FLORIDA - When I heard there was a new Sprouts store in my town, I rushed over to see it. The sparkling lights, the rows of cheese, and the fresh and organic offerings as far as the eye can see...it’s enough to make anyone happy. And the local residents of Estero, Florida, will soon have the pleasure of stepping into their very own Sprouts Farmers Market.
The retailer, after reaching an agreement with GBT Realty, will open the location on Estero Parkway and U.S. 41 in the beginning of 2020.
“Since entering the Florida market just two years ago, residents across the state continue to ask for a Sprouts location in their neighborhood,” said Terry Gibbons, Vice President of Real Estate. “We look forward to bringing our unique ‘healthy living for less’ concept to Estero-area residents soon.”
As we’ve reported previously, Sprouts has announced that it will be opening several other stores across the nation in 2019. In Florida, the retailer is opening a 30,000-square-foot grocery store in the Logan Landings retail center. It is due to open February 20, 2019. According to local news source, Naples Daily News, the Logan Landings store will bring an estimated 140 jobs to the area.
Clearwater and Wellington, Florida, are also due to see new stores in the new year.
For the latest in retail news, keep reading us here at AndNowUKnow.
WENATCHEE, WA - ‘Tis the season for philanthropy, or at least it is for Stemilt Growers. In a tremendous showing of Christmas spirit, the apple grower committed to answering the holiday wishes of local foster children for the sixth year in a row. Nearly 130 children in the Wenatchee Valley area received presents courtesy of the company, while 30 more children in the Yakima area were supported by Stemilt-partner Hansen Fruit. The lucky children are under the care of Washington State’s Department of Children, Youth and Families in Wenatchee, or the Community Resource Group of Wenatchee/Yakima, and range in age from 0 to 17.
“We’ve been granting holiday wishes for six years now, but I can’t begin to convey the feeling and excitement when I see that room full of gifts each December,” said President West Mathison in a press release. “Our team members and partners are incredible people and their generosity is going to help bring a smile to local children’s faces this holiday season. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
The children were greeted with a large conference room packed with gifts like dolls, games, bikes, as well as essential items like shoes and clothing, thanks to the dedicated team members of Stemilt and Hansen Fruit, according to Mathison.
Facilitated each year by Stemilt’s Community Investment Committee, the Christmas gift giving matches with the community pillar of the company’s giving back program. Not content to relegate charity to the holidays, throughout the year the company supports projects, organizations, and events that involve nutrition, education, and fitness and health.
We at AndNowUKnow applaud Stemilt's efforts and will keep you updated on further altruistic acts.
TRAVERSE CITY, MI - North Bay Produce, a cooperative of 29 grower-owners of North, South, and Central America, recently revamped its website to reflect the vibrancy of its growers and the high level of performance the company offers the industry. I had the opportunity to speak with Sharon Robb, National Marketing Manager, to find out more.
“North Bay Produce has experienced tremendous growth year over year for decades, and we attribute our success to our amazing family of growers who produce excellent products with the utmost integrity and virtue,” Sharon explains. “We wanted those who visit our site to have a sense of these characteristics of our organization, that our intention is consistent with the experiences consumers and retailers have had with all aspects of our business."
While developing the new site, Sharon and the team wanted to make sure that visitors saw the story behind North Bay Produce: the who, what, when, where, and why of the company.
“The site is easy to navigate with interesting and helpful information to be found with every click,” Sharon says. “Video has been used to tell the story of what we do: creating a visual of the hard work and dedication of our family farms and creating a field to fork experience. Upfront icons allow users to quickly find their interests on the site and the supporting material they need as well. From availability calendars to product specifications to growing regions and much more, users should find the site welcoming, informative, and efficient, just like North Bay Produce itself.”
In addition to these tools, the new website will also feature a downloadable link to a cookbook, with monthly recipes featured to coordinate with an in-season fruit or vegetable.
“Cooking and baking is a passion of mine,” Sharon shares with me before diving into the vision behind the cookbook. “Over a year ago, I started with a vision to create one place to offer all the recipes I’ve created for our products. I wanted to make sure the recipes were easy to recreate, so I hosted cooking classes in my community to ensure they were easy and tasty for all ages. Once I made some final adjustments to the recipes, I started the process of making each dish, styling the food, and taking photos. I’m happy with the final product and hope it gets consumers excited to eat more North Bay fruits and vegetables.”
Certainly sounds like a win to me! For the latest in fresh produce news, keep reading us here at AndNowUKnow.
LOS ALAMITOS, CA - With the new year comes new resolutions, and with new resolutions comes new diets. ‘Tis the season for more fruits and vegetables on consumers’ plates as weight loss efforts take center stage after the decadence of the holiday dinner table.
Interest in making small diet changes, such as eating more fruit and vegetables, sparks in the new year, with 87 percent of consumers jumping on the diet train, according to a recent Wakefield Research survey. Freida’s seeks to make it easier for shoppers to be inspired by healthy eating, everyday, thanks to their unique, colorful produce.
“Consumers want colorful and different produce items to shake up their healthy eating habits in the new year,” said Alex Berkley, Sales Manager, in a recent press release. “They’re looking for recipes that make healthy eating fun and delicious to help kick off 2019 right.”
To top it off, Wakefield Research uncovered that 78 percent of millennials, a coveted market share, are actively interested in discovering new food favorites. Frieda’s addresses these results head on, helping consumers embark on their New Year’s resolutions with healthy, enticing meal ideas like Tumeric-Colored Cauliflower Tacos, Chickpea-Stuffed Stokes Purple® Sweet Potatoes, and Watermelon Radish Avocado Toast. Since juicing has hit hard as a bonafide trend, Freida’s Blood Orange and Ginger Juice will start consumers’ mornings on a the right note.
Truly, Frieda’s can inspire shoppers with merchandising, signage, and recipe solutions that will fulfill their New Year’s resolution needs and make produce the star of their diets.
AndNowUKnow will continue to keep you updated on food and diet trends as we race ahead into 2019.
FOWLER, CA - While much of the country is trudging through snow slush and digging out their cars, a taste of sunshine is on the horizon. Just in time to lift our winter spirits, Bee Sweet Citrus has returned with its Heirloom Navel oranges, for a limited time. Their seasonality is limited, so consumers are encouraged to snatch up the orange globes while they still can.
“Unlike other citrus varieties, Heirloom Navels are never compromised by acidity,” said Director of Communications Monique Bienvenue. “Grown under the close watch of our growers, they are unmatched in flavor and are popular for being one of the sweetest navel varieties out there.”
Heirloom Navels are a subset of Washington Navels—the first navel variety to arrive in America from Brazil in 1870. Utilizing the same, centuries old, farming methods used for Washington Navels, Heirloom Navels are grown on older blocks of well-aged trees.
“Heirloom Navels set a very high standard for other easy-peel varieties,” continued Bienvenue in the press release. “Its high brix levels make them perfect for numerous snacks and desserts, and we encourage everyone to try them while they’re in season.”
The delicious navels will delight throughout the winter and spring, but supply will dry up come the summer months, as they are available only until June.
AndNowUKnow will continue to keep you updated on this and other delectable citrus varieties.
FELLSMERE, FL - B&W Quality Growers has added an experienced hand with knowledge gleaned from one of the nation’s preeminent produce distributors. The company announced that it has hired Bob Massave, former VP for Sysco’s FreshPoint division, to serve as its new Executive Vice President.
"We are thrilled to have someone with Bob’s background join our team,” stated B&W CEO Mark DeLeo, who noted Massave’s impressive experience in the produce industry. “With the continuous growth we have seen in our business, we felt it was the perfect time to add a senior executive. Bob’s vast experience and work ethic will be a great fit into the B&W culture.”
Bringing over 49 years of experience in the produce industry to bear on his new role, Massave is extremely qualified to step into his new position at B&W. Many of his years were spent at Sysco/Freshpoint, where Massave spent more than a decade serving as its Regional Vice President, overseeing nine operating companies throughout the Eastern United States.
During his decade with FreshPoint, Massave’s purview grew from 1,100 to 1,800 employees. He developed and trained potential leaders in the company and oversaw the primary budget goals of his region.
In his new role, Massave will report directly to DeLeo and be involved in all aspects of the business, overseeing all departments as B&W continues to expand its business.
AndNowUKnow congratulates Massave and B&W on this new hiring. We look forward to seeing where the new EVP’s experience and enthusiasm will take the company in the coming year.
ISSAQUAH, WA - Costco has been wading into the warming waters of online grocery retail, and now it seems like the club retailer may be taking the plunge—putting the weight of its dollars and its distribution network behind a bigger push into Amazon- and Walmart- dominated omnichannel territory.
In a Retail Info Systems (RIS) report, Richard Galanti, EVP and CFO, detailed the company’s strategy and expectations.
“We did go and spend hundreds [of thousands], if not $1 billion dollars around delivery,” noted Richard Galanti, EVP and CFO. “We’re doing it actually as a partner of UPS, limiting the things that we do, and it seems to be working.”
According to that report, two-day delivery is now available to Costco members throughout the continental U.S.—and same-day delivery is currently available to members within 20 minutes of 99 percent of all the company’s U.S. locations. And the company has plans to expand its delivery-available option.
“My guess is there are going to be some things that we're currently doing third-party that we will bring in-house as we get better and more confident in being able to do it,” continued Galanti, who also touched on the company’s efforts to expand its distribution channels. “In terms of warehouse expansion, we've opened eight locations, including two relos, so a net of six in the first quarter…For all of '19, we expect to open 20—about 23 net new warehouses, as well as four relocations. The two we've opened plus two more planned for the rest of the year. Within the 23 net new, about three quarters of them are in the U.S. and about a quarter of them are international.”
To learn more, read RIS’s report in its entirety here.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - Once upon a time, consumers might have steered clear of blemished, oddly shaped, or just straight up wonky produce, but today’s consumers are all about what’s on the inside—a lesson straight out of a fairytale. Many retailers, like Kroger and Aldi, have taken this change of consumers’ hearts and made an effort to expand their produce aisles to include lines of imperfect produce. But Pennsylvania-based retailer Misfits Market is taking that a step further and debuting an imperfect produce delivery service.
“We see it as our responsibility to keep the food from rotting before it can be eaten,” Founder and CEO Abhi Ramesh said to the Post-Gazette. Ramesh then explained that he first began Misfits Market as a way to reduce food waste and to remedy a few of the inefficiencies in the food supply chain.
Misfits Market began shipping its “misfit” produce boxes in August, delivering to all parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Delaware. Now, only a few months later, the company ships between 2,000 and 4,000 boxes of produce every week.
In order to increase access to fresh food and alleviate costs often associated with organics and fresh produce, Misfits Market sells its imperfect produce at an almost 50 percent discount when compared to other grocery stores. Its line includes two boxes for consumers to choose from: the Mischief Box ($19), which offers 10 to 12 pounds of fresh produce, and the Madness Box ($34), which offers 18 to 20 pounds—with the contents of both boxes varying week to week, but always heralding from organic and non-GMO certified small- and medium-sized farms around the Philadelphia area.
To read Misfits Market’s full story, click here.
Where will imperfect produce land next? AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the latest strategies our industry is implementing to continue to be the best of the best.
UNITED STATES - Reports of recalls of red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, and cauliflower from a Southern California grower hit the newswire late last week. The recall occurred due to an abundance of caution, a press release noted, because the categories mentioned may be contaminated with E. coli.
Currently, none of the recalled products have tested positive for E. coli, and no illnesses have been reported. However, due to a strong commitment to its customers to provide a healthy and safe food supply, the grower initiated a voluntary recall in cooperation with the FDA. The recall involves produce harvested between November 27, 2018, and November 30, 2018, grown in particular fields; it does not involve all of the grower’s products.
The cauliflower was distributed to wholesalers across the U.S. in Arizona, California, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, as well as in Tijuana, Mexico, and Canada. Red and green leaf lettuce was distributed to wholesalers in California, Colorado, Oregon, Texas, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Canada. Red leaf lettuce only was distributed to a wholesaler in Minnesota and Tijuana, Mexico.
AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the latest information as it rolls in.
LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA - LIV Organic has announced Brian Guess as its new Director of Field Operations. In his new role, Brian will be supporting the company’s sales team by providing timely and accurate information directly from the fields of all of its grower partnerships.
With over a decade of experience in the produce industry since graduating from the Fresno State Agricultural Business program, Guess is more than prepared to accept his new role. “I love being a field man in the organic citrus industry," Guess stated in a recent press release. "I love being part of a culture that creates safe and sustainable products while maintaining an agrarian lifestyle."
Though his last five years of experience have been focused on organic citrus growers in Southern California, he gained extensive field experience during his work in California and Arizona as an inspector for a national retailer.
“Brian’s passion and commitment on executing decisions in the fields will continue to have a positive influence to our grower partnerships. He is a great fit to our growing team here at LIV Organic, and we are excited to see new development of grower partnerships under his direction,” said Anthony Innocenti, Managing Partner.
Looks like LIV Organics has found the perfect candidate to fill its directorial role! AndNowUKnow looks forward to reporting the continual growth of the company and future successes of Guess in his work with organic growers.