OXNARD, CA - Everybody is into health these days, and as a consumer, I have to admit; I’m drawn to companies who are on my side when it comes to championing the healthiest option. While San Miguel Produce has been offering fresh, healthy greens for a while now, the company is doubling its efforts to place nutrition at the forefront of shopping habits by launching new packaging for its Cut ‘N Clean label this summer.
“San Miguel’s new packaging direction is the result of a recent in-depth study we commissioned through a USDA grant that investigated the nutritional value of dark leafy greens. Our goal is to provide consumers with information that relates to their lifestyle and helps them make choices based not only on taste, but health, too,” Megan Ichimoto, Marketing Supervisor, tells me.
After kicking off its organic label Cut ‘N Clean in 1995, San Miguel refreshed its packaging for its washed and ready-to-use bagged organic cooking greens to enhance the nutritional messaging and adapt to consumer demographic needs. This included adding a Non-GMO Project verified label and other nutritional messaging to the packaging via “Did You Know?” health facts—like “Did you know kale has 50 percent more potassium per calorie than a banana?” Megan notes that this messaging will help consumers understand the benefits of greens and integrate healthy food items into their lives even more.
“Dark leafy greens have evolved over the last two decades from being primarily just a plate garnish. As the category innovator, San Miguel has continued to evolve with consumer trends to remain relevant and provide solutions that meet consumers’ needs, including altering our pack sizes and varieties, bolstering organic, coming up with new blends, emphasizing non-GMO transparency, and more,” Megan tells me. “With our new direction of healthy lifestyle information and packaging revisions, we are still keeping the packaging true to the traditional Cut ‘N Clean brand that has been important to consumers for 20 years, while also enhancing it.”
Part of the refresh has included ditching the clamshell for a 5-ounce bag in order to provide a better retail price point, target a smaller household size, and offer a 2-3 portion serving size that can eliminate waste by encouraging consumers to use the entire bag. The packaging is also now white, creating a more modern look that will contrast the leafy greens inside and make San Miguel stand out on the shelf.
In conjunction with the new packaging, San Miguel also started a #HealthyMyWay consumer marketing campaign to showcase how the new pack size makes it easy for consumers to get creative with their culinary pursuits. The campaign includes recipes for pastas, salads, sautés, and more, and tips that celebrate the culinary versatility of greens.
For more stories about produce companies evolving to keep up with our fast-paced industry, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
WASHINGTON, DC - In a complaint filed on April 10, 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) alleged that Goodness Greeness Inc., Chicago, Illinois, failed to make full payment promptly in the total amount of $259,993 to 12 sellers for multiple lots of produce in violation of the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA).
According to a press release, in response to the complaint being filed, USDA and Goodness Greeness Inc. entered into a consent decision and order in which Goodness Greeness Inc. agreed to pay the unpaid produce sellers in full and to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $36,000. As a result of Goodness Greeness satisfying the terms of the consent decision and order, the finding that it had committed repeated and flagrant PACA violations was permanently abated without further process and the case has been closed.
The PACA Division, which is in the Fair Trade Practices Program in the Agricultural Marketing Service, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses that are operating subject to PACA, including buyers, sellers, commission merchants, dealers, and brokers within the fruit and vegetable industry.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 3,400 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 8,500 callers with issues valued at approximately $151 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
UNITED KINGDOM - When Sainsbury’s (Britain’s second largest retailer) scooped up formerly Walmart-owned Asda (Britain’s third largest retailer) earlier this year, many believed a grocery-force to be reckoned with had been born. However, Reuters reports that Sainsbury’s was the worst performer compared to the U.K.’s largest grocers this past 12-week period, leading news sources like The Times to suggest the possibility of over 300 store closures for the Sainsbury’s-Asda duo.
“Sainsbury’s has a lot on its plate at the moment and are also undergoing a period of price re-sets, bringing everyday prices lower,” Fraser McKevitt, Head of Retail and Consumer Insight at Kantar Worldpanel, said, according to Reuters. “That has had the effect of removing some value from what it is selling but has not yet brought the volume uplifts to replace that.”
The Times notes that half of the 300 stores are located in problem areas for Morrison and Tesco, both of which are considered the “natural buyers” of the shuttered stores.
“Despite not having the benefit of recovering from a collapse in prior years like Tesco and Morrisons do, Sainsbury’s continues to perform poorly on Kantar data and slow sales growth will make it harder to rebuild profitability,” Bruno Monteyne, Bernstein Analyst, added, according to Reuters.
The Sainsbury's-Asda merger is still being considered by Britain’s regulator, and the deal is not expected to be completed until the second half of 2019. Meanwhile, major competitor Tesco recently entered into a strategic buying alliance with Carrefour, strengthening its grocery position across Europe.
Will Sainsbury’s and Asda be forced to sell stores to competitors despite stating neither would be selling stores following the merger? AndNowUKnow will continue to keep an eye on retail developments.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The plant-based trend is not going anywhere anytime soon. With more people swapping out meats for veggies—if you head over to Instagram you’ll see what I’m talking about—celebrities, chefs, and restaurants are tapping into the plant-based lifestyle. Next Level Burger, a four-year-old vegan burger chain born out of Bend, Oregon, is one such restaurant, and it’s making its way to Whole Foods.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the restaurant is slated to open this Friday, August 24 at the Potrero Hill Whole Foods in San Francisco. The restaurant has already opened several outposts throughout the West Coast and in New York; the chain debuted its first Northern California location last year at the Whole Foods 365 store in Concord.
The menu offers several burger patty options—including mushroom-quinoa, sausage-style, and quinoa-black chia seed—plus sandwiches, hot dogs, and salads, all of which are vegan friendly.
We’ve seen other retailers offer healthier plant-based options for its customers—think of IKEA's somewhat outlandish Space10 Dogless Hot Dog and Bug Burger—and it seems that grocery giants will continue down this path in order to entice millennial and Gen X shoppers.
Is this the beginning of even more plant-based restaurants becoming the norm? And how will the produce industry be affected by the demand? AndNowUKnow will keep its ears open and its eyes peeled.
WENATCHEE, WA - Stemilt Growers celebrated its signature Rave® apple in The Big Apple last week, with the company’s first-ever pop-up shop. The apple grower, packer, and shipper took over 393 Broadway from August 16th through the 18th with a tongue-in-cheek version of tech titan Apple, Inc.’s Apple Stores.
“The Rave apple pop-up shop was a surprise and a delight for people across the Big Apple last weekend,” said Brianna Shales, Communications Manager. “Pop-up shops are common in New York, but no one had been to a ‘real’ apple shop before. It was a great way to give people a first taste of our new release, Rave, and share its unique flavor, story, and seasonality.”
At the shop, Stemilt sampled and shared more than 2,500 Rave apples with people and earned more than 25,000 impressions with those passing the shop during the three-day experience.
Stemilt designed the pop-up shop to mirror an actual Apple store, with white walls, simple graphics, and a wall of Rave apples. The shop’s outside marquee and window signage teased those passing the shop the days leading up to the event about a new apple release. And once it came time to open the shop’s doors, the company noted, media, residents, and tourists alike were intrigued by what they would find inside.
“We had many people walk in thinking they would find smartphones and tablets,” said Shales. “Once the initial shock wore off, people were excited to give Rave a try, and after the first bite, they recognized and enjoyed its crunch, incredible juice, and zing.”
The goal behind the event, Stemilt expressed in its press release, was to both introduce New Yorkers to Rave and to stir up media excitement. The event resonated with tech publications like The Verge, Entrepreneur, and Cult of Mac, in addition to food and lifestyle influencers like the Nutrition Twins.
Stemilt also held a special event for a culinary meet-up group from the Leisurely App on its final day of the shop, where Shales led a salad recipe demonstration, apple and cheese pairing, and shared information about Rave and Stemilt’s family farming story.
“The Rave apple season is short yet sweet and the pop-up experience proved to be a great way to help people start recognizing the apple’s name and branding,” said Shales. “We met people from different states, countries, and of course apple enthusiasts from the heart of NYC that, once they tried it, couldn’t wait to hear where they could buy the apple.”
Stemilt began its second Rave season the first week of August and expects to wrap up the season in early September. And as the short Rave® season carries on, Stemilt will continue to create excitement for the apple through a social sharing campaign called #PassTheRave. The company is inviting people to pass a note of appreciation—or “rave review”—to a friend, family member, and colleague. Visitors enter the recipient’s name, upload three photos of them together, and get a personalized video to share with them. The recipient is encouraged to #PassTheRave onto someone else.
“Rave colors and ripens in late July and has the unique position of being the first apple off the tree in Washington state. Its arrival in markets now signal the start of apple season, and as our pop-up shop showed us, shoppers love its outrageous juice and refreshing, snappy zing,” added Shales. “Rave is the social apple. As much as we love people to rave about Rave, we also want to spread positivity from person-to-person, and that’s what our #PassTheRave videos are doing,”
For the latest in fresh produce news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
KINGSVILLE, ON - SUNSET® CAMP-ARI officially kicked off last month! As part of the SUNSET-sponsored, five-
“Contributing to our community is incredibly important to us, especially when it involves better serving our local youth,” said CEO Paul Mastronardi. “We wanted to provide an exciting and memorable camp experience and inspire kids to make healthy life and food choices.”
The camp hosted 32 local youths between the ages of 10-15, who were selected by an online contest held by SUNSET that included questions related to leadership, healthy eating, the environment, and why they believe they should be selected to attend the camp.
“After many months of renovations and planning, it was so exciting to see it all come to life and that we finally got to meet all 32 of the contest winners,” shared SUNSET Project Coordinator, Melanie Mastronardi. “We planned a week full of incredible activities for the campers including an outdoor movie night, an exclusive tour of our greenhouse operation in Kingsville, and a special guest appearance by celebrity chef Roger Mooking, host of Man Fire Food on Cooking Channel Canada. We received such positive feedback from the campers and their parents about the great experiences they had and the lasting friendships and memories they made.”
According to a press release, the camp also focused on providing the campers with a variety of flavorful, healthy meals showcasing fresh SUNSET produce. Chef Mooking prepared a special meal cooked over an open campfire that showed CAMP-ARI campers how easy it is to turn fresh vegetables into a healthy, delicious meal.
“Each one of the campers had a special role in creating the dinner, from making the meat marinade, to prepping veggies, and following recipes to create homemade salsa and guacamole. It was really special to see everyone enjoy a meal that they were all involved in!” Mooking said.
For more of the latest ways those in our industry are inspiring the next generation of produce-eaters, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
NEWPORT BEACH, CA - It ain’t easy being one of the leading organic avocado growers in Mexico, but for GreenFruit Avocados, that is an integral part of its initiative to help customers keep up with an ever-expanding demand. To learn more about GreenFruit’s organic avocado program ahead of Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Innovations conference, I spoke with Sales and Marketing Manager Kraig Loomis.
“Expanding our organics program has been a major focus for us as demand continues to grow, and we are currently expanding our organic growing practices in Mexico and now, Colombia. We also initiated a new campaign to make all of our organic orchards Bio-Dynamic Certified in both Mexico and Colombia. This certification will be the new standard for us in growing and harvesting all of our organics,” says Kraig.
This is the second year that Southern Innovations has been an organic and foodservice driven show, and GreenFruit has plenty to offer on both sides of the coin. In addition to its growth in organics, the grower also has new foodservice offerings to delight operators of all kinds.
“We are excited to showcase our new 2 Ct. box for size 48s avocados. Selling 2 Ct. quantities helps our customers protect against excessive handling and makes it easier and more convenient for a foodservice-type customer,” Kraig tells me. “This 2 Ct. box includes an avocado color chart that helps show the stage of ripeness, as well as the time frame for optimal consumption. GreenFruit also offers customized ordering to allow its customers to have the right amount in the kitchen at the right time.”
While organics and foodservice are both trending towards growth, and GreenFruit is happy to answer that call, what is really important, Kraig says, is that it is a vertically integrated company. To Kraig, this means that it is able to provide an unmatched level of quality along the entire growing and packing process.
“The message that we are really trying to translate at Southern Innovations is that GreenFruit Avocados is vertically integrated from the seed to the shelf, and that we are a third generation Mexican grower and packer with direct programs across the globe year-round,” Kraig tells me. “Being vertically integrated allows us to be in control of harvest, ensure cold management, provide traceability, and pack quality fruit in every single box to ensure optimal quality. This is invaluable to our customers.”
Want to learn more about GreenFruit’s organic and foodservice programs? Ask the team yourself at Southern Innovations in Nashville, Tennessee, September 6th through 8th. I hear you can catch Kraig at booth #418.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - While Amazon Go has been relatively alone in its own cashierless grocery arena since launching this past January, San Francisco-based start-up Zippin is entering the market and becoming what Fast Company has described as “the first Amazon Go rival.” This week, Zippin opened its concept store to show off its patent-pending AI, machine learning, and visual cognition technology that is removing the long lines at checkout from the brick-and-mortar grocery experience.
“Consumer frustration with checkout lines is driving a tidal wave of demand among retailers and real estate owners keen to provide a frictionless retail experience,” said CEO Krishna Motukuri. “With annual sales of grocery stores, convenience stores, and quick-service restaurants totaling nearly $1.6 trillion in the U.S. alone, we believe there is a sizable market opportunity for us to pursue.”
According to a press release, Zippin’s checkout-free software platform uses a combination of overhead cameras and smart shelf sensors to track when and which products are picked up or put back to place the correct items in shoppers’ virtual carts. Shoppers need only to download the Zippin app and connect their preferred payment method to gain access to the store and to receive a receipt with their charges.
Zippin also noted in its release that its new platform provides retailers with an innovative way to meet demand while also increasing profits. As a result, retailers tapping into Zippin’s tech can increase inventory and merchandising efficiencies thanks to real-time data captured by the software.
“Despite the popularity of shopping online, brick-and-mortar retail still accounts for more than 90 percent of all purchases made in the U.S. With Zippin, traditional retailers can now compete against e-commerce companies, which until now have had the advantage of leveraging a host of key data about their customers,” Motukuri continued.
While the store is currently only available to those with an invitation, the store will be open to the public beginning mid-September.
Will Zippin’s software find its way into the stores of some of Amazon’s major competitors? AndNowUKnow will continue to report as grocery retail continues to evolve.
CANCUN, MEXICO - Our industry is one of progress and evolution. To examine the horticultural side of business, Asociación Mexicana de Horticultura Protegida AC. (AMHPAC) is offering insight into the ups, downs, and turnarounds on an international scale, providing opportunities to network with movers sand shakers. The three-day event is packed with excitement, including a trade show, sessions to discuss challenges with specialists in the field, and meetings with banks and insurance agencies to get conversations in the works.
“At this year’s AMHPAC summit, we will analyze the current situation of the horticultural industry, as well as the risk and opportunities we have as a guild. We will also examine the international business environment to strengthen the relationships among participating decision makers,” Alfredo Diaz Belmontes, CEO for the organization, shares with me.
Of the event, Alfredo tells me the following activities are set to wow the masses:
- Welcome Cocktail (Holland Party)
- 5k and flags race
- Networking Dinner (White Party)
- Farewell Party at Mandala Beach Club
“We will focus on opportunities to learn, do business, refresh and consolidate relations, and gain expertise about the tools for the correct development of the companies who take part in this event,” Alfredo tells me. “We expect over 400 attendees, most of them growers from all around Mexico, as well as domestic and foreign leaders of the horticultural industry, growers, supply chain representatives, decision makers. It’s going to be an exceptional crowd!”
As participants say goodbye to the event, they are sure to walk away enlightened to the possibilities within our industry and the growth that is yet to be. To that end, I am excited to see what comes to fruition as a result.
NEW YORK, NY - After rejecting a possible sale to Kroger that may have valued the company at $400 to $500 million, Boxed is making headlines again this month—and proving it may have been wise to wait and bet on a more lucrative future. The company announced $111 million in new funds for its online-only storefront this week, raised in a Series D funding round led by Aeon Ltd., one of Japan’s largest retailers.
After Walmart’s impressive quarterly buoyed grocery retailers large and small earlier this month, the online grocery provider was reported by the New York Times to now potentially be worth in excess of $600 million (though its valuation is private). And TechCrunch suggests that Boxed will be using its new funds to double down on a strategy that targets Costco’s consumers—“targeting families and other consumers who like to look for bargains by shopping for food and other groceries in bulk sizes.”
“Our industry is constantly evolving. Our latest fundraising efforts will allow us to capitalize on those changes. We’ll also continue to expand our national footprint by focusing on reaching our core consumer in various key markets, to increase national brand awareness of Boxed,” said Chieh Huang, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, in a press release. “The autonomous vehicles our robotics team has created will help support our rapid growth, enabling us to meet customer demand through increased efficiency, and put us at the forefront of fulfillment center technology.”
According to that press release, the e-tailer is currently exploring future expansion of its operations around the country, including in the Chicago area, where execs have begun visiting potential new sites for a midwest-based facility. And Boxed plans to use its new capital to ramp up automation efforts spearheaded by the company’s in-house robotics team.
Will the online provider continue to expand and gain ground in Costco’s neighborhood? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.