and award-winning author of The Flexitarian Diet, will also be conducting a book signing at SXSW, during which she’ll engage with SXSW attendees on the benefits of consuming Rockit apples.
“We can’t wait for showgoers to have the opportunity to see and taste the difference when it comes to our apples and chat with Dawn about the nutrition benefits that our mini product offers,” DeJarnatt continued.
A healthy and naturally sweet miniature-sized apple, the Rockit is perfect for youngins, oldins, and everyone in between looking for an on-the-go treat. The Rockit is also taking shape as a key variety in the burgeoning wellness industry, as its health benefits are great for fueling the mind, body, and soul.
As more fresh produce varieties travel to new markets, top-notch shows and events, and into the hearts of more consumers, AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
CINCINNATI, OH - Forget the lead-up to Valentine’s Day, this week was a certifiable standout for our industry’s marketers—with BrandStorm™ and now Kroger making major advancements for those on the front lines of merchandising, packaging, and marketing innovation. Kroger’s media advertising business, Kroger Precision Marketing (KPM), unveiled a new investment that is only helping brands further streamline, optimize, and improve their own marketing efforts.
"Kroger has created a seamless commerce experience for shopping in-store or online for pick-up or delivery. And brands advertise on Kroger Precision Marketing because we can influence moments when shoppers are searching and discovering products and do so in an authentic way. We're committed to providing brands a fully transparent view of sales performance rather than just the typical novelty metrics of digital media," shared Cara Pratt, Vice President, Commercial and Product Strategy for Kroger Precision Marketing at 84.51°.
Kroger Precision Marketing is powered by Microsoft PromoteIQ and includes sponsored product listing ads and banner display ads on Kroger websites and mobile apps. According to a press release, Kroger's self-service advertising platform now allows brands to view in-store and online sales results attributed to advertising campaigns across Kroger properties collected by data science from KPM and Microsoft PromoteIQ technology.
"Together, Kroger Precision Marketing and Microsoft PromoteIQ are elevating the expectations marketers can and should have for retail media. The ability to connect onsite media activity to in-store purchases helps marketers understand in a granular way how their marketing efforts with Kroger Precision Marketing are driving tangible business outcomes," said Alex Sherman, Co-Founder and CEO of Microsoft PromoteIQ.
The technology used by KPM and Microsoft PromoteIQ provides marketers the ability to optimize media investment against actual return on ad spend, giving Kroger an edge in the rapidly growing retail media space.
"In a media industry with lots of ambiguity, Kroger Precision Marketing stands out by showing the true incremental impact of advertising, matching ad exposures to verified sales," said Pratt. "Our results are getting noticed by brand marketers and agencies alike, who are excited about our media assets that allow them to create a connection with customers throughout their path to purchase."
The latest development by Kroger’s self-service advertisement platform only builds on the work the retailer has been doing over the last couple of years. In particular, KPM has been a strong performer that has helped hundreds of Kroger suppliers run thousands of campaigns.
How else is Kroger helping its suppliers? As better-built brands continue to make their way to the front of the retailer’s produce aisle and beyond, AndNowUKnow will continue to keep an eye on the latest industry movements.
ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - It seemed that the sanctity of produce had been upheld for quite some time now, but alas, produce abusers strike again, this time in The Netherlands.
Recently, the NL Times reported that one thousand kilograms (for us here in the States, about 2,204 pounds) of cocaine was found hidden in a container loaded with bananas. Last week, customs officers found the illegal substance during a check at the port of Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The cargo arrived on a ship from Costa Rica, but the bananas were loaded in Ecuador.
The bananas were destined for a company in Portugal, but the Dutch authorities don’t believe the Portuguese company had anything to do with the drug trafficking. Needless to say, the drugs were confiscated and destroyed, and the HARC team, a collaboration of Customs, FIOD, Seaport Police, and the Public Prosecution Service in Rotterdam, is investigating.
I can speak for all banana lovers out there, when will our favorite fruit be safe?
AUSTIN, TX - Despite four consecutive years of wildly successful marketing events, United Fresh decided to switch things up this year by moving its fifth annual BrandStorm™ to Texas. Faster than you could say “marketing strategy,” the three-day event has come to an end with attendees of all calibers touting tons of new industry insights. From the BrandStorm Tour to educational sessions to an all-new idea submissions segment, we couldn’t wait to hear from the biggest names in produce about their BrandStorm 2020 experience.
“The fresh produce industry has seen significant growth in the development of both consumer and trade marketing programs,” said Tom Stenzel, United Fresh President and CEO. “As branding becomes more prevalent in fresh produce, and consumers grow more connected to the stories of the food they’re eating, it’s important that the marketing programs and messages we develop speak directly to their desires. Although sometimes hard to measure, marketing plays a critical role in the growth of business. What’s easier to measure is the regression of positive growth when marketing is missing from the equation.”
As sustainability is of increasing importance in the fresh produce industry, this year’s BrandStorm Tour honed in on successful sustainability initiatives based out of the Lone Star state. The tour was followed by the Exhibitor Storm Surge, during which the exhibitors addressed strategies to maximize the attendee experience. Day one culminated with a welcome reception sponsored by California Giant Berry Farms and Sunkist.
“This is my first BrandStorm and I can’t say enough about it,” began Ajit Saxena, Public Relations and Digital Marketing Manager, Mucci Farms. “I could tell by the discussions that the topics covered at the sessions are relevant to conversations that are happening in marketing departments across the industry. Having the opportunity to hear from thought leaders and being able to specifically network with marketing professionals that share similar challenges was particularly rewarding and beneficial for me.”
Day two kicked off with the event’s first keynote session in which Dr. Todd Dewett, a world-renowned authenticity leader, discussed how to achieve an authentic marketing presence. After several other keynote speakers said their piece, United Fresh’s signature X-Change Discussions began, giving attendees the opportunity to network and discuss best practices and marketing strategies.
"The best part of BrandStorm for me is the opportunity to network with some incredibly talented people in our industry, share ideas, explore opportunities to collaborate, and have the opportunity to open new doors,” Nicholas M. Pasculli, President and CEO, TMD Creative, said. “Additionally, the Wednesday morning session was an absolute home run. I pitched an idea for a new TV show to the Food Network's Debra Puchalla and Carla Hall and they loved it...who knows where that might lead."
On Wednesday, BrandStorm attendees and exhibitors gathered for a final day of marketing education and networking. The day began with a discussion on how to navigate the nuanced waters of food media and how we can optimize our influence. This segment was followed by another round of X-Change sessions and a sustainability keynote by Pete Pearson, Senior Director of Food Loss and Waste, World Wildlife Fund. The group ended by circling back to the very thing that brought them all together: marketing.
“BrandStorm continues to provide a platform for fresh produce marketers to focus on both career development, but also brand elevation through new strategies and tactics. This week’s attendees brought a passion for change to drive the industry further towards growing consumption of fresh produce,” added Mary Coppola, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, United Fresh Produce Association. “Coming out of this week, we are going to see more marketers taking risks to create new and out of the box strategies that will challenge and change the way we promote our brands.”
That’s a wrap for BrandStorm 2020! For those who were not in attendance, be sure to start making plans for BrandStorm 2021 as this is a can't-miss event. To keep reading all the latest news in fresh produce, keep a tab open for us at AndNowUknow.
DUBLIN, CA - iTradeNetwork, one of the leading global providers of supply chain software for the food and beverage industry, has been conducting traceability pilot programs with retailers globally and domestically for a while now. In fact, the solutions provider recently stated that the results of the yearlong pilot program are not only in, but favorable—the company revealed that the program helped drive up profits by an average of 55 percent.
“From improving supply chain efficiencies and ensuring food safety to helping family farms, our traceability suite provides so many benefits to buyers, suppliers, and consumers alike,” said Rhonda Bassett-Spiers, CEO of iTradeNetwork. “It tracks commodities from field to fork, automates and accelerates receiving, improves shelf life, simplifies substitutions, and ultimately gives participants complete transparency into every step of a product’s journey.”
According to the press release, data from a traceability pilot with a major industry buyer shows that iTrade Transit customers increased their trading volumes on average by 55 percent within 12 months—with some suppliers increasing volume by as much as 300 percent.
The iTrade data analytics team also studied the incremental value for new growers joining the same global buyer’s supplier base and utilizing Transit. A sample of just four new growers added a combined $10 million in revenue over the same period.
“Increased traceability was mandated by our buyer and met with a natural degree of hesitancy. We were concerned about added hardware costs and increased workload, but iTrade made it easy for us to comply quickly. We initially considered this a box-ticking exercise, but in fact, it has improved our supplier/buyer relationship and provided us with a trackable food safety halo. Traceability has become more than simply a compliance need, it’s a differentiator that helps us grow our business,” commented David Bell, CMO Houweling’s Group, one of the companies that participated in the program.
iTrade built the Transit solution from the ground up and integrated it into the iTrade platform in response to increasing regulatory, consumer, and industry pressure for food safety. The user interface is suitable for growers of all sizes while also providing convenient features such as mobile capabilities to capture traceability data at the source and transmit PTI Palletized Advanced Ship Notices from anywhere in the world. The tool also empowers suppliers to offer buyers critical information as early as possible in a product’s journey through the supply chain, enhancing freshness, improving shelf readiness, and allowing buyers to maximize inventory and extend shelf life.
Keep following AndNowUKnow as we bring you more cutting-edge developments in the produce industry.
OXNARD, CA - In the fresh produce industry, there’s nothing laissez-faire about Steady Eddies, especially if it means the consumer is happy with a sustained supply of fruits and vegetables. For Gills Onions, one of the Steadiest Eddies of them all, maintaining a constant supply of high-quality onions, isn’t just a point of pride but a mission statement it continues to carry out each and every day.
“We’re actually unique because we are very Steady Eddie,” Megan Jacobsen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, said to start off our conversation about Gills Onions. “We’re not a traditional fresh produce company since we’re value-added, but consistency is key to our message to consumers. We’re consistent in yield, quality, and price 365 days a year.”
In addition to its retail customers, Megan explained that this messaging is a big selling point within foodservice—which accounts for over 70 percent of Gills Onions’ customer base.
“With yields, you never really know what you’re going to receive in a 50 lb sack of onions, but with a Gills whole peeled onion program, you’re guaranteed 30 pounds of finished product every single time. Chefs, especially, want to know that when they receive a Gills Onion box, they’re getting the full product, since it affects their dishes,” Megan noted. “Consistency is also key to making the best financial decision for restaurants. Overall there is a cost-effectiveness that comes with consistency, which is why it’s one of our main messages.”
Gills Onions’ dedication to consistency also extends to its end product, including quality and shelf life. The company grows 100 percent of its own onion supply, helping it deliver on its key messaging and continue to build on its brand differentiation.
“In terms of quality, we have the best shelf life—an 18 day shelf life. So, 365 days out of the year, our customers can expect Gills Onions to deliver on all fronts,” Megan concluded.
Like Gills Onions, AndNowUKnow will continue to consistently bring you the latest fresh produce news, so stick with us!