VICTOR, NY - How can retailers make sure that consumers are loving apples throughout the winter season? Why, by taking a page out of the New York Apple Association’s (NYAA) book and promoting Apples from New York™. Throughout the beginning of the fall season, NYAA captured the taste that consumers love on video and posting these experiences on social media—driving home the point that New York apples are satisfyingly crunchy, delectable, and perfect for winter snacking.
“The videos are unscripted and random passersby are thrilled to crunch into a New York apple and be part of the fun,” said NYAA President Cynthia Haskins. “Our tour included several locations as we sampled New York apples.”
According to Haskins, NYAA is using social media platforms in a greater way this year to assist in building awareness of New York apples. These videos are being made available to retailers to place on their social media platforms and websites.
Working closely alongside one of their marketing partners, Escape Makers, NYAA reached over 16,000 consumers during recent Applepalooza events in New York City. Festival attendees enjoyed locally grown New York apples, apple cider donuts, and fresh and hard cider.
In addition to taking part in events like Applepalooza, NYAA had a commercial air during the TCS New York City Marathon.
The commercial, featuring New York apple growers, won a Bronze Telly Award for Local-TV in the Business-to-Consumer category. It aired on programs such as The Today Show & Saturday Today, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Dateline, Saturday Night Mystery, The Voice, This is Us, Chicago Fire, Bluff City Law, New Amsterdam, and Law & Order all throughout New York State.
This is the twenty-second year that the association has sponsored TCS NYC Marathon, which took place November 3. More than 50,000 people from across the state, the country and around the world are expected to finish, and hundreds of thousands more watched the event on TV and online.
Not only did its commercial play, NYAA had a presence in the swag section as well. Its materials included: ‘Health to the Core’ in the Marathon virtual goodie bag, ‘Love a Strong Finish’ ad in the Marathon Program, and a fresh New York-grown apple in the Runner Recovery Bag that was received by all runners. It also had an ad in the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon Official Results Magazine.
This year, NYAA was represented by many runners in the marathon including Cailin Kowalewski, Account Manager for NYAA, along with Doug Grout, NYAA Board of Director and apple grower; brothers David Grout and Derek Grout and their mother Jayne Zinke, a seasoned marathoner, and others.
Keep reading AndNowUKnow for the latest in all things produce.
OTTAWA, ON - Reduce; Resue; Recycle. Those are the famed ‘three R’s’ that have long represented sustainability efforts. The Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) is adding a new ‘R’—Review—as it rolls out a new initiative aimed to educate the produce industry. The CPMA recently announced the release of a technical report entitled “A landscape review of plastics in the Canadian fresh produce sector” developed by Value Chain Management International (VCMI). In addition, the two published a subsequent roadmap addressing plastic packaging in the produce industry. Both of these documents are a result of the CPMA Plastics Packaging Working Group.
“These publications are a manifestation of CPMA’s efforts and vision for a green economy that identifies concerns around fragmented systems, unnecessary and problematic plastics, the benefits of plastics when used within the appropriate system, and the need to reduce food waste and ensure food security in our efforts around sustainable packaging,” said President Ron Lemaire. “Together with our members and partners across the fresh fruit and vegetable supply chain, and with our colleagues throughout the food system, we hope to be a catalyst for positive and viable change that enables businesses to thrive, communities to flourish, and consumer preferences and demands to be met.”
The technical report details the results of months of research on Canadian and global plastic use, focusing on the fresh fruit and vegetable supply chain’s impact. The purpose of the study is to aid the development of a pragmatic roadmap that will assist the industry in navigating the highly complex, multifaceted topic of utilizing plastic packaging in the most economically and environmentally responsible means possible over the short, medium, and long term. These documents can be found on the CPMA website.
According to a press release, the CPMA Plastics Packaging Working Group was established in May 2019 and convened its first meeting shortly thereafter. The group has managed to reinvent the three ‘R’s’ by identifying a path forward to address the use of plastics within the produce sector, identifying efforts already undertaken by the industry, determining best practices, and developing an industry-supported roadmap to maintaining food quality and safety while reducing the environmental impact of plastics.
Repeat after me, folks: Reduce; Reuse; Recycle; Review. Because the best way to progress is to constantly reimagine the possibilities. Stick with us at AndNowUKnow as we uncover the many sustainable initiatives coming to fruition.
IMMOKALEE, FL - As the popularity of fresh-cut, made-to-order produce continues to rise, Lipman Family Farms is stepping up to the plate with its portfolio of retail- and foodservice-friendly products. Most recently, the grower has been showcasing its fresh-cut line of foodservice and retail packaging options, along with its beloved Crimson tomato varieties in fresh-cut form, that have been lighting up shows and expos all year.
“The even coloring and consistency, as well as low shrinkage, is what a lot of chain stores, and a lot of buyers, are really going after,” Bo Bates, General Manager of FOB Tomato Sales, said in a press release.
The grower continues to grow its full line of ready-to-eat tomatoes and vegetable offerings, including its signature Crimson variety. The Crimson tomato has ideal characteristics for slicing evenly without bruising or damaging the tomato’s outer skin, giving the variety a reputation as one of the country’s best slicing tomatoes. These unique traits allow great volume for Lipman’s sliced Crimson tomato trays, perfect for appetizers and deli sandwiches.
Lipman’s New Jersey facility was the first of its facilities to offer fresh-cut services almost 14 years ago, making it a pioneer in the fresh-cut tomato category. Having expanded to six facilities across North America, Lipman has perfected the art of slicing and dicing, with state-of-the-art machinery and pristine food safety techniques.
The grower’s Crimson tomato variety saw an extremely successful first season, and an even larger supply is projected for next season. Lipman has also been showcasing its Crimson roma tomato which rounds out the grower’s offerings that also include its Crimson round slicing tomato and Crimson grape tomato. The Crimson roma holds the same redder brix, stronger skin wall, and more powerful flavor profile as its fellow Crimson varieties. Lipman is bringing its show-stopping varieties to the upcoming New York Produce Show, which is expected to attract 5,000 retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and restaurateurs.
“The goal of the show is for us to display the vastness of our one-stop shop,” said Darren Micelle, COO. “We are excited to showcase our Crimson tomato at the peak of its season, along with our newly established Crimson varieties.”
If you plan to attend the show, Lipman Family Farms will be featuring its Crimson tomato offerings at booth #528.
PROVIDENCE, RI - Back in October, we reported that United Natural Foods, Inc. was planning on divesting both its Cub Foods and Shoppers Food & Pharmacy banners. Today, we’ve received a report that the company has gone through with the sale for Shoppers and has entered into definitive agreements with three separate grocery operators interested in the banner. 13 of its 43 Shoppers stores are on the table, with the sale expected to close between mid-December and the end of February 2020, subject to customary closing conditions.
“Today’s announcement reflects progress on our commitment to reduce UNFI’s retail footprint and marks another step toward transforming UNFI into North America’s premier food wholesaler,” said Steven L. Spinner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We believe that exiting the retail business will further accelerate our business transformation and allow us to more appropriately allocate resources toward long-term growth initiatives.”
According to its press release, UNFI will also close four additional Shoppers stores, which are expected to cease operations by the end of January 2020. The company made the decision to not renew the lease at three of these locations and the fourth is being cancelled pursuant to an agreement with the landlord. The rest of the Shoppers stores will remain in operation while UNFI continues to look for buyers.
“We will continue to wind down our retail footprint in a strategic and thoughtful manner to achieve the goals previously outlined,” Spinner continued. “As we do this, we greatly appreciate the loyalty of our associates and the tremendous service they have provided to our customers.”
As part of the transactions, two of the buyers will enter into long-term agreements that outline UNFI as the primary supplier of their acquired Shoppers locations under different banners.
For the list of Shoppers stores being sold or closed, click here for the full press release. Keep reading ANUK as we bring you more news in the retail sector.
WENTACHEE, WA - The holidays provide an ample opportunity for bringing fresh produce to the forefront of the retail spread. Whether with bins of fruit that line a path for the consumer into the store, well-detailed displays, or cross-merchandising departments to bring fresh to the basket—the best suppliers tap into the season to bring more value to their retail partners.
Stemilt Growers offers a go-to program as we get into the holidays, with vision and resources to carry the buyside into the new year.
“Lucky for us, apples, pears, and their organic versions are key holiday items in the fruit category. So for us, we promote a lot of bulk larger-sized apples and pears for the holidays as people put them out in baskets and cut them up for holiday snacks,” Roger Pepperl, Marketing Director, shares with me. “We are really featuring Honeycrisp in a big way. We also have big features on Gala, Granny Smith, Fuji, and, yes, even Red Delicious because of its brilliant color. Our trademarked variety, Piñata®, is also a great variety because of its superiority in the kitchen for baking, salads, and sauté uses.”
While I love apples just as they are, it is ideal to have a variety like the Piñata with its great culinary usages due to a parentage of Golden Delicious, Orange Cox Pippen, and Duchess of Oldenburg. The apple takes heat very well and has the acids that deliver flavor with great texture that doesn’t diminish when in use.
“We also will have Cosmic Crisp® starting to ship on December 1st and this is the first season of Cosmic Crisp for Washington State,” Roger says. “We expect a quick sell-out period with the limited supplies, but great sales are to be had while the supplies last.”
On the pear front, Stemilt will feature Bartlett, Anjou, Red Anjou, and Bosc during the holidays. Stemilt has garnered much attention and positive feedback due to an industry-leading ripening program which makes the Anjou a delicious item like it was always meant to be. In addition, Stemilt is featuring some of its Stemilt Apple Lovers 5 lb pouch bags in Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith, and Piñata in very promotable prices. These bags are promotable in both conventional and organic versions.
When it comes to key merchandising best-practices for retailers to drive traffic through the produce department as well as sales during the holidays, Stemilt has always been a resource at the top of my list.
“Waterfall displays into colorful Stemilt boxes is a great way to feature fresh apples this season,” Roger tells me. “We also have a couple of tools such as our display-ready cartons for our Apple Lovers bags. These display-ready cartons can create a great wing display off of an existing apple section. We also have a very nice value pear bag in a display-ready carton for Anjou which is a great way to promote larger sales of pears during a heavy use period.”
When it comes down to viewing merchandising as a balance between art and science, the design and layout of a produce department can impact sales and the ring at the register. And, as Roger shares, using the colorful cartons is a very impactful and easy way to win attention. Other ideas include building displays with signage around the vast variety in the apple category. Stemilt has pop-up display units which can really be impactful.
“We also have a unit called an EZ Pallet Display which comes with 30 Euro cartons of fruit in which we can ship 10 cases of three varieties. This EZ pallet is a cardboard unit that lifts off the pallet of fruit and slips over five empty pallets and becomes a colorful display table. What a great way to build a display. We have a graphic for apples, pears, Lil Snappers®, and organic items, all available in the same format described,” Roger expresses. “This can be very successful in building sales in items like organics. In a test program, we showed an increase of 40 percent using this display in a 10-store test market verses a control store group. 40 percent sales growth is huge as we all know in the fruit industry.”
Need some quick tips for the holiday season? Keep checking back with AndNowUKnow for a little festive cheer and insights to boot!
KEENE, NH - Furthering its expansion plans and goals, C&S Wholesale Grocer is pushing further into the Pacific Northwest with a new warehouse set to open in the summer of 2020. The state-of-the-art facility, located in Troutdale, Oregon, will enable the wholesaler to provide exceptional service to its current and new customers in the region.
“Earlier in the year, we started evolving our C&S Commercial Excellence organization to enable growth by becoming our customers’ partner of choice,” Joe Cavaliere, Chief Commercial Officer, commented in a press release. “We have worked incredibly hard to make ourselves a company that doesn’t just procure and fulfill customers’ requests but is also a business partner that creates sustainable value. Our expansion into this key geographic area is another milestone in our evolution.”
The new warehouse is in line with C&S Wholesale Grocers’ continued growth efforts that have recently included strategic partnerships to boost the retailer’s operations and expand its offering of retail services.
“As the business behind grocery, we are always adapting to offer the most cost-efficient products, services, and solutions, where our customers need us most. We are continuously growing and expanding our footprint, and have recently opened new operations in Houston and now are excited to become a significant presence in the Pacific Northwest,” said Mike Duffy, Chief Executive Officer.
What will be the next stage in C&S Wholesale Grocers’ expansion plan? AndNowUKnow will keep you posted.
CALIFORNIA - Citrus is one category that transcends seasonal boundaries year-round. While fresh lemon slices are often associated with sweet summertime, citrus of all varieties can be folded into an endless array of recipes no matter the season. Currently in the midst of the bustling holidays, Johnston Farms is seeing outstanding quality for its newly-harvested oranges, mandarins, and grapefruits. With visions of citrus dancing in my head, I tapped the company’s Citrus Sales Manager, Derek Vaughn, to fill me in on the state of the market.
“The market is starting to correct with this impending weather, so I would say it is starting to tighten up, but on smaller sizes like 113/138 and choice fruit, it is definitely in the promo volume stage,” he told me. “Demand on large sizes is strong, smaller fruit is just mediocre with schools going on holiday. The mandarin demand is as strong, if not stronger than I have ever seen it for this time of year, and we only expect that to grow as we get closer to Christmas.”
Johnston Farms is roughly one month into its Navel orange harvest and a couple of weeks into its Satsuma mandarin and red grapefruit harvests. With all of the escalated weather conditions as of late, the grower has remained optimistic about its supply. Shoppers are eager to add the freshest ingredients to their baskets for the holidays, and Johnston Farms is well-positioned to deliver.
“The quality of the mandarins has been outstanding, considering we had a major windstorm three weeks before harvest, but they seem to have endured the wind,” Derek assured me. “No problems with weather so far, but as we speak, we are in day one of a five-day rain forecast, but we can use the rain, so we don't consider it a problem.”
Primarily harvesting in Edison, Bakersfield, and Arvin, California, the grower also has a few groves in Tulare and Fresno counties. All of these regions are pumping out a superb supply for Johnston, meaning there will be citrus applenty showing out at this year’s Christmas dinner. For retailers, the grower is providing a holiday ⅓ carton gift box that features both its Navels and Satsumas.
Hark the herald, folks! Johnston Farms is slated to supply some of its best citrus yet, so stock up early on its festive fare. For more market updates ahead of the holidays, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
RIO RICO, AZ - The transition from fall to winter is upon us, and growers are looking at their bottom lines to evaluate the 2019 market. Finishing up the fall season and preparing for winter, Mas Melons & Grapes has seen steadily excellent quality on its honeydews and watermelons all year long. The company will soon be closing up shop in Caborca and Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, and transitioning to southern west Mexico in the states of Colima and Nayarit. To find out how Mas Melons is faring this time of year, I tapped Miguel (Mikee) Suarez Jr. of Sales.
“In the fall, we typically offer honeydew melons, conventional watermelons, and mini watermelons from early October to mid-December,” he told me. “However, due to some heavy early rainfall from tropical storm Lorena, we had to end our watermelon season earlier than expected. Our honeydew melons were not affected by this rain as much and still have high quality from new fields in Hermosillo.”
Although volume of all varieties at Mas Melons was affected, the high quality was maintained. The honeydew melon brix was slightly below average due to the rain brought on by storm Lorena, ranging from 9.6 to 11.2 in rating. Despite this, the company is rarin’ to go ahead of its upcoming season in Mexico.
“Our fall northern Mexico season will wrap up in mid-December. In late December/early January, our Tecoman, Colima, and Santiago Ixcuintla, Nayarit, productions will begin,” Miguel explained. “We will have honeydew melons, conventional watermelons, and mini watermelons to offer throughout the winter months before concluding in mid-April and transitioning back to our northern Mexico production.”
To see how others in the industry are preparing for a new chapter, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
ISSAQUAH, WA - As the popularity of plant-based foods continues to rise, many retailers are seeking to tap into that market. Costco is expanding its portfolio of plant-based meat offerings with a number of partnerships, first with Don Lee Farms, and now Nestlé, to sell the food company’s Awesome Burger products.
Select Costco locations in Texas and the Midwest started selling the Awesome Burger patties last month, leaving many to wonder when the retailer will kick off a nation-wide launch. According to a report from LIVEKINDLY, the patties are being sold in bulk; each Awesome Burger box contains six quarter-pound patties and retails for $10.79. No word has sprung up yet, but as readers of DMN know, we’re always on the lookout.
Nestlé-owned brand, Sweet Earth, produces the Awesome Burger, which is made using yellow pea proteins and wheat gluten. The company noted that each burger contains more protein and fiber and less saturated fat than beef.
Will Costco continue to diversify its plant-based product offerings? Keep reading AndNowUKnow for updates.
IRVINE, CA - As the world of global trade continues to evolve, produce industry members keep their ears to the ground to stay informed of the deals and negotiations that can impact their trade with other countries. A new trade pact between the U.S. and Japan has been approved by the latter’s parliament, opening the country’s market up to American agricultural trade, Bloomberg reports. As a valued member of the industry, Tom Nassif, President and CEO of Western Growers, has weighed in on the agreement.
“With Japan’s parliamentary approval of the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement, the final hurdle for the deal to take effect on January 1st of 2020 has been cleared,” he commented in a statement. “Western Growers appreciates the prompt action by the Japanese Diet, which will eliminate tariffs on a number of American fruit, vegetable, and tree nut products and pave the way for significant export opportunities for our members.”
According to the news source, the deal was approved on Wednesday and the U.S. is hoping the agreement will come into force by January 1.
“Western Growers extends its continued support to President Trump for his leadership in pursuing fairer deals for American farmers in Japan and other countries around the world,” Nassif said. “We urge President Trump to follow through on his pledge to engage Prime Minister Abe in further trade talks to address additional barriers to trade. Chief among our remaining concerns are the non-scientific sanitary and phytosanitary measures that will continue to prohibit many American fresh produce items from entering Japan. No trade deal will be complete without these reforms to the Japanese importation system.”
AndNowUKnow will continue to deliver updates on agriculture-centric trade.