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SACRAMENTO, CA - Raley’s is shedding its Aisle 1 fuel stations in the name of fueling its grocery and food business. This week, the Northern California retailer announced Anabi Oil, a Southern California family business and convenience store operator, has acquired the 13 gas stations Raley’s runs and will assume operations beginning in 2019.
“As we continue to move our vision around health and wellness forward, we are focused on our core business of offering healthy food at affordable prices,” said Keith Knopf, Raley’s President and CEO. “This move will allow Raley’s to advance our long-range strategic plan and sets up a series of moves that will position Raley’s for significant growth and expansion.”
Raley’s Chief Financial Officer Ken Mueller, who led the negotiations, added, “With extensive experience in the convenience business and a strong family business in California, Anabi Oil was the perfect partner.”
According to a press release, Anabi Oil owns and operates more than 295 locations and delivers fuel to an additional 160 stations under multiple brands, including its own Rebel brand. The two companies are currently working to provide options for continued employment to the 80 team members working at the fuel stations, as well as continue to provide Raley’s customers with fuel rewards at the Aisle 1 sites.
“Aisle 1 is a great addition to the Rebel Brand, complementing our existing portfolio in both California and Nevada,” said Sam Anabi, CEO and Owner of Anabi Oil. “We are excited about our long-term relationship with Raley’s. With our expertise in running fuel stations and convenience stores, paired with a dominant grocer in the market, we will offer customers a fueling convenience store and grocery rewards experience that others cannot.”
Both companies asserted in the press release that opportunities for growth, including customer discounts at other Anabi-owned locations and consideration of future fuel stations throughout Raley’s footprint, will abound following the acquisition, which is expected to close late December.
How will Raley’s renewed focus on fresh food and grocery come to fruition? AndNowUKnow will continue to keep you in the loop on the latest in grocery.
SACRAMENTO, CA - The industry has been abuzz about logistics this year, and ALC Logistics’ Alchemy TMS software has been increasing efficiencies and assuaging problems throughout the headline-laden year. So we asked, who in our industry—from both the buy- and supply-side of the coin—has accrued the most knowledge and employed the quickest fingers to win our ALC Logistics Alchemy Quiz Quix challenge.
Leading the supply-side, and the entire pack, this Quiz Quix round was Marc Marchini, COO of J. Marchini Farms. Marc is on the road to a cool $100 dollars after letting his logistical knowledge loose.
“ANUK quizzes help us stay engaged in different parts of the industry, and we look forward to playing them,” Marc told me, in an email.
On the buy-side, Gene Harris, Senior Purchasing Manager for Denny’s, proved the quickest witted. This marks Gene’s third Quiz Quix victory, proving the restaurant buyer one of our most formidable and well-informed quizzers.
“WOW! I didn't think my time/score would be good enough to win—but I always enjoy the challenge!” Gene said upon hearing about his victory.“I love reading AndNowUKnow, as well as The Snack! They're informative, interesting, and colorful!”
For a Top Ten—and a who’s who of ANUK quizzers—check out our leaderboard.
Some struggle with a question or two—the most challenging of which proved to be:
Most Missed Question:
Which of the following can Alchemy TMS help you with:
Correct Answer:
All of the above
Missed out on this round? Practice for the next Quiz Quix by checking out the link below!
ALC Logistics Alchemy Quiz Quix
Make sure you’re subscribed to AndNowUKnow’s newsletter to stay in-the-know on our next quiz opportunity, Snack Magazine contests, and industry news, but also to be eligible to win.
Sign in through your email or one of several social media accounts to hop on the next Quiz Quix, and, if you are fast enough and take the right notes, you might end up as the next winner of $100!
Quiz Quix is our way of encouraging some healthy, fun, informative competition within the industry. Signing in will give us a token to verify you and allows us to put your name in the ranking. It doesn’t give us access to more than your name and email address. Participants must have a valid email address registered in their individual name in order to play.
JACKSONVILLE, FL - Jackfruit, root veggies, and all the fresh flavors of the Caribbean islands—these are just a few prongs of Southeastern Grocers latest strategic move. With its banner Fresco y Más, which usually focuses on traditional Hispanic offerings, the retailer is extending outreach to Caribbean shoppers. A new store in Launderhill, Florida, will be designed to cater to the culinary interests of Caribbean customers, including a first-ever produce department tailored to the demographic.
“Listening to our customers, communities, and associates plays a critical role in the evolution of our Fresco y Más banner. Our newest store in Lauderhill is a direct reflection of our customers’ feedback and incorporates the unique needs of this wonderful community,” said company President and CEO Anthony Hucker. “Our newest Fresco y Más store is handcrafted with a wide selection of products tailored specifically to the Caribbean customer as a unique offering for our Lauderhill community.”
As the first Fresco y Más to place a strong emphasis on products targeted to Caribbean customers, Launderhill customers will see a wide array of enhancements that have never been featured at the Fresco y Más banner before. According to a press release, these include highlights such as:
- Refreshed produce department featuring a “farmers market” setting
- Expanded assortment of local fruits and vegetables tailored to Caribbean and Hispanic customers
- New custom façade signage, vibrant yellow color palate, and bilingual store signage
- All-new café serving authentic Caribbean and Hispanic breakfast items
- Newly updated Cocina offering daily specials of freshly prepared Caribbean family favorites
- All-new, full-service Latin Carniceria offering an expanded selection of fresh, custom-cut meats
- Expanded seafood offerings and an added assortment of crab and whole fish
- New bakery department offering an expanded selection of Hispanic, Caribbean, and locally made baked goods
- An “International” aisle featuring more than 1,200 international and Caribbean products organized by country of origin
The Lauderhill store opened Wednesday, December 5, alongside Hucker and Mayor of Lauderhill, Ken Thurston. Will we see more Caribbean-curated Fresco y Más stores as the retailer continues to eye this potentially expansive new strategy? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
SALINAS, CA - O, mighty cauliflower, may your florets grace our tables this holiday season! Versatile, nutritious, and just downright tasty, there’s a reason this veggie deserves a spot on your plate. I spoke with John Landa, Ippolito International, Sales and Commodity Manager, to find out more about the cauliflower season.
“Most recent reports show a full rebound for cauliflower, with beautiful, bright white, uniform heads being packed. When we first broke ground in Yuma, quality wasn’t optimal,” John shares with me. “We were experiencing uneven growth along with 20 to 30 percent smaller sizing than normal. The root cause was unseasonably cool weather coupled with a brief rain event three to four weeks before our harvest commenced."
As one of the more reactive vegetables when it comes to fluctuations in weather, cauliflower and cold weather don’t always mix well. Cold snaps can bring a strong decline in production almost immediately, John explains.
“This week brings the possibility of a significant cooling event stemming from the northern part of our continent. In addition, a rain event has been added around mid-week,” John says. “Some models suggest a frost event that could extend over a five- to seven-day duration. This has the potential of creating further supply shortages soon after the onset.”
Despite brief weather snafus, John lets me know that the market is strong and well above the norm, with a recent spike in pricing that has sustained for 14 consecutive days.
As this kitchen staple makes its way to retailers nationwide, I have to ask John what makes this veggie a standout.
“Cauliflower has been reinvented over the last few years with some pretty inventive applications,” John tells me. “The carb-conscious consumer has adapted it to their daily menu, transforming it into cauliflower rice, cauliflower mashed potatoes, cauliflower au gratin, and cauliflower tater tots. There has been a resurgence in popularity for cauliflower in recent years, starting off with the veggie pizza craze and moving on to more creative applications. It will continue to gain in popularity as chefs and consumers alike continue to reinvent the plate.”
Dressed up or down, transformed or simple, cauliflower is worthy of every dinner plate.
REDCLIFF, ALBERTA - Oppy’s greenhouse grower brand, Frank & Able, sent off the first shipment of its tomatoes-on-the-vine—the ones that were grown in its newly-expanded facility. Brothers Dirk and Keith Vis, as well as brother-in-law Devin Jaspers, nearly doubled the acreage under lights ahead of the first snowfall and are set to meet the winter demand for Canadian TOVs.
“As Canadian consumers have increasingly expressed their desire to have local food options in grocery stores year-round, we are proud to help provide this with the expansion of our facility,” said Dirk Vis, General Manager. “When you experience the harsh conditions of a winter on the prairies, you recognize pretty quickly why the production of vegetables in our area isn’t an endeavor many sought out. Fueled by an excitement to fill the void of local produce in the market, we take on these environmental challenges with a state-of-the-art facility along with a knowledge and passion for growing.”
Last spring, Frank & Able announced a partnership with Oppy, which allowed the company to burst onto the scene with a distinctive brand and an even more distinctive product. Oppy currently markets Frank & Able TOVs in bulk, vexar, and random-weight cello bags.
“The quality has been nothing short of fantastic,” said Aaron Quon, Oppy's Executive Category Director of Greenhouse. “We are consistently impressed, and so are the customers who stock Frank & Able in Canada and throughout the U.S. Now that we’ve moved into the new winter crop, these tomatoes-on-the-vine are not to be missed.”
Quon also noted that despite challenges presented by last summer’s TOV market, steady and reliable supplies of Frank & Able tomatoes boosted the brand with Western Canadian customers.
“Dirk and the team chose the brand promise Put the best on your table, and there’s no question that they live up to it,” Quon said. “They care a great deal about every aspect of producing flavorful, juicy tomatoes. With the expansion, and the unique proposition of Canadian TOVs in the winter time, we’re eager to grow with Frank & Able.”
For the latest in fresh produce updates like this, keep reading us here at AndNowUKnow.
SEATTLE, WA - It’s Amazon’s world, and the rest of us are just rushing to adapt. After launching Amazon Go in multiple cities earlier this year, many have assumed Go will be hurtling our industry into a new era of convenience as it allegedly expands its footprint to include 3,000 stores by 2021. This week, Sean Butler, former Senior Vice President, Retail for meal kit company Chef’d, added fuel to the fire after posting on LinkedIn that Amazon Go is in the midst of hiring 338 full time employees across all levels.
In Butler’s post, he outlined that “most open positions were posted in the past month, with over 150 unique roles in demand ranging from senior art directors and store designers to over 100 hardware and software engineers and supply chain and merchandising managers.”
This news dropped the same week that the Wall Street Journal reported that Amazon is testing its Amazon Go/cashierless technology for bigger store formats. This report has led many to suspect the e-tail giant is looking to bring Whole Foods into its new era of convenience, thus once again changing the name of the game when it comes to brick-and-mortar.
However, Butler points out in his post that earlier this year Amazon Go VP’s Dilip Kumar and Gianna Puerini asserted Amazon has no plans to roll Go technology out at Whole Foods, or any large-format stores for that matter. But, of course, grocery is a fickle business and Amazon has been known to shake things up from time to time (i.e. always and forever).
Is Amazon’s latest hiring spree a sign of rapid Go expansion in Whole Foods or otherwise? AndNowUKnow will continue to keep you clued in to the latest online grocery movements that are shaping brick and mortar as we know it.
BUCKEYE, AZ - Organic leafy green provider Duncan Family Farms (DFF) has announced a slew of promotions—elevating multiple team members to director-level positions in the company.
"Our business has expanded into various regions to better serve our customers, and our team members’ duties have also expanded," said Pete Guerrero, Chief Operating Officer, in a press release. "These promotions recognize the important individuals directing these business units with titles that honor their service and represent their responsibilities…We’re fortunate to have a group of directors that are truly passionate about our customers, the business, and the team members they work with…We are absolutely certain that this team will continue to carry out the mission and values of Duncan Family Farms."
According to the company’s press release, DFF’s latest round of promotions recognize its employees’ expertise and dedication and will support the company’s ongoing commitment to providing excellent products and service to their customers.
The following team members, operating across DFF’s operations in Arizona, California, Oregon, and New York, have been promoted:
Tom Stills, Director of Post-Harvest Operations and Logistics
Bringing more than 30 years of experience to his new role, Stills was originally hired as Post-Harvest and Logistics Manager at DFF, responsible for completing the final steps in the value chain for customers.
"Professionally, I’m excited to be taking on a more prominent role in supporting DFF’s leadership and management teams as we continue our efforts to be the best organic supplier in the industry," said Stills. "Personally, I look forward to having the opportunity to coach and mentor our next team of rising leaders to contribute to a future legacy."
Lalo Orozco, Senior District Director
Orozco began as a General Laborer with DFF at the age of 16, and subsequently held several positions including Tractor Operator, Irrigation Crew Leader, Irrigation Supervisor, Farm Manager, and District Manager for operations spread across Arizona, California, and New York.
"Working at Duncan Family Farms has changed my life," said Orozco. "It has not only been my career, but also provided me with tremendous opportunities to learn. I feel blessed to be part of the team and look forward to contributing to its continued success and growth."
Sean Duncan, Senior Director of Supply Chain
A Certified Supply Chain Professional with a master’s degree in global management, Duncan previously held various titles within the company, including Supply Chain Supervisor and Supply Chain Manager.
"I enjoy working in our collaborative environment and having the opportunity and empowerment to pursue new ideas and opportunities to bring value to our internal team members and customers," said Duncan.
Jeremy Vanderzyl, Technical Services Director
Vanderzyl is a food safety expert and public health scientist who has served as Food Safety Crew Lead, Specialist, and Manager with DFF.
"It’s been an amazing journey both personally and professionally, and I am grateful to be a part of this team," said Vanderzyl. "The culture at DFF is what drives our growth. It’s an incredible place to work."
Juan Calderon, Director of Farming Operations
Calderon joined DFF to manage harvesting operations and day-to-day sales and later served as Farm Manager at the company’s Cuyama and Nipomo, California, farms.
"When I came on board with Duncan Family Farms, I was impressed with the family environment and the outstanding culture," said Calderon. "I feel very blessed to be part of this great organization. I've never felt more valued than at this company."
Congratulations, Tom, Lalo, Sean, Jeremy, and Juan, from all of us at AndNowUKnow.
WENATCHEE, WA - Stemilt is introducing a new partnership with a Seattle, WA-based chef who’s fast becoming a household name—in the Pacific Northwest and beyond—with his creatively named restaurants and excellent cuisine.
The tree fruit provider is partnering with Ethan Stowell, one of the Emerald City’s culinary crème de la crème, with 15 restaurants spanning the city and a mark on everything from the menu at Seattle Mariner games to charitable causes that support nutrition, women’s rights and leadership, and the homeless.
“We’re thrilled to start this partnership with Ethan,” said Brianna Shales, Communications Manager for Stemilt, in a press release. “Our companies share common goals around delighting people through wholesome and delicious food, as well as giving back to our communities. Joining forces will allow us to tell our story to more people and make for a more meaningful connection for our fans, and Ethan’s many restaurant patrons, around the farm-to-table experience.”
Stemilt and Stowell are inaugurating their partnership by sharing Stemilt’s signature Piñata® variety apple with Stowell’s Cortina restaurant this season. According to the company’s press release, Stemilt’s Piñata has fast become a favorite with its unique tropical flavors and ability to span different culinary applications—from salads to traditional desserts—and Stowell is already familiar with the fruit.
“Most people see an apple as an apple, but there’s quite a bit of contrast between the different varieties,” said Stowell. “What I love most about Piñata is its balance between sugars and acids. It has enough of both to stand on its own, which fits well with my desire to keep food simple and fresh.”
In the coming months, Stemilt will host Stowell in Wenatchee, WA, allowing the chef to experience the sights and sounds involved in harvesting and packing fruit. The company will reportedly also share Stowell’s culinary talents with its team members and visitors through live demonstrations, as well as with consumers via its social and digital channels.
“This partnership allows us to continue to spread authenticity with consumers about how our fruits are grown and cared for, whether it’s at our farms or on the menu at an acclaimed restaurant,” said Shales. “Ethan is a self-taught chef and as authentic as they get. We are going to have a lot of fun sharing our joint stories to the culinary world.”
For more fresh fruit and veggie news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
MATTHEWS, NC - Harris Teeter’s latest store opening was larger than—well, maybe not life, but definitely larger than any of the store locations in the retailer’s portfolio. The New Bern Marketplace location officially opened its doors today, December 5, and touted a total of 100,000 square feet, marking it as the biggest Harris Teeter store yet.
“Harris Teeter is thrilled to introduce the New Bern community to their brand-new Harris Teeter and Fuel Center,” said the company’s Communication Manager Danna Robinson. “We are looking forward to sharing never-before-seen amenities and features.”
Said never-before-seen amenities and features include a juice bar, ExpressLane Online Shopping, a burger bar, a sushi train, a beer and wine bar, a Starbucks, a drive-thru Pharmacy, and a Harris Teeter Fuel Center, according to a press release.
Is this larger store format a sign of a new look and some expanded features that will take hold of more Harris Teeter locations? AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the growing retail scene.