BOISE, ID - This morning, Albertsons companies announced a new President and CEO; effective April 25, 2019, Vivek Sankaran, current Chief Executive Officer, PepsiCo Foods North America, will assume both roles.
Albertsons’ current President and CEO Jim Donald will continue as Co-Chairman of the Board alongside Leonard Laufer. The company’s longtime leader Robert Miller has been named Chairman Emeritus and will continue to serve as a member of the Board of Directors.
“It is a great privilege to join a company that has such deep roots in American retail,” said Sankaran, in a press release. “Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel Osco, Shaw's, ACME, Tom Thumb, Randall’s, United Supermarkets, Market Street, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, and Carrs—all of these banners and more in the Albertsons Companies family of stores have hundreds of years of combined history. Our stores are integral to the lives of millions of customers each week. I’m excited to build on the legacies of past CEOs Bob Miller and Jim Donald who both laid a solid foundation for success and look forward to working with our associates to realize the opportunities and navigate the challenges in our evolving industry.”
According to Albertsons’ press release, Sankaran has served as CEO of PepsiCo Foods North America since December 2018. Prior to that, Sankaran served as the company's President and COO, a position he was named to in 2016.
Before joining PepsiCo in 2009, Sankaran was a partner at McKinsey and Company, where he served various Fortune 100 companies, bringing a strong focus on strategy and operations. Sankaran holds an MBA from the University of Michigan, a master's degree in manufacturing from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Chennai.
“Vivek brings a rare blend of CPG, retail, manufacturing, logistics, technology, and research and development to Albertsons Companies, all of which are key components to being a successful retailer in an Omni Channel-driven environment,” said outgoing President and CEO Jim Donald. “Moreover, Vivek has the keen understanding that the front line is directly linked to the bottom line, and I'm confident he will inspire and engage our 270,000 associates across our stores, support offices, manufacturing facilities, and distribution centers.”
Robert Miller echoed those sentiments, expressing confidence in Sankaran’s abilities and Albertsons’ future.
“I’ve known Vivek for many years. He has always impressed me, not only with his exceptional work at Frito-Lay in managing the many facets of a multibillion-dollar food business, but also with his ability to work with and develop people,” said Miller. “I couldn’t be happier to leave Albertsons Companies in Vivek’s hands.”
Donald also added, “When I joined Albertsons Companies in 2018, I found a company that had a strong decentralized operating model, a fantastic leadership team, and incredible potential to be the four-walls and no-walls leader in the grocery industry. Over the past year, our team made our company’s nearly 2,300 stores even stronger as we sharpened our focus on the intersection of technology and service. I’m looking forward to the continued progress of the company under the seasoned leadership of Vivek. We continue to be well-positioned to serve the evolving needs of today’s customer, where, how, and when they choose to shop with us.”
Albertsons’ press release noted that Laufer, who was appointed to the Albertsons Companies Board of Directors in October 2018 and is now Board Co-Chairman alongside Jim Donald, is a Senior Managing Director and Head of Transformation and Technology for Cerberus Capital Management and the leader of Cerberus Technology Solutions. Prior to joining Cerberus, Laufer had launched and was the head of JPMorgan Intelligent Solutions, a unit of JPMorgan Chase & Co. Before that, Laufer cofounded and was CEO of Argus Information and Advisory Services, which was sold in 2012 to Verisk Analytics. He’s a is a graduate of Harvard University, and he received an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania.
What does the future hold for Albertsons under its new leadership? AndNowUKnow will continue to report with more on the dynamic retailer.
NEW ZEALAND - This giveaway will drive you crazy! JAZZ™ and Jeep are teaming up for the JAZZ'd Up Jeep Sweepstakes to provide key promotional opportunities in order to drive more traffic to retail stores, inspire sales, repeat purchases, and keep customers wanting more JAZZ apples.
“This sweepstakes and its associated elements, including a nationwide Ibotta rebate offer, highlight our commitment to fully integrated consumer and trade marketing initiatives that will grow brand awareness, add value to our retail offerings, and increase demand for JAZZ apples long after the activities conclude,” said Brock Nemecek, Regional Marketing Manager for T&G Global, one of JAZZ’s in-market sales agents.
According to the company’s press release, the sweepstakes has already received almost 300,000 entries and 7,000 valid receipts proving purchase via mail and the online form. It will wrap on April 30, 2019. JAZZ is supporting the sweepstakes with email marketing, consumer advertising and PR, as well as a content campaign featuring brand ambassador, Chef Adam Glick with the coveted grand prize—a 2019 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. The Jeep will be awarded to the lucky winners in May. There is also a wide array of additional outdoor-themed secondary prizes.
In February, JAZZ launched a new Impulse Buy Bin Program coordinating with JAZZ’d Up Jeep. The program is designed to live beyond the promotion and spur impulse purchases. Showcasing JAZZ apples beyond the fresh produce department, the custom displays enable retailers to make healthy snacking centers and are currently available.
“With an innovative secondary display, our customers can drive incremental sales by elevating bagged and bulk JAZZ apples as ideal grab-and-go, fresh snacks,” explained Roger Aguirre, Apple Category Director at Oppy. “The display, which looks like an actual Jeep, promotes JAZZ’s position as the go-to apple for outdoor enthusiasts and encourages shoppers to get outside as spring and summer approach.”
Owned by T&G Global, JAZZ is a trademarked apple brand headquartered in New Zealand. Its three in-market sales agents, Oppy, Rainer Fruit Company, and CMI Orchards, work alongside T&G to offer JAZZ apples.
For more updates on JAZZ'd Up Jeep Sweepstakes, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
SACRAMENTO, CA - Berry season is upon us, and I couldn’t be more excited. DelFrescoPure® got everyone on the strawberry train by testing our readers’ knowledge of my favorite summertime treat. Many threw their hat in the ring, so to speak, but only two have been crowned champion and winner of the $100 grand prize!
The buy-side winner, Senior Purchasing Manager for Denny’s, Gene Harris, is the lucky ducky who proved his berry knowledge and is now $100 richer! Congratulations, Gene, on one of many ANUK quiz victories!
On the supply side, Procurement Manager for Fresh Concepts, another repeat winner, Dustin White, knocked out the competition left and right, and came out on top!
“I’m very tempted to use my entire winnings to buy $100 worth of DelFrescoPure Strawberries," Dustin commented. "The product looks so amazing I could almost taste it just looking at it!”
Take a peek at our leaderboard below to see how tight the competition was for this strawberry quiz…
The Quiz Quix winners nabbed perfect scores, but not all of us were so lucky. The most missed question on the quiz was:
Most Missed Question
YES!Berries comes in new 3-4 oz snack packs, what are they called?
Correct
Stackers
Didn’t do so well this round? Buff up on your berry knowledge and practice fo the next Quiz Quix by checking out the link below!
Make sure you’re subscribed to AndNowUKnow’s newsletter to be in-the-know for The Snack Magazine contests, industry news, and the chance to win our next quiz!
Sign in through your email or one of several social media accounts to join in the next Quiz Quix, and maybe you might just be a winner.
Quiz Quix is our way of encouraging a little healthy competition within the industry, and of course, to have fun. Signing in will give us a token to verify you and enables us to put your name in the ranking. It does not give us access to more than your name and email address—we value your security. Participants must have a valid email address registered in their individual name in order to play.
Congratulations to Gene and Dustin!
KINGSVILLE, ONTARIO - Red Sun Farms is bringing the heat to the Great White North this April with new greenhouse-grown products that pack a one-two-punch. We spoke with Carlos Visconti, CEO USA and Canada Operations, and Harold Paivarinta Senior Director and Head of Sales for North America, to learn about the Red Sun Farms’ plans for the 2019 CPMA Conference and Trade Show and the company’s exciting new offerings.
“The key message is that Red Sun Farms is a company that sets the bar in terms of quality, innovation, and service,” Carlos told me. “Our seed to plate approach insures these things as we control all aspects of the supply chain from seed selection to delivery. It is this approach that created Sweetpops and Sweetpeps, as we strive to create the perfect products. With the seed to plate mindset, we have the ability to deliver the very best in quality & flavor, year-round.”
With Sweetpops—a line of snacking tomatoes that debuted last year—and Sweetpeps— mini peppers first featured at SEPC’s Southern Exposure—Red Sun Farms is confident that they have hits on their hands that could help Canadian produce departments drive sales.
“Late last year we hit the produce industry with our ultimate snacking tomato, ‘Sweetpops,’ and the demand and feedback have been tremendous,” Harold noted. “We warned everyone that we weren’t stopping, and just recently at Southern Exposure, we unveiled our ‘Sweetpeps,’ our 100 percent high-tech greenhouse grown mini peppers. Following the look and feel of Sweetpops we’ve created a fun 8oz resealable bag that’s great for people on the go. The initial response to Sweetpeps has been amazing, so we’re confident that we’ve now created the perfect one-two punch of Pops and Peps! We’re already saying ‘Whether you pep or pop, either way you won’t stop!!’”
For Red Sun Farms, CPMA presents a key opportunity to connect with partners, new and old, Harold noted, and to showcase products like Sweetpops and Sweetpeps that are transforming the landscape of the produce department.
“CPMA is an important show for Red Sun Farms. We have a major footprint in the Canadian market, and CPMA allows us to network and connect with our Canadian partners,” said Harold. “This show inspires exhibitors to showcase creative new product innovations, and as a team we look forward to seeing the latest and greatest from the produce industry.
Harold continued: “There is definitely opportunity in the Canadian Market. Especially in regards to specialties and organics, as we are seeing these categories expand year after year. It’s our job as growers to listen to the market, create the products they are looking for, and help our retail partners with the next big thing.”
With Sweetpops and Sweetpeps, Red Sun Farms may have just that.
“Red Sun Farms is committed to exceeding our customers expectations,” added Carlos. “Our fantastic team is working diligently on the next big thing. The success we have had with our products is not by accident, but by design to deliver flavorful products 365 days a year. Stop by booth #1501 and see the difference yourself!”
Show-goers at the 2019 CPMA Conference and Trade Show, held April 2-4 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal, can learn more about Red Sun Farms’ latest products at booth #1501.
BURLINGTON, ON - Earth Fresh Farms is bringing a breezy springtime theme to Montreal next month. The spud specialists are taking to this year’s CPMA Conference and Trade Show with an Airstream trailer and a full family of organic offerings in tow.
“At the CPMA Conference and Trade Show, we’re going to focus on our core values,” said Marketing Director Stephanie Cutaia, “going back to the earth and celebrating clean eating—our core values of being healthy and organic. We’re in the growing world, so we wanted to do something with a really natural environment for our booth design. We’re replicating a park with green grass and picnic tables.”
Stephanie tells me that the company’s approach to its CPMA booth is less about displaying produce and more about creating a connection between the brand and its trade partners.
“Every year we try to really wrap who we are as a company into our booth so when our trade visitors come and visit us, they create a bond with us. They connect with us on a sensory and emotional level. We all know you have to make that emotional connection to your customer or your consumer, and we try to do that with our booth every year,” Stephanie said. “Our park is blue skies and fresh-cut fries themed. We’ll be serving organic fresh-cut fries and organic beer to help quench your thirst, and we’ll have a really cool vintage Airstream trailer.”
For Earth Fresh Farms, the CPMA Conference and Trade Show is about more than just networking. The company is actively involved, as a Gold Member sponsor, in supporting the association and helping ensure a bright future for fresh food in North America.
“The annual Convention and Trade Show is a great must-attend event. Every year they are selling out booths and increasing attendance from key buyers in the foodservice and retail sector,” Stephanie explained. “We’ve really grown our relationship with the CPMA in the last ten years. We’re gold member sponsors now, and we see the CPMA as almost our trade partner. We rely on them heavily for a lot of things including food safety. They keep us current on Canadian regulations to ensure effective food safety across the board and throughout the supply chain. We rely on them with regard to government relations and advocacy. CPMA is always there with its Half Your Plate program helping consumers and promoting the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.“
Like the CPMA, Earth Fresh Farms is actively encouraging healthy eating habits, and Stephanie told me that highlighting the health benefits of potatoes is one of Earth Fresh Farms’ top priorities.
Creating and capitalizing on the buzz around healthy organic potatoes and onions shouldn’t prove too hard for the company as it offers a comprehensive selection of bagged potatoes with USDA and CFIA bona fides.
“We offer organic potatoes in reds, yellows, whites, and Russets. We do them in a five pound, a three pound—and we also have a 1 and 1/2 pound baby potato mixed organic pack with purples, reds, and yellows,” added Stephanie. “We do baby organic reds and baby yellows. We also have organic onions in both red and yellow. So we’re able to provide a whole family of organic products—both potatoes and onions—to our customers, which is great because the organic market is growing.”
Additionally, Stephanie noted, Earth Fresh Farms is hard at work bringing new varieties sourced from around the globe to the North American market. The company’s president Tom Hughes has made it his mission to track down the best and brightest spuds, and his latest find, the Red Emily variety is in the works and soon to hit Canadian and U.S. shores.
“It’s interesting when the globe becomes smaller and more accessible,” Stephanie added. “It’s neat that we can do this—bring varieties from all over the world, and our Potatoes of the World program highlights these varieties. It allows consumers to connect with varieties that come from their homelands.”
For more fresh-focused news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
LEHIGH VALLEY, PA - Lidl is looking to make Pennsylvania its Stateside domain. The retailer first made headway into the Keystone State in November of last year and, recently, sought $9.5 million in state redevelopment grants for six possible stores in the Philadelphia area. This week, Lidl once again made major moves in Pennsylvania, with The Morning Call reporting that the grocer is opening its first store in the Lehigh Valley on April 24.
“We’re thrilled to open in the community and serve customers there,” said Will Harwood, Director of Communications. Harwood also noted that the store was a $20 million investment that included the building, site remediation, and street work.
The news source reports that Lidl has been trying to open its Lehigh Valley store for the past three years, but corporate scale backs ultimately prevented the chain from making strides toward an opening date.
But that's not all Lidl has in the works this week. News also broke that Lidl was testing out its own convenience-style chain, joining the likes of Whole Foods, Hy-Vee, and even its major global competitor, Aldi. The Washington Business Journal reported that Lidl Express, the retailer’s new convenience-sized store that offers a variety of fresh food and staples, is its first store in Arlington, Virginia. The store is a little more than 1,000 square feet and is located inside Lidl’s U.S. headquarters.
“We are looking at a variety of different store sizes and formats as they come up,” Harwood said. “Right now, it’s [Lidl Express] just this space, but it shows how agile and adaptive Lidl can be.”
While Lidl Express is open for business and ready for shoppers to revel in its convenience, Harwood noted that, as of now, Lidl is not looking to expand its new concept.
Is Pennsylvania now a Lidl-yellow state? Will the market eventually become synonymous with Lidl as Florida is to Publix? And what do all of these grocers-turned-convenience-stores mean for the industry? AndNowUKnow will continue to bring you the latest moves happening on the retail chess board.
SEATTLE, WA - Amazon is heading south to the Lone Star State, expanding its Austin Tech Hub, and creating 800 new tech jobs. Together with its customer fulfillment facilities, the e-tailer has created more than 22,000 full-time jobs in Texas and has invested over $7 billion in the state since 2011.
“In the last four years, we have created more than 1,000 jobs in Austin,” stated Terry Leeper, General Manager of the Austin Tech Hub. “With a strong pool of technical talent in Austin and a dynamic quality of life, we are excited to continue to expand and create more opportunity in this vibrant city."
According to a press release, the new jobs center around software and hardware engineering, research science, and cloud computing.
“The state of Texas has cultivated a strong and vibrant business environment, leading to more jobs and greater innovation,” said Governor Greg Abbott. “With today’s investment and continued investment in the technology sector, Texas will continue to chart a path toward greater economic prosperity.”
Senator Kirk Watson went on to say, “I’m pleased that Amazon is doubling down on Austin by expanding the Tech Hub. Austin is a special place that fosters creativity and innovation, and I appreciate that Amazon has chosen to become an even greater contributor to our dynamic community and economy.”
Amazon’s Austin Tech Hub is one of the company’s 17 North American Tech Hubs—a network of development centers in addition to Amazon’s Seattle and Northern Virginia headquarters. Employees at these Hubs build new products and services for Amazon customers around the world.
“We are pleased to see Amazon’s significant investment in the Austin region continue to grow,” said Gary Farmer, Opportunity Austin Chair, Austin Chamber of Commerce. “This expanding presence is indicative of our region’s ability to provide creative and innovative talent. We’re proud to call Amazon a partner in our efforts to achieve regional prosperity.”
Congressman Michael McCaul added, “It is no surprise that Texas’ booming economy continues to attract innovative companies, both large and small. Amazon’s decision to further expand comes with the recognition that Texas continues to boast a pro-business environment that helps businesses and families to grow, thrive, and succeed. This expansion will help ensure Austin remains at the cutting-edge of the tech that’s fueling and driving emerging markets.”
For the latest in how Amazon is expanding nationally, keep reading us here at AndNowUKnow.
GLENNVILLE, GA - With a distinctly Southern charm and an outlook to match, Bland Farms is heading into the spring onion season with something retailers won’t want to miss out on. But what is this allusive “something” you ask? We caught up with Delbert Bland, President and Owner of Bland Farms, at SEPC Southern Exposure earlier this year to see if we could glean any of the details.
“Well, actually, this is a pretty good time to be in the onion business, believe it or not, because in the last 2-3 years, there’s been too many onions planted and the prices got real low,” Delbert explained. “We just found out this week that we’re 3,000 acres less than what we were last year. Typically, we average anywhere from 11,500 to 13,000 acres. We only had 9,200 acres this year.”
Despite the lower acreage, Delbert noted that Bland Farms is moving out of Mexico and Texas as we speak, even if it is with a lower crop than expected. But Delbert has been in the onion business for a while now, and nothing seems to shake him from his glass-is-half-full outlook.
“Believe it or not, I’ve been talking to some of the retailers and they like when the market is healthy. So, I think you’re fixing to see a very interesting deal, so we’re excited now,” Delbert concluded.
For more wisdom from Delbert Bland, check out our exclusive interview above. And for more breaking fresh produce news, keep checking back with AndNowUKnow.
BAKERSFIELD, CA - As the industry prepares to head for Montreal, Canada, it’s ANUK’s job to ramp up the produce news before the Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s (CPMA) Convention and Trade Show. Here to help us pump up the anticipation is Grimmway Farms’ Vice President of Organic Sales, Bob Borda, who tells me a little bit about what the company will be showcasing out on the floor.
“One of the items we’re most excited to highlight are our bagged rainbow radishes,” Bob tells me. “Cal-Organic bunched rainbow radishes have been on the market for years, but this year we’re introducing 12-ounce packs featuring freshly-picked rainbow radishes, washed with their greens clipped. We’re also looking forward to sharing the latest updates from our carrot and organic vegetable lines and discussing our upcoming organic potato and dry onion programs with customers.”
Grimmway and Cal-Organic, both family-owned and operated, are focused on providing dependable quality and outstanding service to its customers, and the show is a great opportunity to introduce new products and discuss the seasonal and year-round programs.
“CPMA provides an outstanding venue for us to connect with retail and distribution partners north of the Canadian border,” Bob shares. “We value the solid partnerships we’ve built throughout the Canadian marketplace and look forward to continuing to serve our Canadian customers.”
With Canadian consumers’ passion for fresh produce and better-for-you foods, it’s no wonder that Grimmway sees an opportunity to supply organics to this market year-round!
Be sure to visit Grimmway at booth #716! See you there, fellow produce lovers!
VENTURA, CA - LINKFRESH Inc. has announced the availability of the first release of the LINKFRESH ERP suite on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, where users will enjoy an entirely new user experience with many user interface improvements and optimizations designed to reduce button clicks and improve user productivity!
“We are hugely excited for our Dynamics NAV product to now have migrated across into the Dynamics 365 Business Central platform, supporting the very latest productivity improvements that the platform enables,” said Ian Morgan, Head of Product. “In particular, the ‘game changing’ elements that we are embracing in our Business Central release are the completely re-engineered client application and web based access, the in-built mobile interface designer, and the ability to integrate further with all elements of the Microsoft stack.”
According to the company’s press release, LINKFRESH 365 Business Central will be available next month and embodies over 200 separate LINKFRESH application updates across the suite, including major enhancements in the areas of Touchscreen Operations, Mobile Warehousing, Tablet Quality Control, and Gantt Operations.
The workspace has also been improved to pro-actively display relevant supplementary information to support the task being completed.
To improve user productivity, Consignment Traceability functionality has been simplified. With many visual enhancements to the workspace, such as toggles for fresh produce attributes, the LINKFRESH 365 Business Central Production module has received a makeover as well.
“From a LINKFRESH perspective, the new Mobile Warehousing application for a modern age brings a step-change in our capabilities to deliver global mobile applications in a way that is faster to deploy, faster to run, easier to support by us and our partner community, and be fully personalized by our customers,” Morgan explained. “Some 75% of all LINKFRESH users access the system from mobile devices, so having a best-in-class mobile solution is essential. LINKFRESH 365 Business Central is truly the best ERP platform for growing Fresh Produce companies.”
LINKFRESH 365 Business Central is also released with a new “LINKFRESH vNEXT Mobile” suite for mobile warehousing, as stated in the press release. LINKFRESH vNEXT mobile supports Windows Mobile, iOS, and Android devices. Designed around simple repeatable processes, with ease of use and performance in mind, users can complete warehousing tasks such as; Enquiry, Intake & Put-away, Pallet Management, Stock Take, Quick-Picking, Production, and Outbound Processing.
LINKFRESH vNEXT Mobile Warehousing solution includes an innovative “Navigation by Scanning” feature, which enables users to navigate around the mobile warehousing functions simply by scanning a barcode; the solution recognizes the barcode origin and displays the relevant start screens. Further, “screen gesture shortcuts” have been added for the most common processes.
For the latest updates on LINKFRESH’s new software, keep reading AndNowUKnow.