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BRAMPTON, CANADA - The major Canadian retailer is in the giving mood these days, offering $1.5 million in grant money to organizations committed to sustainable food, as well as many other beneficial charities, in an effort to cement in its corporate culture a dedication to giving back and investing in the future.
Loblaw has implemented a plan of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) driven by its company purpose, Live Life Well. Its core principals center around sourcing responsibly, respecting the environment, and making a positive difference in communities. The goal is to be an innovative contributor to the future of both Canada and the world. The company’s charitable initiative prioritizes investments based on urgency of the issue and importance in making a tangible difference.
Loblaw Companies Limited and George Western Limited have teamed up to give seed funding for programs devoted to sustainable food challenges, with the focus on production, distribution, and consumption initiatives.
According to a promotional video, “Food is central to our business and of course to us as human beings. Since 2016, Loblaw Companies Limited and George Weston Limited have partnered on seeding food innovation grants. Through this initiative we offer 1.5 million dollars in grants per year to universities, colleges, or nonprofit organizations whose research helps advance solutions to sustainable food challenges.”
The requirements for who the company will provide grant money to include scientific rigour and innovation, vision and scope, commitment to knowledge mobilization, and likelihood of success.
"Our focus is on ways to grow more food with fewer resources and reduce the impact of agriculture on our shared environment," states the promotional video. "Research outcomes will not only benefit Canadians but address issues of global concern."
In addition to the grant money provided to organizations looking to innovate in the sustainability field, the company also donates to a number of other worthy charities including PC Children’s Charity, which focuses on childhood hunger and delivering nutritional education to children in Canada; Putting Women’s Health First, which helps women stay focused on being their best in body, mind, and spirit; and various local charities, in an effort to be an active participant in the betterment of its community.
Well done Loblaw! AndNowUKnow will keep you updated on more acts of charity.
TORONTO, CANADA - Have you ever thought to yourself, “I wish I could refer to a comprehensive record of produce markets”? If you have, you’re in luck! A comprehensive account of our industry’s markets has just been published by none other than Execulytics Consulting. The first edition of the Produce Almanac includes insight, data, charts, and other graphics capturing the last five years of produce. Wowee!
“I am very pleased with the final product,” said Mike Mauti, Managing Partner and Senior Vice President, Client Services of Execulytics Consulting. “The sheer amount of wide-ranging data and detailed information is much more than I had expected when this project first kicked off last year.”
According to a press release, the published copy of the 2019 Produce Almanac, which weighs in at nearly 500 pages and 30,000 words, uses USDA and Ag-Canada data sources to bring the world of produce to life with graphic visualizations and year-over-year cost comparisons for over 100 produce commodities, organic premiums for key products in the organic category, five-year costing histories, and weekly retail prices comparing both 2018 to 2017 and conventional to organics. In total, the e-book contains over 4 million data points, 600 tables, 415 graphs, 242 bar graphs, and 95 gauge charts.
Since the Almanac’s release, Execulytics has already been inundated with positive responses. Craig Kimak, an Edmonton-based produce professional, took to Twitter to report: “if you used the Almanac to negotiate $1 off 1 load for 1 week, you’d have a 400% ROI. Such a great resource!”
Sal Battaglia, produce professional and industry consultant, added, “Produce buyers AND sellers have no shortage of information crossing their desks, what’s rare though, is to have the right information that is easily accessible when it’s needed. This is what the Produce Almanac delivers on. It enables people to make informed and timely decisions in the fast-paced produce environment. Compiling information, consulting numerous resources while multi-tasking with several categories or customers can tax an already busy desk. And as retailers, suppliers, and growers continue to expand their staff, an experience gap will emerge, the Produce Almanac can be priceless in filling that void, while saving time and resources. Helping to maximize profit and grow market share are bonus!”
But, don’t just take Craig Kimak’s and Sal Battaglia’s word for it; see for yourself by purchasing a copy of the Produce Almanac at www.execulytics.ca/produce-almanac for the introductory price of $249.
“The early customer response is indicative of the value the Produce Almanac can provide for a produce company,” concluded Mauti. “I hope all companies get a copy and use it to drive benefits in how they buy and sell produce, be it on the farm, packhouse, wholesale market, or retail floor.”
To stay apprised of the latest in fresh produce, keep checking back with AndNowUKnow.
NEW YORK, NY - As January ends, some of us may be falling off the New Year’s resolution bandwagon. Decisions to exercise more and eat healthier seem less exciting than they did a mere three weeks ago, as the lure of a comfy couch and hot cocoa takes over—I can’t possibly be the only one, right? Here to help consumers snap out of it and get us excited about healthy eating again is HelloFresh. The meal kit company recently announced the launch of three new meal kit offerings to be offered at retail, and let me tell you, they sound delicious.
"There has been a large wave of interest in our HelloFresh meal kits in grocery stores that customers have been asking for more recipes,” stated Max Dresse, Associate Director, Product Innovation, in a recent press release. “In response to customer feedback, we just launched three new recipes alongside some of our best-sellers like the Homestyle Meatloaf and Peppercorn Steak."
The offerings, which include Asian Style Meatballs, Balsamic Fig Chicken, and Pesto Cavatappi Pasta, will be available at over 500 stores, including Giant, Stop & Shop, Hannaford, H-E-B, and Faraway. Most supermarkets keep the meal kits near the deli section—so be sure to keep your eyes peeled when you’re next out grocery shopping!
Will these offering shake up consumer attention and renew a focus on fresh in 2019? AndNowUKnow will be here to report.
MONTEREY, CA - Organic Produce Summit (OPS) is still six months away, but the summit’s latest announcement may have produce pros champing at the bit, waiting with bated breath, hotly anticipating—or any manner of cliché. The summit has announced that award-winning chef and The Third Plate author Dan Barber and consumer activist Robyn O’Brien will be the featured keynote presenters at this year’s event.
“We’re thrilled to have two dynamic and engaging leaders in their fields providing OPS attendees with thought-provoking and inspiring content, which highlights the growth and opportunities related to organic fresh produce,” said Susan Canales, President of OPS, in a press release. “Both Robyn and Dan are very excited about the chance to speak to OPS attendees on the importance of the products they are growing and selling that are truly impacting consumer’s lifestyles and eating habits.”
According to that press release, Barber and O’Brien will present a pair of TedTalk style presentations, which headline an informative and insightful series of educational sessions at OPS 2019.
In addition to authoring The Third Plate, Barber is the chef and co-owner of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns. He has been named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world and has garnered numerous James Beard Awards—including Best Chef: New York City (2006) and the country's Outstanding Chef (2009).
As Co-Founder of Row 7 Seed Company, Barber has worked at bringing together chefs and plant breeders in the development of new varieties of vegetables and grains. His opinions on food and agricultural policy have appeared in the New York Times, among other publications.
O’Brien is the Vice President of rePlant Capital, a financial services firm focused on reversing climate change. She was a founding team member of AIM/Invesco’s first hedge fund of $100+ million and a team member on its $20 billion Constellation Fund and an advisor to Paul Hawken’s “Drawdown” (published in April 2017). O’Brien has advised startups, banks, and multinationals, while working with global CEOs and management teams in the food industry.
O’Brien is also the Founder of Do Good, a strategic advisory firm, and AllergyKids Foundation, which serves the 1 in 3 children with allergies, asthma, ADHD, and autism. Her book The Unhealthy Truth was published by Random House in 2009, and her TEDx talk has been viewed by millions and translated into multiple languages.
In addition to presentations by the two venerable keynote speakers, the keynote program for OPS 2019 will feature a Retailer Roundtable with three of North America’s most prominent retailers. And a series of six educational sessions featuring informative and engaging topics and leaders from the organic fresh produce industry are being finalized and will be announced in the coming weeks.
Registration is still available for OPS 2019, held July 10-11 at the Monterey Conference Center in Monterey, California. Maybe AndNowUKnow will see you there.
REDWOOD SHORES, CA - 2018 was a non-stop, action-packed year for the Mushroom Council, and now that the year is through, the mushroom aficionado finally has time to reflect on just what a whirlwind it was. The council completed its first-ever “Blenditarian Challenge,” which included a monthly sweepstakes asking consumers to share their take on seasonal recipes blended with what else: mushrooms! Home shroom chefs could post on social media using the #BlenditarianChallenge hashtag and be entered to win a $250 gift card.
“After years of The Blend taking hold in restaurants, universities, and K-12 schools, the Blenditarian Challenge allowed us to shift part of our focus in 2018 to the home cook, telling us why The Blend is the answer in their kitchens,” said Bart Minor, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We loved the stories and the recipes these true ‘blenditarians’ shared with us and their online communities.”
Each month after the Mushroom Council challenged its fans to create dishes following seasonal themes such as February’s “Date Night Done Right,” May’s “Blended Burgers,” and September’s “Better Bowls,” the council would then select five participants at random to win gift cards. Better yet, at year’s end, the council randomly selected a grand prize winner to win $2,500 and a matching donation to Capital Area Food Bank. 2018’s winner was Mimi Newcastle of Fort Washington, Maryland. You go, girl!
The Mushroom Council reported in a press release that the The Blenditarian Challenge reached an estimated more than 500,000 users online and via social media throughout the year. Online users also posted more than 1,200 #BlenditarianChallenge submissions to Twitter and Instagram over the course of the challenge.
Will 2019 see an even greater mushroom movement as consumers grow their love of blending? AndNowUKnow will keep you looped in to the latest.
SUNBURY, PA - Weis Markets is implementing sweeping changes to its pricing structure this month. The retailer is taking aim at more than 7,000 price tags with its new Low, Low Price Program—a program designed to lower prices throughout the store as a means to “offer a strong value proposition in an increasingly competitive marketplace.”
“We understand saving money has never been more important for our customers,” said Richard Gunn, Senior Vice President of Merchandising and Marketing, in a press release. “That’s why we are making a multi-million-dollar investment to provide the lowest price in the market on more than 7,000 everyday products.”
New prices went into effect Thursday, January 21. Last Wednesday, Weis Markets locations spread across seven states closed early so that thousands of associates could work overnight to install signage and updated price tags that indicate the new Low, Low Prices.
To commemorate the launch of the Low, Low Price program—a program the retailer has called its “most ambitious price reduction program to date”—Weis Markets’ associates joined together in its Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, store to cut a ceremonial receipt that highlights the new savings opportunities for customers.
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Will Weis Markets reap the rewards of this comprehensive investment in offering low prices? How will competitors react? Low low low prices? AndNowUKnow will continue to report on this and other important retail news.
WAYNESVILLE, NC - Waynesville, North Carolina, is saying BI to BI-LO after the retailer’s corporate office deemed the location an “underperforming store.” According to a report by The Mountaineer, the closure, which is slated for the last week of February, comes on the cusp of a grand opening for rival grocer Publix.
“We realize a closure of an underperforming store in a community can be difficult. It is really the last decision we want to make,” said Joe Caldwell, Southeastern Grocer’s Corporate Communications Manager. “In this case, there wasn’t a viable alternative and unfortunately we have to move forward with our plans to close the store.”
The news source reveals that the location’s 58 employees have been “operating in a climate of uncertainty for months” after BI-LO’s parent company Southeastern Grocers filed for reorganization bankruptcy last year. As a result, some of BI-LO’s employees have jumped ship and joined Publix, which recently began hiring for 200 jobs at its Waynesville location.
Following the announcement of its store closure, BI-LO also begun liquidating its inventory and marking-down its products.
As part of its chapter 11 filing early last year, Southeastern Grocers announced it would be closing over 94 stores, a count that included Winn-Dixie and BI-LO stores amongst others.
Is this one store closure an isolated incident or is Southeastern Grocers and its collection of banners still struggling post-Chapter 11? AndNowUKnow will continue to keep you posted on the latest retail happenings.
LOS ALAMITOS, CA - The season may be cooling down, but opportunities for specialty citrus sales are heating up, and Frieda’s Specialty Produce is offering its customers tips to stay on trend with a variety of specialty citrus offerings. What kinds of offerings? Offerings like the restaurant-favorite kumquat—which has experienced a 30 percent increase in Google searches over the last six months.
“We have seen a boom in mini-citrus this year,” said Alex Berkley, Sales Manager. “This is a great way to elevate other items that you’ll find on your citrus table, like Meyer lemons, pink lemons, and blood oranges. With our brightly colored Frieda’s branded pouches and clam shells, these items are sure to stand out on your shelf and drive shoppers to buy. The whole ‘quat’ family is trending, so be sure to stock up!”
Kumquats aren’t the only quats out there, the company noted in a press release; the fruit’s cousins—calamondins, mandarinquats, and limequats—are also coming up on the scene as bite-sized additions to your citrus set.
Calamondins and mandarinquats are the results of crossbreeding mandarin oranges and kumquats. Calamondins are more tart, while mandarinquats are a bit sweeter. And limequats are a hybrid of limes and kumquats. Like kumquats, the entire quat family can be eaten with the skin—and are fitting fare for retailers and foodservice providers looking to capitalize on what Frieda’s calls 2019’s “poppable” trend.
And this year’s supply, the specialty produce provider notes, is proving to be of exceptional quality.
“We are currently sourcing kumquats from Southern California and this beautiful product is full of flavor with outstanding quality,” said Allen DeMo, Director of Procurement and Sourcing. “We are expecting steady yields and pricing through the end of February.”
For more fresh produce news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
SPARTA, MI - As one of my personal favorite fruits, I’m always excited to hear about developments in the apple world. This year, the apple community gets a little bigger, with the announcement of a new company, Applewood Fresh Growers, LLC. An affiliate of Applewood Orchards, Inc., Applewood Fresh is officially a new company specializing in growing, packing, shipping, and marketing the finest Michigan apples. With roots tracing back to 1935, Applewood Fresh will be shipping 21 apple varieties across the country, year-round.
“We are thrilled to extend the legacy of a multi-generational company that not only offers delicious, quality apples but also values and prioritizes its relationships throughout the supply chain, from grower to buyer to consumer,” said Antonia Mascari, Director of Marketing at Applewood Fresh.
With its headquarters in the powerhouse apple-growing region of Michigan, the company offers a multitude of varieties to the U.S. market, including KIKU®, Kanzi®, Rave®, and SweeTango®. Across its network of mostly family-owned orchards (spanning more than 11,000 acres), the company’s apple varieties are only grown by licenced growers operating in specific climate regions that have the most ideal conditions for growing each varietal.
“Our work is about more than just sales or profit,” said Scott Swindeman, Owner of Applewood Fresh and third-generation Grower and Partner at Applewood Orchards, in a press release. “We take pride in serving as a reliable partner to our growers and customers, providing access to healthy, great-tasting fruit to people across the country and cultivating strong industry relationships along the way.”
Optimizing its supply chain for lasting balance, Applewood Fresh is dedicated to nurturing strategic partnerships. The company is also committed to sustainability, implementing measures that include: pooling methods, advanced irrigation and pest control methods, wind and solar power, and eco-friendly packaging. These environmental safeguards were implemented to preserve and protect the orchards long-term. Having been farmed by the families of the company for multiple generations, Applewood Fresh has strong roots from which to grow its fledgeling company.
Congratulations to the new company! AndNowUKnow will keep you updated on further developments in the apple kingdom.