CHICAGO, IL - Ahold Delhaize is making moves in the e-commerce sector, and it is continuing that growth with the latest addition to its team. Selma Postma has been named to lead Ahold Delhaize's brand, Peapod. Appointed to the role of President, her start date is effective January 1, 2019.
"I'm very excited to join Peapod, which has a great 30-year heritage in e-commerce to build upon as we look to future growth," said Postma. "I look forward to working with the team that has built this strong brand, along with Peapod Digital Labs and the great local U.S. brands of Ahold Delhaize, to continue to accelerate sales and deliver a world-class consumer experience."
Postma joins Peapod after a career of nearly 20 years at Albert Heijn; she most recently served as General Manager of Albert Heijn Online. According to a press release, in this position she led the transformation of Albert Heijn into an omnichannel retailer.
"We're extremely pleased to have Selma to serve at the helm of Peapod," said JJ Fleeman, Chief E-Commerce Officer and President, Peapod Digital Labs. "Selma has a proven track record of building an omnichannel experience at Albert Heijn, where she accelerated online growth to more than 20 percent annually and launched several customer-facing solutions, such as the popular mobile app, Appie, single sign-on with bol.com, the largest online, non-food retailer in the Netherlands, and much more. We are confident her expertise will accelerate the e-commerce experience for Peapod customers and continue to grow sales."
Postma holds a business administration degree in Strategic Management from Erasmus University, Rotterdam. She will relocate to Chicago with her husband and three children in the new year.
Congratulations to Selma on this new position!
PHARR, TX - Hot off the heels of a successful PMA Fresh Summit, London Fruit is adding to its sales team; the company has hired Tonya Hill as its new Retail Development Manager in Sales. Hill brings over fifteen years of produce experience to the company.
Hill recently served as the Texas Regional Manager for New Jersey-based Amazon Produce Network—helping the company grow programs for mangos, limes, and tropical produce categories. In addition to that Regional Managerial role, she also served in previous roles as Director of Sales and Transportation, Category Manager, and Director of New Customer Development.
Jerry Garcia, VP of London Fruit, said he’s excited to have Tonya join the London team. “Her experience will greatly add to the strength and depth at London,” he added.
Hill, a native of Texas, began her career in the field of accounting, after attending Texas A&M University.
When she’s not selling produce, she and her husband run their family farm and a registered cattle business.
We at AndNowUKnow congratulate Tonya on her exciting new role and wish her and London Fruit the very best in all their future endeavors.
INDEPENDENCE, MO - FreshXperts is expanding its stable of produce industry experts; the consulting firm is welcoming Nick Pasculli—Founder, Owner, and President of The Marketing Department, Inc., aka TMD Creative—to the team. Pasculli brings almost thirty years of experience to his new role as a produce industry consultant, which he will hold in addition to continuing in his position with TMD Creative.
“The decision to join FreshXperts was an easy one for me. Having known several members of the group for years, I was very comfortable with the decision and felt I would really fit in. Our value alignment and the collection of complimentary experience of the other members of the team make perfect sense.” Pasculli said, in a press release. “I am delighted to be part of a group of experts that share my broad-based experience to create bottom line results for our clients.”
According to that press release, Pasculli is well regarded in the fresh produce industry for his expertise in brand strategy, creativity, marketing, business development, and leadership development. Pasculli additionally brings decades of experience in banking and finance to his new role.
“Nick brings to our group a broad base of experience in the use of technology as we brand and market our clients,” said Anthony Totta, Founder of FreshXperts. “We hope to assist clients in upgrading the look, feel, and content of print and digital materials to communicate an accurate reflection of who our clients are and what they offer as a supply chain partner.”
Before beginning TMD Creative, Pasculli worked for some of the industry's most respected grower/shippers, including Tanimura & Antle, Naturipe Berry Growers, and D’Arrigo Bros. Co. of CA.
A first-generation Italian immigrant born in Hoboken, New Jersey, Pasculli has called Salinas, California, his home for the last 30 years. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Marketing from California State University, Fresno and later a Master’s Degree from Loyola University, New Orleans. Pasculli currently teaches courses at Hartnell College Agriculture and Technology Institute in Salinas, CA.
According to FreshXperts’ press release, the core values of partnerships, a focus on the fresh food industry, developing lasting relationships, trust, quality, and excellence are perfectly aligned with the way Pasculli conducts his business.
From the whole AndNowUKnow team, congratulations, Nick, on your new role.
LOS ANGELES, CA - Every Who down in Whoville and every grocery shopper around is getting a holiday treat like no other found. The Wonderful Company announced, with lots of fanfare, that Wonderful Pistachios and Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch are the season’s best pair. Through a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign, including two commercials to boot, the notoriously grumpy Grinch discovers Wonderful Pistachios are the perfect holiday loot.
“This partnership was a no-brainer,” said Darren Moran, Chief Creative Officer of Wonderful Agency, according to a press release. “When you put two famously edgy (and green) iconic brands together, the result is going to be fun, attention-getting work that becomes an instant holiday classic.”
Created by The Wonderful Company’s in-house agency and animated by Illumination, The Wonderful Company’s two commercial feature is the latest produce marketing innovation. The first of the two aired in October and depicted a frowning Grinch discovering the taste of Wonderful Pistachios is like no other.
“Wonderful Pistachios is the green icon of healthy snacking so partnering with The Grinch, the green icon of the holidays, is the perfect opportunity to spread green holiday cheer to moviegoers everywhere,” said Adam Cooper, Vice President of Marketing, The Wonderful Company.
In the second commercial of the two is Wonderful Pistachios No Shells brand’s debut! In this commercial, set to air November 26th, the Grinch swipes the best part of the Whos’ stockings to get his No Shells pistachios fix.
Supported by an online digital campaign and in-store point-of-sale (POS) including bins and standees, retailers won’t want to miss out on this collaboration of the century.
A fun marketing campaign that is sure to be a hit is helping Wonderful Pistachios and more get in the holiday spirit. And while holiday cheer doesn’t always come from the store, there’s no doubting that Wonderful Pistachios are part of this season’s core.
For more fresh produce news from around the biz, stick with AndNowUKNow!
ZAANDAM, THE NETHERLANDS - Are automated warehouses the hottest new trend in retail? Joining the likes of Albertsons—which recently announced its own automated fulfilment pilot—is Ahold Delhaize. The Netherlands-based grocery group will roll out small, automated warehouses to speed order picking and cut delivery times, according to a Reuters report, in an effort to put itself first in the e-commerce race. Chief Executive Frans Muller confirmed the deal on Wednesday.
At an investor event on November 13th, Ahold Delhaize is expected to showcase a new partnership with Takeoff—the same partner used by Albertsons—that will provide the retailer with miniature “robot supermarkets” attached to its stores to automate order collection, Reuters said. Each warehouse costs around $3 million to build, a price tag Takeoff notes is less than the cost to revamp a store.
“With the robotized solution we can optimize those picking costs and be closer with micro fulfillment to our catchment areas. We also reduce the cost of the last mile,” Muller said.
Ahold Delhaize’s deal also follows Kroger’s partnership with British e-commerce giant Ocado. As we previously reported, Kroger will disclose the locations for the first of three of 20 high-tech Ocado warehouses it plans to build on U.S. soil in the next couple of weeks. Each will take about two years to build and cost about $39 million.
WASHINGTON, DC - It’s that time of year! United Fresh is now accepting nominations for the 2019 Retail Produce Manager Awards Program. The purpose of this program is to recognize 25 remarkable retail managers for their innovative merchandising, produce-related community outreach, and increased store sales.
“The ability to creatively merchandise product, interact with customers, and oversee the growth of not only the department’s offerings, but also the people within the department, is paramount,” noted Jeff Cady, Director of Produce & Floral, Tops Friendly Markets and Chairman of the United Fresh Retail-Foodservice Board. “Fresh produce is a vital part of our day-to-day business, and being able manage it successfully is invaluable and truly appreciated throughout the industry.”
Since the program’s inception 15 years ago, over 300 produce managers from over 100 different retail banners have been honored. The 25 award winners, along with their corporate produce directors, will receive complimentary airfare, hotel accommodations, and registration to United Fresh 2019, which takes place June 10-12, in Chicago, Illinois.
According to a press release, the program is sponsored by Dole Food Company this year.
“This is Dole’s fifth year as title sponsor of the United Fresh Retail Produce Manager Awards, and we could not be more proud to be a part of this important recognition program,” shared Johan Linden, President and CEO of Dole Food Company. “These men and women do so much to promote the increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, and this gives us an opportunity to recognize that contribution and a platform to express our sincere thanks on behalf of our company and our industry.”
In order to nominate someone, forms can be accessed online at www.unitedfresh.org and must be received by Thursday, January 24, 2019.
Happy nominating!
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - SpartanNash Company announced the financial results of the company’s third quarter fiscal 2018—noting top-line growth and teasing a new partnership and a company-wide initiative designed to transform the company’s culture.
“We continued to make good progress on our strategic business objectives during the third quarter with particular strength in our food distribution segment sales where we benefited from retention in our core customer base and expanded business with key customers,” said David Staples, President and Chief Executive Officer, in a press release. “We continue to work diligently to address the industry challenges that face the company and are pleased to have generated new business wins across our food distribution and military segments that are expected to commence in the mid to late fourth quarter, with the majority of the benefits to be realized in 2019.”
Highlights from the company’s Q3 include:
- Consolidated net sales for the third quarter increased $18.3 million, or 1.0%, to $1.89 billion from $1.87 billion in the prior year quarter
- Gross profit for the third quarter of fiscal 2018 of $256.1 million, or 13.6% of net sales, compared to $261.7 million, or 14.0% of net sales, in the prior year quarter
- Operating expenses for the third quarter of $229.3 million, or 12.2% of net sales, compared to $455.6 million, or 24.4% of net sales, in the prior year’s third quarter
- Operating earnings of $26.8 million compared to an operating loss $193.9 million in the prior year quarter
- Adjusted EBITDA of $48.3 million compared to $55.9 million in the prior year quarter
Among additional highlights the company noted plans to pilot a test program to deliver fresh product to smaller format stores in the fourth quarter of 2018 and to enhance food processing operations and offer new and innovative opportunities in value-added prepared product categories.
“In addition to these top line wins, I am excited to announce that we have partnered with a third party advisory firm to begin a company-wide initiative designed to transform our culture, empowering associates at all levels to drive substantial ongoing, sustainable improvements to our business processes and results,” Staples continued. “This initiative is intended to position the company to take full advantage of the opportunities we expect to see over the next one to two years.”
SpartanNash also noted work on its long-term strategic objective—to evolve into a growth company focused on developing a national, highly efficient distribution platform and servicing a diverse customer base. This work included efforts to improve the company’s core distribution network, enhance its supply chain capabilities, and better serve both the East and West Coasts.
For more information, read SpartanNash’s earnings statement in its entirety here.
SYRACUSE, UT - Is Onions 52 a year old—or forty? Last year, Utah Onions, Inc. completed a transformative rebrand—complete with a new name, logo, a newly launched website, and complete brand overhaul. And the company is now experiencing a Renaissance (pun intended), according to CEO Bob Meek; Onions 52 has excelled in all areas, with the company’s rebranding and marketing efforts at the helm of it all.
“Last year was the 40th year of business for Utah Onions, Inc., and the need for a name change and updated website to reinforce a more accurate description of services was long overdue,” Meek stated, in a press release. “Looking back one year ago today, our marketing and branding efforts have been a tremendous success, and a proven catalyst to our continuing growth and customer success.”
The newly-launched Onions 52 website also has an impressive list of creative upgrades targeted at both end consumers and the trade.
“We designed the new website with the needs of our industry and our loyal customers in mind,” said Director of Marketing Falon Rufty. “Our goal was to create an aesthetically-pleasing website that captured our company initiative to provide safe, high-quality onions, 52 weeks a year. We also wanted to ensure the new website would be simple to use and would serve as an interactive resource that would be beneficial to whomever, wherever. Whether a produce manager needed to download signage before a store event, a buyer was curious of our red onion pack styles, or a friend was looking to quickly access the ingredients in our Pressure Cooker Sweet Pork Tacos while perusing the aisles of the grocery store; all of these resources [and much more] are now easily accessible on the all-new Onions 52 website.”
Congratulations, from the ANUK crew, on a year of well-deserved success—and many more to come.
PASADENA, CA - Sun Pacific’s signature mandarin brand Cuties® is helping add oomph to produce departments this season with the introduction of a new “fuel up” themed Snacking Station.
“Our new Snacking Stations help position Cuties as the better snacking choice when compared to the sugary and processed snacks that are typically placed in the middle of the store or near checkout,” said Kate Reeb, Director of Marketing, in a press release. “We want to help retailers capture more impulse buys and keep Cuties top of mind with shoppers for their snack purchases.”
The in-store Cuties Snacking Station is designed to be fun, convenient, and to help retailers meet the needs of parents looking for healthy snacks that are affordable, properly proportioned, healthy and convenient to give their kids and themselves.
According to the company’s press release, 94 pecent of Americans today enjoy a daily snack and view snacking as a healthy part of their lifestyle, according to Mintel. Sun Pacific noted that millennials snack up to five times a day, and millennial parents, in particular, are actively looking for healthy snacks that are convenient and portable while still being healthy. Cuties® mandarins are an ideal on-the-go snacking solution for kids and parents alike. Cuties Snacking Stations can be strategically placed in secondary locations outside of the produce department to help retailers earn more of shoppers’ snacking spend and capitalize on shopper interest in fresh and healthy foods.
For more fresh-focused new on in-store merchandising advice and solutions, retail support, and more, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
VANCOUVER, BC - There’s no slowing apple season down, and as we continue to head into the heart of it, Oppy is extending a helping hand toward retailers by pointing to four of the highest valued premium apples that are sure to drive sales this winter season. With the best in flavor, crunch, and eating experience, the BC Ambrosia, and Washington-grown JAZZ™, Envy™, and Pacific Rose™ are four of the top 10 best-performing in volume premium varieties that retailers won’t want to miss stocking up on.
“Premium varieties now represent over a third of all apples on the shelf,” David Nelley, Vice President of Oppy’s Apple, Pear, and Cherry Categories, said. “It’s no secret that consumers are demanding more from the apples they buy. Now our customers have the task of selecting the combination of varieties that most excite their shoppers and contribute to the category. With so many good apples to choose from, we’re pleased to see Ambrosia, JAZZ, Envy, and Pacific Rose allow retailers to be regionally right depending on the flavor profile down to store level.”
Nelley also noted that growing conditions throughout the summer have yielded a crop of high quality and preferred size profile.
“The BC Ambrosia is absolutely stunning this year,” said Nelley. “Growing in volume in BC, Ambrosia rightly holds the number three spot on the premium apple sales performance list. It’s well-established with consumers and offers a color break, with BC Tree Fruits rebranding in 2017 to segregate their superior quality standards over other Ambrosia grown around the province.”
Following Ambrosia is JAZZ, the “always refreshing” apple that began shipping in late October out of Washington. Tangy-sweet JAZZ is sizing larger this year than last, and Oppy is offering greater volumes of organic JAZZ than ever before, according to a press release.
The JAZZ, Pacific Rose, and popular Envy brands are owned by Oppy’s partner T&G Global, based out of Auckland, NZ.
“With the Washington crop showing awesome color, this is the first time we’ve been able to offer Envy™ over a 12-month supply window,” Nelley continued. “Growing by 24 percent in category sales contribution in the last year, we continue to be very excited by Envy™. Naturally non-browning, bright red and sweet, Envy’s wide appeal makes it the best apple to originate out of NZ since the Royal Gala when I started out in this business."
Looking to keep consumers with a preference for delicate, sweet flavors satisfied this winter? Nelley points to the Pacific Rose, which has fulfilled an important niche with older shoppers with higher household incomes, ethnic retailers, and in the stores of mainstream chains that serve Asian and Hispanic neighborhoods.
“Pacific Rose has long enjoyed popularity with customers in Asia,” Nelly concluded. “We’ve also built the market for it domestically in recent years and have collaborated with T&G to develop a new brand and brand positioning for the apple which we believe will enhance its appeal in North America when it launches in December. Most of the Pacific Rose we offer is produced by the Crane Family Orchards in Brewster, Washington, whose perfect growing conditions and commitment make its quality exceptional.”
What are you waiting for? There are apples to be enjoyed! To keep up with fresh fruit and veg, keep reading AndNowUKnow.