WASHINGTON, DC - The United Fresh Produce Association is celebrating its 15th year of recognizing produce and retail excellence. This week, the association announced the top 25 honorees of the 2019 Retail Produce Manager Awards Program. This year’s winners—representing the best of the best produce managers from supermarket banners, commissaries, and independent retail stores across 16 different states and two Canadian provinces—will be recognized at the United Fresh 2019 convention on June 10-12 in Chicago.
“Produce managers are the face of our industry to the consumer. Their creative merchandising and positive approach to customer service directly correlates to the growth of sales and ultimately consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables,” said United Fresh President & CEO Tom Stenzel. “We are grateful to Dole for once again sponsoring this program and for their partnership in recognizing these 25 deserving honorees. I look forward to celebrating our winners this June in Chicago.”
According to a press release, the 2019 Retail Produce Manager Award Winners are:
- Vincente Aguirre, Fort Bliss Commissary, El Paso, TX
- Gregory Barnufsky Jr., Yokes Fresh Markets, Spokane, WA
- Mike Burdi, Metro Ontario Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada
- Jerry Clark II, The Fresh Market, Roanoke, VA
- Cassandra Crone, North State Grocery, Inc., Auburn, CA
- Bobby David, Audubon Market, St. Francisville, LA
- William Denault, Price Chopper Supermarkets, Lenox, MA
- Elaine Fong, Calgary Co-op, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Baryn Hagood-Lund, Safeway Inc., Everett, WA
- Heather Hudgins, MOM's Organic Markets, Whitemarsh, MD
- Edward Jette, Big Y Foods, Easton, MA
- Jason Karaffa, Albrecht's Sentry Foods, Delafield, WI
- Robin Manwaring, Tops Friendly Markets, Pulaski, NY
- Greg Miller, Raley's Family of Fine Stores, Chico, CA
- Michael Rowe, Brookshire’s Grocery Company, Bridgeport, TX
- David Scarlett, Food City/K-VA-T Food Stores, Knoxville, TN
- Martin Sevensky, Weis Markets, Inc., Clarks Summit, PA
- Michael Sockett, Gelson's Markets, Valley Village, CA
- Jimmy Strickland, Harris Teeter, Fayetteville, NC
- Charles Tavacol, Giant Foods, McLean, VA
- Roman Teig, Hy-Vee, Inc., Omaha, NE
- Jason Thompson, Hollywood Markets, Madison Heights, MI
- David Thompson, The Kroger Company, Peachtree City, GA
- Brittany Woodall, Fred Meyer, Bellevue, WA
- Patricia Young, Meijer, Springfield, IL
Since its inception in 2005, the retail produce manager program has recognized those on the front lines of produce, working every day to increase sales and consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables. In its 15-year run, the program, which is sponsored by Dole Food Company this year, has named over 325 retail produce managers from 110 different retail banners. These winners were selected from hundreds of nominations that were submitted by retailers and produce suppliers across our industry. Nominations were then evaluated based on individuals’ efforts to increase produce consumption via merchandising, special displays and promotions, community service, and commitment to customer satisfaction.
“These individuals and the companies that they represent are really putting forward the tremendously positive messages around produce to shoppers everyday,” said Johan Linden, President and CEO of Dole Food Company. “All of us, whether growers, processors, or distributors—the entire supply chain—would not be as successful without their knowledge and expertise at the store level. The United Fresh Retail Produce Manager Awards program is an opportunity for Dole, and all of us as an industry, to show our appreciation and say thank you.”
The 2019 winners and their corporate produce directors will be honored at United Fresh 2019 during the Retail-Foodservice Celebration on June 12. In addition to their awards, five Grand Prize recipients will each receive a $1,000 cash prize.
Who will this year’s Grand Prix winners be? Find out in Chicago for another great United Fresh convention and expo!
For more of the latest produce industry news, stick with us at AndNowUKnow.
SURREY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA - Walmart has been riding a bit of a high after it reported its better-than-anticipated fourth quarter results, challenging its competitors to “bring it on.” (No, I’m not about to announce that the retailer will be engaging in an epic cheer-off). However, it did recently announce plans to expand its distribution network, furthering its move toward staying at the front of the grocery pack.
In a recent press release, Walmart Canada announced one of its distribution centers is poised for approval by the Surrey Council in British Columbia. These plans have been in action since last July, when the retailer announced that it intended to spend upwards of $175 million on a refrigerated grocery facility.
Proposals for the site list it as a “state-of-the-art automated refrigeration warehouse, which will distribute fresh produce to more than 60 markets throughout British Columbia,” a city report noted.
Features of the site will include energy-efficient LED lighting and intelligent controls that reduce lighting energy consumption by 70%.
Will this new facility be another jewel in Walmart’s grocery crown? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
ORLANDO, FL - Surrounded by the warmth and soul of those in the produce industry, I wandered the show floor of this year’s Southern Exposure with a happy heart—and a full belly. With so many standout booths and a veritable menagerie of fresh produce, it was nearly impossible to narrow it down to just five picks. Read on to see what stood out to this writer!
DelFrescoPure®'s Living Cube
Have you ever bought lettuce and forgotten about it? I certainly have. I’ve returned three days later to wilted leaves and a heavy heart. But we forgetful shoppers no longer need to worry about such a calamity. DelFrescoPure’s Living Cube features lettuce with the roots still attached; once they’re in your fridge, they won’t wilt! The added benefit of having the roots attached is that you can plant them after you’ve purchased them and continue to watch your lettuce grow!
Ippolito International Bagged Brussels Sprouts
Long gone are the days when people reviled the dreaded Brussels sprout. We’ve ushered in a new era in which the veggie reigns and I’m a huge sucker for Brussels sprouts. Sauté them with bacon and onions and I won’t eat anything else for about a week. Conveniently pre-packaged, these bulbs will look amazing as a produce display and will soon find their way onto consumer's dinner tables. Since shoppers won’t have to worry about wrestling the bulbs off the stalk, they're one step closer to making dinnertime magical.
Red Sun Farm’s Sweetpops
We all know that we must bow down to the snacking gods, and why not present them with Red Sun’s Sweetpops as an offering? Refreshingly sweet and juicy, these little guys pack a huge flavor punch! It’s impossible to stop munching on them as soon as you’ve started. With its sweet-to-acidity ratio, there’s no going back. The see-through packaging lets the consumer peek in at what’s inside—allowing those tomato customers to gear up for the tastebud adventure they are about to embark on. Consumers are sure to find them as enchanting as I did, mark my words!
Highline Mushrooms Top Seal Packaging
Are mushrooms taking center stage in the veggie aisle? They very well could with the help of Highline Mushrooms' package trays. With updated packaging, the latest product from Highline Mushrooms continues to show off the goods on sleek black trays. Seeing those gorgeous mushrooms—some already sliced!—consumers will be hard-pressed to turn away from creating their very-own plant-based meal.
CMI Orchard's Apple Flavors of the World
The Great Wall of China, Macchu Picchu, the Roman Colosseum—all of these have nothing on CMI’s box of apple treasures! CMI is celebrating the homelands of consumers’ top apples, such as Ambrosia Gold®, KIKU®, Kanzi®, Smitten™, Jazz™, Envy®, and Pacific Rose™. Your tastebuds will wind through the homelands of these varieties, such as Italy, Belgium, Canada, and New Zealand. Who knew the produce aisle could become a tourist destination?
Until next year, Southern Exposure!
LOS ALAMITOS, CA - Holiday and celebrate with Frieda’s! The specialty produce company just celebrated Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day last week and is looking forward to Love Your Produce Manager® Day, April 2nd, to show appreciation for all these two teams accomplish. These are opportunities to make eating healthy effortless and enjoyable for every shopper.
“Recognition of your produce and dietitian teams is always important, but having a day that truly acknowledges the value they bring every day builds loyalty,” explained Alex Berkley, Sales Manager. “These teams help create an in-store experience that brings shoppers into your store and keeps them coming back.”
As stated in a press release, statistics shows that freshness and associate friendliness are the main drivers of the shopper experience, scoring a “4.4 and 4.3 respectively, on a 5-point scale according to the Retail Feedback Group’s U.S. Supermarket Experience 2019 report.”
“Going that extra mile for these teams is a great way to ensure that your store becomes the destination for fresh and healthy eating,” said Berkley.
By celebrating your produce heroes and dietitian teams this year, Frieda’s noted, it will create an excellent consumer experience for all!
For more fresh produce news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
PELION, SC - Much went down at the 2019 Southeast Produce Council’s (SEPC) Southern Exposure. Companies from far and wide traveled to Orlando, Florida, to unveil new products and looks. One such company that unveiled a fresh new look was WP Rawl, which showed off its new leafy green packaging.
“As the leafy greens guide in the produce industry, we pride ourselves in continuing to invest in the leafy greens category by staying in tune with trends,” said Ashley Rawl, Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Product Development, in a recent press release. “With a fresh new look and creative modern design, we are excited to draw in new consumers to the leafy greens category.”
The complete line of conventional, triple-washed, and ready-to-use leafy greens are turning over a new leaf with this packaging refresh. The press release noted that the traditional Nature’s Greens' brand’s bold, bright colors and nutritional information call outs continue to be the center of the pack’s focus, while also adding a fresh new twist.
The product line that includes collar, kale, mustard, turnip, and a greens blend will now include illustrations of each product’s leaf design. Each leaf is positioned vertically on the package to simulate how the produce grows up from the ground, and the leafy greens inside fill in the color of the leaves from inside the bag.
Keep reading AndNowUKnow for the latest in all things fresh produce.
NORWAY - McDonald’s, the well-known fast food chain, has taken a turn toward plant-based fare recently. After introducing its first salads in the 2000s, the burger behemoth has been pushing further into plant-based options. But big news is coming out of Norway, where the company has retooled its classic McNugget—introducing a completely vegan version of the Happy Meal staple.
The new vegan McNuggets are made with a blend of plant-based ingredients, including chickpeas, carrots, cauliflower, onion, potatoes, and corn—all coated in a crunchy breading. The McNuggets go hand-in-hand with McDonald’s Norway’s newly introduced Vegetarian McFeast burger, a breaded bean-based patty topped with cheese, “McFeast” sauce, mustard, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles.
The new McFeast burger and vegan McNuggets are the latest addition to a growing staple of vegan and vegetarian products being introduced in Scandinavia and its neighbors, according to VegNews. McDonald’s also added McVegan burgers in Sweden and Finland in 2017—reportedly selling as many as 150,000 in one month.
The question on everyone’s mind is: will the vegan McNuggets make their way to the U.S.?
“Clearly, as demonstrated by its surprising announcement that, by 2025, 100 percent of the company's guest packaging will come from renewable, recycled, or certified sources, McDonald's is trying to have a positive impact on the world, while keeping up with the fast-changing buying preferences of its customers,” said Inc. contributor Peter Economy, in a recent article. “While it's doubtful that McDonald's will ever completely stop selling beef, chicken, pork, or other meat products, the introduction of more vegan choices is a big step for the company, and one that its competitors are keeping a close eye on.”
Keep reading AndNowUKnow for all your veg-based news.
SPRINGDALE, AR - After CEO Greg Foran called Walmart a “Goliath” and challenged its “David” competitors to “bring it on,” a certain Arkansas-based David revealed itself to the masses as not one interested in lying down and rolling over in the face of the retail behemoth. In an exclusive interview with Talk Business & Politics, Harps Foods CEO Kim Eskew discussed competing with one of the world’s largest retailers in both of their shared backyards.
“It’s really tough here because the Walmart stores that operate all around us in Northwest Arkansas are the best-run Walmarts in the country. They are a formidable competitor. We try and do things a little differently and really emphasize our quality, but it’s tough every day,” Eskew said in the interview.
However, Harps Foods has not only survived in such close proximity to its biggest retail competitor, it has thrived for 89 years and counting. One way the local grocer has established itself in its home state is by investing in local stores, renovating its format, and expanding its network.
“We just opened a new store in Lowell. Right now there is not a Walmart across the street, but I expect one at anytime,” Eskew revealed. “We had the audacity to put a store on Walton Avenue in Bentonville, and they put two other new stores around us, one just across the street.”
While Harps is clearly holding its own against its personal Goliath, that’s not to say it hasn’t faced any challenges—especially not in this heavily saturated retail landscape. In particular, Eskew noted that competing with Walmart for employees has led the local grocer to get creative with its workplace environment in order to differentiate itself.
“I will say the mantle of being the world’s largest retailer is very heavy to carry,” Eskew continued in the interview. “The responsibility of those who work for Walmart is great and requires a lot of time. We try and offer our management more life/work balance. I tell my management they can take off early to attend their child’s ballgame three hours away because no one can go for them. It matters, the time we spend with our kids and family. At the end of life, no one ever says I wish I would have spent more time at work.”
For more breaking grocery retail news from the front lines, keep following AndNowUKnow.
GOODLETTSVILLE, TN - While the discount retailer plans to increase spending on stores to draw in customers, its 2019 profit forecast fell below analysts’ expectation, sending shares down almost 6 percent.
"2018 was a great year for Dollar General and we entered 2019 with a strong foundation for success,"Dollar General Chief Executive Todd Vasos stated in a press release. "Looking ahead to 2019, we are excited to introduce two new transformational strategic initiatives, DG Fresh and Fast Track. DG Fresh, which is designed to enable self-distribution of fresh and frozen products, is already up and running in approximately 300 stores and Fast Track, which we believe will enhance in-store labor productivity and customer convenience, is launching soon. Our team is very excited about the future, and I believe we remain well-positioned to continue delivering best-in-class value and convenience to our customers and creating long-term shareholder value.”
In 2019, the company announced it would spend around $50 million in an effort to switch to self-distribution of fresh and frozen food, and improve shopping convenience and labor productivity, as reported by CNBC. In 2018, the company put efforts into remodeling stores, adding additional refrigeration units, and shortening lines at payment counters.
“It will allow us to control our own destiny in fresh foods,” Vasos said in a company corporate call this week. “Most notably, by distributing perishables ourselves, we can carry more of the fresh products and brands our customers want. These include better-for-you items and national brands. Today there are many items we cannot cost effectively procure through our current model. In addition, self-distribution will allow us to offer a wider selection of our own private brands to provide our customers with even more compelling value.”
The company also has plans in the works to open 975 new stores in the U.S. in 2019, as well as remodel 1,000 older stores to improve upon its checkout lines to increase impulse buys, according to CBS DFW. In 2018 the company opened 900 new U.S. stores, and 1,315 stores in 2017, showing a definitive growth trend.
Despite the 2018 fiscal year marking the company’s 29th consecutive year of same-store sales growth, according to the company’s fourth quarter financial report, Dollar General’s expected fiscal 2019 earnings fell below experts’ expectations. While the company reported its expected earnings as $6.30 to $6.50 per share, analyst estimates were at $6.65 per share, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.
Some of the financial report highlights include:
- Fourth quarter net sales increased 8.5%; fiscal year net sales increased 9.2%
- Fourth quarter same-store sales increased 4.0%; fiscal year same-store sales increased 3.2%
- Fourth quarter diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) of $1.84; fiscal year diluted EPS of $5.97
- Annual cash flows from operations increased 18.9% to $2.1 billion
- $1.3 billion returned to shareholders in the fiscal year through share repurchases and cash dividends
- Board of Directors declares increased quarterly cash dividend of $0.32 per share; increases share repurchase program authorization by $1.0 billion
In the fourth quarter, while the company earned $1.84 per share, it missed the average analyst estimate of $1.88 per share.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom, though, as the company’s same-store sales rose 4 percent in the fourth quarter, beating the 2.6 percent estimate from analysts. One theory for the increase is that its customers received food assistance benefits early in 2019, resulting in more spending on groceries. Similarly, the net sales increase by 8.5 percent to $6.65 billion, beating analyst estimates of $6.61 billion.
According to CNBC, before the opening bell, shares were trading down at $113.98 per share, despite the company increasing its share buyback program by $1 billion and raising its quarterly dividend by 10 percent.
MOBILE, AL - Try to picture in your brain the amount of 80,000 pounds. It seems fairly impossible, doesn’t it? Now picture 80,000 pounds of fruit splashed across a highway, and your brain may have to do even more intellectual somersaults to conjure the image.
But that image wasn’t far off for some who witnessed a tractor-trailer carrying literal tons of fruit overturning, causing its contents to spill across the highway. It took crews nearly 11 hours to clean up the spilled fruit from the roadway and offload the overturned trailer.
According to a report from FOX10, the truck was traveling Eastbound Interstate 10 when it struck the inside of a retaining wall before the entrance of Wallace Tunnel. Parts of the trailer were sheared off by the wall, landing in the westbound lanes of I-10.
We are happy to report that the driver was relatively unharmed apart from several cuts to his arm, and no other injuries were reported by police.
Stick with us here at AndNowUKnow for the latest coverage in all things fruit and veg.
GUADALAJARA, MEXICO - For those of you heading down to Guadalajara for PMA Fresh Connections: Mexico, buckle up because the show is about to be out of this world! With former astronaut José Hernández set to take the stage as the featured keynote speaker, attendees can count on entering a new dimension of produce-thought, and they won’t want to be coming back down to earth afterwards!
“Our conference sessions and speaker lineup are impressive, and participants will learn from experts in their fields. We also can’t wait to hear what former astronaut José Hernández has to share with our industry about overcoming adversity and helping others to succeed,” said Nancy Tucker, PMA Regional Vice President for Latin America.
Hernández will kick the event off by presenting his keynote address, “The Star Harvester,” on May 29, prior to the opening of the expo. His address will touch on his story and a few of his accomplishments.
Hernández grew up in both Mexico and the U.S. and didn’t learn English until he was 12 years old. Growing up, he worked and harvested crops alongside his Mexican immigrant parents and other farmworkers. While in high school, Hernández began to dream of space flight after learning that Franklin Chang-Díaz had become the first Hispanic-American selected for NASA’s space program.
Hernández went on to earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in electrical engineering, became an expert in X-ray physics, and worked at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Johnson Space Center, according to a press release. He applied to NASA’s astronaut program 12 times, finally receiving his acceptance to the astronaut candidate class in 2004. He then completed training in 2006 and served as a mission specialist in 2009 on the STS-128 mission aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery. He currently acts as an advisor to the Mexican Space Agency.
But voyaging on a space flight was not Hernández’s only goal. To fulfill his goal of giving back to the community, he founded the José M. Hernández Reaching for the Stars Foundation in 2005. The foundation educates students about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields as well as hosts STEM events and provides scholarships to ensure students can pursue STEM careers.
In addition to Hernández’s show-stopping address, Fresh Connections: Mexico will invite attendees to take part in a slew of activities over the course of its two days (May 29-30). On May 29, four retailers will share trends and tips for success and answer attendee questions in the education session “The New Retail World is Here.” In addition, the Center for Growing Talent (CGT) will host a Young Professionals Networking Coffee Hour. Lastly, the expo, which will feature fruit and veggie growers and solutions providers from 1:30 pm to 5 pm, will round out the action-packed day and include a networking lunch and evening reception.
The second day of the show, May 30, will open with a breakfast and another keynote presentation, titled “New Leadership and the Impact on Mexico’s Fresh Produce Industry,” which will explore political and governmental shifts and how they have impacted our industry. The expo will then open up for its second and last day and will be held from 10:30 am to 1:15 pm.
“Most of Mexico’s major retailers attend this event, offering an unparalleled networking experience. PMA Fresh Connections: Mexico does what its name says—it connects people with each other, opportunities, new products, information, technology, and more,” Tucker continued.
This year’s event marks Fresh Connections: Mexico’s 12th year in business, offering U.S. and Canadian buyers, Mexican supermarket retailers, and Mexican produce growers and business solution providers the opportunity to meet face-to-face and produce it up in Guadalajara—the first time the show has returned to the city since 2013.
For more information, or to register for Fresh Connections: Mexico, visit the event page on PMA's website.