PHOENIX, AZ - Longtime leader, current President, and Chief Operating Officer for Sprouts Farmers Market Jim Nielsen has stepped down from his post. The announcement comes following an extended medical leave, according to news source Phoenix Business Journal, which reported that the retailer filed a brief with the SEC yesterday regarding the transition.
He has remained private about his medical leave, but Nielsen is not immediately parting ways with Sprouts. Instead he is transitioning to Senior Advisor through March 31, 2020, taking responsibilities assigned to him by current CEO Jack Sinclair.
The outgoing executive has been with Sprouts since April of 2011, starting and retaining his post as Chief Operating Officer while additionally being named President in 2015. Last December, Nielsen became interim Co-CEO with ex-CFO Brad Lukow before Sinclair took on the role permanently, and the company states on his bio that Nielsen has a long history of growing the Sprouts brand.
Nielsen began his career at Smith’s Food and Drug in 1986 and held positions such as Store Director and Senior Merchandising Manager before leaving in 2002. Prior to joining the retailer, Nielsen served as President, Vice President, and General Manager of Henry’s Farmers Market from 2006 to 2011. From 2002 to 2006, he served in roles of increasing responsibility at Wild Oats Marketplace, including Director of Operations, Director of Non-Perishables, and Director of Merchandising.
We wish Jim Nielsen our best during this next step of his grocery career.
WASHINGTON, DC - Next year’s BrandStorm™ details are no longer under wraps! This week, United Fresh revealed that the fifth annual event will be held in one of Texas’ crown jewels: Austin. This is big big big news since the last four years’ worth of BrandStorms have all taken place in San Francisco, California! Next year’s event will take place on February 10-12, 2020, at the University of Texas at Austin’s AT&T Hotel and Conference Center. So, dust off your cowpeople hats, boots, and belts, harness your Western cool, and get ready to two-step with the best of them at one of our industry’s biggest marketing events.
"BrandStorm gets more and more exciting each year,” said Mark Munger, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at 4Earth Farms and Chair of United Fresh’s Produce Marketing and Merchandising Council. “This year, I’m most looking forward to the energy and excitement that a new city can bring to a creative event like this. I know Austin will provide an exciting atmosphere for learning and exploration."
A project of United Fresh’s Produce Marketing and Merchandising Council, BrandStorm aims to gather produce marketers for a jam-packed event full of education, idea-sharing, and innovative dialogue with peers, colleagues, and industry leaders. Each year, members from around the produce industry have attended and engaged in all levels of brand and marketing fun, including enhancing their knowledge, acquiring new strategies, and getting a glimpse at the next wave of tools and innovations.
The show will kick off with the signature BrandStorm tour on February 10, giving an exclusive group of attendees access to the marketing teams behind some of the biggest brands in the Lone Star State, followed by the Welcome Reception at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center.
On Tuesday, February 11, the education storm rolls in early with a breakfast general session followed by a day of idea deluge, according to a press release. With over 20 workshop topics to choose from, attendees will be able to learn from the best of them at workshops and X-Change sessions.
The event will conclude on Wednesday, February 12, with a breakfast panel followed by a half-day of education, before wrapping up with a closing lunch general session.
"This event is an annual must-attend for all members of your marketing team,” said Kim St George, Vice President, Business Development, Renaissance Food Group, and Vice Chair of United Fresh’s Produce Marketing and Merchandising Council. “I find a level of renewed energy and excitement each year I attend. The content is timely and always spurs new strategies for our team to adopt."
But Austin isn’t the only thing new to BrandStorm this year! The masterminds behind the event are also introducing a new Make it Rain ideas! topic submission, encouraging industry marketers to submit topics that most impact their role to be included in this year’s programming. Those interested can submit their topic here.
United Fresh members can attend BrandStorm for $695 with discounts offered to marketing teams (from the same company) at the reduced rate of $645 each when you register two or more colleagues. Non-members can attend for $895. In addition, companies who are committed to exhibit at United Fresh 2020 Convention & Expo, June 16-18, in San Diego, California, can take advantage of the 2020 Exhibitor Value Package which includes one FREE BrandStorm registration for a member of your marketing staff who would be a first-time BrandStorm attendee.
To register, click here. And to keep on dosey-doe-ing with the ANUK team, stay right here for all the latest fresh produce news.
SAN BERNARDINO, CA - Kroger-owned meal kit company Home Chef is expanding into California, and not in a small way. The convenience category player announced it is welcoming a San Bernardino County, California, production facility that will nearly triple the size of its operations.
"Our secret sauce has always been our customer-first approach," said Pat Vihtelic, Home Chef's Founder and CEO. "Everything about our experience is designed with the customer at the center. By keeping our West Coast facility in San Bernardino, we will be able to continue to provide the best possible cooking experience."
With this move, Home Chef will retain more than 300 existing jobs in San Bernardino, with expansion planned to follow the move, according to a press release. The company has been doing business in the city of San Bernardino since 2015, and the San Bernardino County Economic Development Agency actively welcomed the move by facilitating key meetings between Home Chef and its various resource partners to ensure the company could take advantage of a number of incentives. These entities included:
- The city of San Bernardino
- GO-Biz
- The San Bernardino County Workforce Development Agency
"We are proud to call the city of San Bernardino our West Coast home. We look forward to creating more jobs and continuing to make a positive impact on the local community," said Alice Thompson, Home Chef's Chief Operating Officer. "We have an incredible team recruited from the San Bernardino area. Maintaining that team was top of mind as we determined where to expand our West Coast presence."
The county also provided assistance related to Home Chef's site selection efforts while the Economic Development Agency helped to expedite permitting between city and county departments to meet project management milestones associated with the meal kit provider’s expansion. Even the county's Workforce Development Agency is working with Home Chef on numerous workforce initiatives.
"It is even more gratifying when a company is able to build upon its success in our county. We know that our workforce, strategic infrastructure, and attainable lifestyle can make a real difference for companies that are looking to grow and establish a strong West Coast presence. Home Chef is a great employer that now provides our population with the opportunity to work in a leading-edge sector of the fast-growing meal kit delivery industry," said San Bernardino County Deputy Executive Officer of Workforce and Economic Development Reg Javier.
The company stated that its new state-of-the-art space will help accommodate both the e-commerce and retail branches of the business. It seems this is a developing growth strategy we are seeing just the beginning of. As it unfolds further, AndNowUKnow will bring you the latest.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Online retailers like Amazon have long held sway over consumers demanding convenience, but brick-and-mortar grocers have been steadily pushing back, with efforts to provide consumers with a similar level of ease and flexibility in their shopping experience. Walmart first began testing its Scan & Go concept in 2017, with an app allowing consumers to scan items’ barcodes as they shop, pay by mobile phone, and leave without going through the standard checkout counter. Kroger followed suit in December of that year, with its own Scan, Bag, Go program. Now, Meijer has begun a full-scale expansion of its attempt to implement a similar checkout model, Shop & Scan—and public response has been very favorable.
"We're all challenged by time and busy schedules, so Shop & Scan allows customers the opportunity to truly be in control of their shopping trip, from the moment they walk in our stores to the minute they walk out," said Tom Wilson, Regional Vice President. "Customers are appreciative of the simplicity of scanning and bagging as they go because they can save time and avoid lines, speeding up their checkout experience."
To partake in the new checkout experience, shoppers must first download the free Meijer Mobile App, according to a press release. Then, as they shop, customers will scan the barcodes on the items they wish to purchase and bag their own groceries. The app will display a running total of the items purchased, so shoppers can keep track of the items they buy. Once their shopping is completed, they can then scan their phone at a self-checkout lane, pay, and be on their way.
The Meijer Mobile app has already been downloaded 1.1 million times since the initial Shop & Scan pilot launched in Michigan last year. Since then, reportedly more than 80 percent of the retailer’s customers have used the Shop & Scan app as part of their experience. Reportedly, shoppers have most enjoyed the program’s integrated shopping list and ability to clip available Meijer member reward coupons, mPerks, to scanned items.
At this time, the retailer has expanded this service to 179 of its stores throughout Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, and has plans to continue rolling out the Shop & Scan program to more stores this year.
Will this tech upgrade bring a new breed of consumer to Meijer stores? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
BLACKBURN, UK - With convenience dominating every sector in our industry, it’s no surprise that major players in the grocery game are working to round out their portfolios, operations, and capabilities to keep up with the times. One of these major players is EG Group, the company that bought Kroger’s c-store banner early last year. This week, the company made another strategic c-store move after entering into a binding agreement for the acquisition of Cumberland Farms.
“Over nearly eight decades, the Haseotes family has built Cumberland Farms into an outstanding portfolio of large, modern facilities run by a team of associates who are connected to the communities they serve,” stated Zuber Issa, Founder and Co-CEO of EG Group. “It is rare that an asset of this quality becomes available, and we are delighted to have been successful in a highly competitive process. We look forward to welcoming the talented team at Cumberland Farms into the EG family.”
Cumberland Farms currently employs 9,000 people and operates 600 convenience stores and fuel stations in eight states—including Florida and states in the Northeast—all 600 of which will be added to EG Group’s portfolio of stores. This portfolio now includes 1,700 stores across 30 U.S. states.
“We very much look forward to becoming part of the EG family, as it is clear that both Cumberland Farms and EG Group share a common vision for excellence in convenience retailing and commitment to investment in our people,” added Ari Haseotes, President and CEO of Cumberland Farms.
According to a press release, prior to April of 2018, EG Group had no presence in the U.S.
“The acquisition of Cumberland Farms is a transformative one for our U.S. business. It brings us greater scale and a well-established network in locations we do not currently serve that is highly complementary to our existing U.S. store footprint,” said Mohsin Issa, Founder and Co-CEO of EG Group. “We believe that the Cumberland Farms portfolio comprises some of the very best convenience stores within the USA, and we are delighted they will form part of the EG family.”
As part of the transaction, EG Group is considering adding Cumberland Farms’ products to its wider portfolio, as well.
How will this acquisition shake up the c-store market? AndNowUKnow will continue to report on all that’s coming and going in areas that affect fresh produce.
ELGIN, MN - The name First Kiss draws to mind something sweet, innocent, and romantic. Put it on an apple, however, I'm thinking a sweet and juicy crunch as I bite into the skin. Well, Honeybear Brands delivers just that: a mouth-wateringly tart and juicy apple with a firm, crisp bite and an eye-catching, deep scarlet skin that really stands out in stores. Now that it's August again, this premium variety is coming back to stores, much to the pleasure of many retailers and customers.
“We’re spreading the love,” said Don Roper, Vice President, Sales and Marketing. “If last year was about a fleeting first kiss, then this year is a little more like going steady. Our orchards are maturing each season and producing more and more of this amazing new fruit, so we’re able to ship–still in very limited supply–to a few retail partners outside of Minnesota who really want to try something that will wow their apple loving customers.”
According to the press release, the all-new variety debuted in 2018 with very limited supply and then sold out within days of its launch. First Kiss, grown sustainably by Honeybear Brands’ second- and third- generation family growers across Minnesota, is slated to hit retailers’ shelves later this month. The small farms result in an amazing tasting apple that delivers the highest quality season after season. Born from the same home as the Honeycrisp, the apple delivers a top-notch flavor and a satisfying bite.
“First Kiss is first in name and nature,” added Kristi Harris, Brand Manager. “It’s an early season apple, arriving months before the likes of fresh new Honeycrisp is picked and shipped to stores, so it really now marks the opening of the premium apple season and it gives retailers a watershed moment to promote and sell an exciting, new addition to the premium apple deck.”
Seeing as Honeybear Brands has produced the likes of Pazazz and RiverBelle, one could only expect nothing less from this premium variety to bring in customers coming back for more. First Kiss is available in major retail banners across North America. Based on last year's sales, I'm going to be first in line outside of the produce entrance. For more updates on all the newest varieties, keep following ANUK.
PASCO, WA - Let’s talk about our favorite foodservice items! I’ll go first: One of my favorite foodservice items is French fries, which is why PMA Foodservice attendees probably saw me hanging around the Allied Potato booth for a little bit longer than necessary. But what can I say—I had to find out everything I could about how Allied Potato is making sure it’s supplying foodservice operators with potatoes year-round thanks to its growing program.
I chatted with Matt Hornbuckle, Director of Foodservice Sales, who disclosed to me some juicy details on how Allied Potato is helping meet all of foodservice operators' potato needs.
“We just rolled out a new facility in Pasco, Washington, and a new farm in Quebec, Canada, that’s going to feed the supply on the East Coast,” Matt shared with me on the bustling show floor. “We’re excited to be a presence in the food industry.”
Allied Potato is a year-round shipper of processing potatoes. These potatoes are then delivered to members of the foodservice industry around the nation who rely on Allied Potato’s goods to make potato chips and fresh-cut French fries.
“We have multiple varieties within our Chipperbec™ family that we branded as Chipperbec for its low sugar, high starch, and consistent frying quality that chefs demand,” Matt continued.
For more information on the growth Allied Potato is experiencing with its Chipperbec brand, check out our exclusive video interview above!
DELANO, CA - As we creep into August, juicy little fruits clustered up in see-through bags surround me as I walk through the grocery store. Grapes are upon us. I recently had the pleasure to get to know a little bit more about what goes on out in the vineyards with Jon Zaninovich, President of Jasmine Vineyards.
“We have excellent size and quality of our crop this year, and are expecting about 20 percent more volume than last year,” states Jon. “We will be starting the summer off with white Summer Crunch, black Summer Royal, and red Flame Seedless.”
Grapes in general are a great and nutritious snack, easily portable, and ready to eat. In a time where convenience reigns, little bags (or big bags) of this delicious fruit are sure to draw consumers in, especially with the excellent promotable volumes Jasmine Vineyards is currently providing.
“The market should straighten out in a few weeks, but our grapes are best promoted right out front in the produce section with bold banners,” continued Jon. “We’re bolstering online presence as well for the increasing trend in home delivery and store pickup.”
Both easy to eat and easy to obtain—that sounds like a win-win in my books. With social media taking more precedence in our everyday lives, information is also easier to access, which means more recipes to showcase the versatility in these summer delicacies.
To stay current with the trends, keep reading AndNowUKnow for all the latest in the produce world.
ISSAQUAH, WA - Loyal Costco shoppers have stayed the course, patiently waiting for the wholesaler to step into the digital age. Their demands have been met, as Costco recently announced via an Instagram post that it was creating a digital membership card. This card can be accessed through the company’s Apple and Android apps.
I’m sure I’m not the only shopper that’s left their membership card behind, which is why this innovative new format is a godsend to many. (I have a rotating collection of what cards go in which bag—an unnecessary complication to my life, I’m aware, but certain occasions call for certain accessories.)
However, according to a report from USA Today, club members shouldn’t be too hasty in throwing away that card. They’ll need it for fueling up at gas stations, which are not yet equipped to read the digital membership card.
Some of Costco’s customers have also asked that it adopt a scan-and-go feature, which can be seen at competing wholesalers, Sam’s Club and BJ’s.
As we've previously reported, Costco has stuck to its brick-and-mortar strategy, choosing to eschew digital innovation. This store-centered focus has caused the retailer to lag behind other big-name grocers like Walmart and Amazon.
Is this the first step of many in Costco’s new digital strategy? Will it lean into customer loyalty once more and go after scan-and-go tech? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
OXNARD, CA - San Miguel Produce has officially announced its move to a new state-of-the-art 85,000-square-foot facility, located in Oxnard, California, just a few miles from the grower’s old facility and headquarters.
“We are very excited for this new building and the opportunity it brings,” commented Roy Nishimori, CEO. “This move will improve our production capacity and support the continued growth with our customers and the innovation of new items.”
According to a press release, the new facility will include additional office and production space, as well as the addition of two new form fill machines.
Construction on the facility was finished in winter of 2018, but the installation of the final production line was postponed by the busy holiday season. For the last few months, the facility has been fully operational, and the grower has been focused on fine-tuning processes in the new plant.
For all your produce industry news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.