GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Down with the superstore—the era of convenience stores has begun! This year, a wave of retailers announced plans to design, debut, and open smaller format stores that cater to on-the-go consumers. Meijer is the latest retailer to unveil its own convenience store format, with a new 5,500-square-foot location slated to open adjacent to the retailer’s Grand Rapids-based headquarters August 28.
“We are proud to continue to roll out what we see as the future of convenience for our gas station patrons,” said Adam Whitney, Vice President of Gas Stations and Convenience Stores. “We believe our customers will appreciate the ease and accessibility that the new design offers and the expanded assortment of freshly-made options that reflects their desire for healthier snacks.”
Meijer’s new convenience store will offer fresh produce, protein-based snacks, organic items, and grab-and-go meals, including freshly-made sushi, hand-crafted pizzas, chicken tenders, and locally-prepared doughnuts. Along with a large seating area with free Wi-Fi and phone-charging stations, the convenience store also includes a self-serve coffee station, fountain bar, and a beer cave.
As part of the convenience store design, a full-service Starbucks will operate in conjunction with the store’s gas station—a first of this design for Meijer, according to a press release.
Will Meijer’s hot take on fresh, organic, and healthy convenience topple competitors’ own designs? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - I’m slowly becoming convinced that everything Target has to offer is magical, and this latest announcement has me pretty close to believing it. The retailer is offering “easy meal offerings” under its private-label Archer Farms, and to be honest, all of them sound delicious.
With more than 100 products, customers can create things like spinach and artichoke stuffed mushrooms, burrata lemon zest herb ravioli, and apple pecan quinoa salad. I for one can’t wait to get my hands on the ravioli, but I’d honestly settle for any of those options.
“We know our guests are always looking for time-saving measures, but we also know they’re not willing to compromise on quality or taste,” said Target on its website. “We heard from guests that they were looking for easily accessible, trend-forward, and globally inspired dinnertime, lunchtime, and anytime options. So, we got to work creating an expansive array of delicious new items, including ready-to-heat meats, salads, pasta, sides and soups—all priced between $2.99 and $8.99!”
The retailer previously offered quick and easy meal solutions: Archer Farms Mix & Match Meals, which were launched in 2014 and boasted 500 meal combinations. However, these meals are no longer available.
Is this the future of meal kits? Will these products disappear as their predecessors did? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
GREENSBORO, NC - While the location for Publix’s new distribution center was up in the air earlier this year, the grocer is officially zeroing in on Greensboro, North Carolina, for its $400-million-dollar project slated to finish by 2022. According to the Triad Business Journal, Greensboro, North Carolina, beat out fellow top contender Cherokee, South Carolina, as the site for what is proving to be the largest distribution facility in the region.
“As a proud community supporter, Publix is excited to create hundreds of new employment opportunities and to help provide for greater economic prosperity in Guilford County,” said Publix CEO & President Todd Jones in a press release. “We appreciate the hard work of Governor Cooper and all those involved in making this distribution center possible.”
Publix expects to invest up to $300 million in the first phase of the 1.8 million-square-foot dry and refrigerated goods facility. The distribution center will sit on 350 acres in Guilford County, near Birch Creek Road and U.S. 70, and will create more than 1,000 jobs for the region by 2025, according to a press release. The facility will also support the delivery of grocery items to Publix locations in North and South Carolina and Virginia.
“Publix recognizes North Carolina’s commitment to helping businesses and employees thrive, and they trust our workers to fill up to 1,000 new jobs,” said North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. “We will keep making sure our workforce has the capacity to excel and meet the needs of Publix and other quickly growing businesses in North Carolina.”
North Carolina's Department of Commerce noted in a project summary that "the major factors influencing the site location decision includes land and development costs, access to the Project Sky service region, campus vs. separated footprints, and incentives available to offset the cost of the expansion."
The project was approved by North Carolina’s Economic Investment Committee, and the state will provide a $15.9 million incentive package, which includes $1.3 million in training grants and $1.5 million for the state’s utility account.
Publix now operates nine distribution centers and intends to continue to expand its retail presence on the East Coast.
For more of the latest grocery retail news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
SACRAMENTO, CA - Yesterday, the Assembly Natural Resources committee moved a bill forward that requires more state oversight of companies' plans to pump water from the Mojave Desert. Now, the measure moves onto the final stages of the legislative decision-making process. The bill comes in light of Los Angeles-based Cadiz Inc.’s attempt to pump water from the Mojave Desert.
Among those supporting the measure are U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, Governor Jerry Brown, and Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom. With language within the measure geared toward the desert lands, the legislation under review would tack on two more approvals from the state: State Lands Commission and the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“(The bill) is key to safeguarding California’s fragile desert and its most vital resource—water,” Feinstein wrote in a Monday letter to the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.
The Southern California company proposed the ability to pump water from its wells below the Mojave Desert, transfer it through a 43-mile pipeline to the Colorado River Aqueduct, and then dispense it to customers in the region, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The company argues that this process will boost job creation by the thousands and the economy by the hundreds of millions. In addition to these enticing points, the company says it will produce water to supply to 400,000 people annually.
On the other side of the coin, those against Cadiz’s pumping plans believe that it will dry up the desert and decimate cultural and natural resources, citing that there are not enough natural resources to replenish the water that is drawn from aquifers.
There are some who see both sides, too. Democrat Senator Richard Roth, who authored the bill, wants to make sure that the pumping of water is done sustainably but doesn’t oppose the operation all together. However, a similar bill was killed last year by fellow Democrats who thought the state shouldn’t rewrite laws for one company—Cadiz—after it had already been cleared at both the state and federal levels. Complicating the discussion even more is the Trump administration, which has positioned the project as a top priority, as it continues its crusade to reverse Obama-era regulations like the one that stopped Cadiz from using an existing railroad right of way for its 43-mile pipeline.
In response to the recent turn of events, Cadiz called the bill a “clear political hit” that would effectively create a “dire precedent for all infrastructure projects in California.”
Many groups are speaking up against the bill, as can be seen in the letter that was signed by trade councils, chambers of commerce, local government agencies, and water districts.
“While the bill targets one specific project, it sets a dangerous precedent and poses a potential threat to any infrastructure project in the state,” the letter said.
The bill needs approval from both chambers of the legislature and the governor in order to be instated as law.
Stick with AndNowUKnow for more details as the bill progresses and what this means for the Southern Californian agricultural community’s water supply.
BAKERSFIELD, CA - Industry giant Grimmway Farms is counting down the days till Southern Innovations Organics and Foodservice Expo in Nashville, Tennessee, next month as the company experiences heightened demand for both its foodservice and organic items.
As the industry generates more and more excitement around the event, Lisa McNeece, Vice President of Foodservice and Industrial Sales, and Bob Borda, Vice President of Organic Sales, join me to dish on the upcoming program and why attendees should consider Grimmwayand Cal-Organic Farms a destination at the show.
“We’re excited to showcase our Grimmway Farms Foodservice product line as well as the full set of Cal-Organic Farms vegetables at SEPC Southern Innovations,” Lisa shares with me in the run up to September. “Many of our customers are interested in our rainbow varieties, so we’re bringing all of our bright, colorful offerings as well.”
In addition, Bob tells me that from planting the seed to shipping the company’s finished organic products, the team passionately cultivates its crops and selects only premium quality vegetables to be packed under the Cal-Organic Farms label.
“As a family farm, we have full control of our organic operations and grow all of our produce in the USA, both attributes which have helped us build consumer trust in our brand,” Bob reflects. “Within the foodservice industry specifically, we’re beginning to see more opportunities for organics as an increasing number of restaurants are looking to promote healthy lifestyles and capitalize on the shift in consumer preferences toward organic foods.”
When I ask Lisa what she is looking forward to getting out of the show this year, she talks about continuing to build value into the company’s relationships.
“We’re greatly looking forward to seeing our customers, learning more about their current goals, and finding ways to supply them with our premium quality produce,” she says.
Grimmway’s story is one of family, evolution, as well as a commitment to stewardship of the land and to customers—something I believe is at the foundation of the company’s success.
“Our steady commitment to convert more of our farmland to be certified organic has helped us develop a consistent, premium-quality organic vegetable program,” Bob shares with me. “In addition, ongoing collaboration with our retail and foodservice partners allows us to share valuable insights and ultimately develop successful organic programs across the country.”
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for all things organic and foodservice! See you all in Nashville in a couple weeks!
CARPINTERIA, CA - The next phase of a refreshed and revamped Pete’s Living Greens has made its debut, as the team celebrates having rolled out its new, cutting-edge website.
Interactive, easy to navigate, and acting as something between a business profile and a scrapbook illustrating Pete’s Living Greens’ story, the new peteslivinggreens.com is the next step in the company-wide rebrand that launched mid-last year.
“We are moving full-steam-ahead,” Corrie Hutchens, Senior Director of Marketing, tells me. “We have already updated the consumer-facing side, and we are so excited to have the ball rolling now on our new website.”
It is a perfect complement to the ongoing social media campaign that asks consumers what they live for, inspired by the company’s living produce line. As we previously reported when it went live earlier this summer, the marketing move highlights Pete’s Living Greens’s new brand line We Live For This Stuff, giving consumers the opportunity to share photos using the hashtag #liveforthis showing the Pete’s team what activities they love to do out and about in the warm weather to tie in eating healthy living using all things Pete’s, from living lettuce, salads, and greens, to concepts new and fresh.
“We identified macro and micro influencers as potential partners,” Corrie answers when I ask about keeping current on ever-changing social media. “We reached out to a number of different influencers, whether they were more into food or anything lifestyle-related.”
It all ties into a fresh new format for the company as it answers the questions your customers might ask, such as ‘Who’s Pete? For Pete sake,” and “Our BELEAF.” Click here and explore to find out what I’m talking about.
As the industry continues to evolve with the changes technology and consumer desires have presented, AndNowUKnow will continue to bring you the latest.
WENATCHEE, WA - Who doesn’t like a good success story? CMI Orchards certainly does, as it prepares for another good year for its Daisy Girl Organics™ brand.
“For the third year in a row, Daisy Girl is the #1 selling branded organic apple in the U.S.,” Vice President of Marketing George Harter said. “It really shows how much consumers trust and are loyal to the Daisy Girl brand. Daisy Girl organic sales for last season, ending July, 2018, show an amazing success story for the brand. Nielsen data shows Daisy Girl sales increased a whopping $5.8 million or up 23% over the season prior. This growth is exceptional with the huge sales base that Daisy Girl commands in the U.S. market. This is the second year CMI’s Daisy Girl brand has generated growth upwards of 20%. Daisy Girl branded variety Kanzi® and Honeycrisp lead the way with extreme increases in distribution and sales.”
CMI Orchards introduced the Daisy Girl Ship’n’Shop display bin during the 2017 PMA. According to a press release, the display bin has proven to be a highly successful merchandising tool in driving sales.
“The pallet display bin ships with 16 cases of organic fruit and is extremely easy to build, creating an instant retail destination for organics,” Harter shared. “Our two-box Daisy Girl display is an industry favorite and has helped drive organic sales throughout our customer base.”
CMI Orchards also reported its organic production ramping up. Organic volumes are projected to increase 67 percent over last year, with plans to expand distribution during the 2018 season. In addition to its Daisy Girl brand, CMI Orchards has recently launched other campaigns to highlight its other organic apples.
“We just launched an exciting organic ad campaign to highlight premium branded organic apples, available in Ambrosia, Kanzi®, Kiku®, Envy™, and Smitten™,” Harter explained. “Visit www.cmiorganic.com to see a case study which demonstrates the effectiveness and success of merchandising using CMI’s Ship’n’Shop bins. One large U.S. retailer generated an increase in sales of 185%. We feel confident that these results can be replicated by any retailer that trials our Ship’n’Shop display.”
The press release noted that CMI’s Daisy Girl sales reflect a strong consumer response to the 2-lb organic pouch bag.
“The two-pound Daisy Girl Gala has held the position of #1 branded organic apple—across the entire U.S.—for the past three seasons, with no sign of its success slowing down,” Harter stated. “According to Nielsen data, Daisy Girl has 6 of the top 8 organic 2 lb pouch bag items in the branded organic category, providing solid footing for any customers looking to grow their organic business.”
Harter also noted that one of the often-overlooked benefits to packaged organic apples is the shelf flexibility that packages give retailers.
“In the past, co-mingling issues meant organic and conventional apples could not be displayed side by side,” he stated. “Packaging eliminates this issue and our most successful retail partners have discovered that putting a strong organic brand like Daisy Girl pouch bags in a premium up-front position is driving consumer conversions and strong sales gains.”
With striking packaging and a retail strategy, the only thing left to do is fill those bins up!
“The organic apple harvest in Washington is just getting underway with strong prospects for the coming year,” Harter said. “We have increasing organic acreage coming into production to help drive retail distribution and promotions. The number of retail stores continues to grow for the Daisy Girl brand, with Nielsen data showing 10 percent increase in store count for the 2017-2018 season bringing the store distribution total to 13,648.”
He concluded that CMI Orchards is excited for opportunities this season will afford because of the increase in organic production, organic ad campaigns, and the growing number of stores selling Daisy Girl.
“We have the tools to drive success for any retailer, and we’re eager to line up some promotions to kick-start this organic season in the best way possible,” he finished.
For the latest in fresh produce news, stick with us at AndNowUKnow.
CINCINNATI, OH - Kroger is sourcing innovation from a spring outpouring with fresh ideas, as it steps into its new partnership with the University of Cincinnati (UC) to operate a creative-drive lab at the institution’s 1819 Innovation Hub. The new collaboration includes a 12,000-square-feet makerspace and micro-factory, as well as state-of-the art classrooms and multi-purpose rooms.
"Kroger's new partnership with the University of Cincinnati is one more way we are investing to create the now and future of retail," Kroger's Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer Chris Hjelm said. "This innovative collaboration is driven by Restock Kroger and provides the Kroger Technology team another creative space to partner and develop solutions to redefine the grocery customer experience."
The hub, a recently-opened state-of-the-art facility, is situated in the Uptown Innovation Corridor, symbolizing the community’s innovation and impact with higher education. The addition of this space is the region’s newest destination for thinking, making, doing, discovering, and delivering, according to a press release.
The retailer will staff the hub with resources, including R&D engineers and software developers, in addition to the working UC faculty on site. There will also be a student co-op and internship program in conjunction with the partnership.
"The 1819 Innovation Hub is a coworking community where we will build and discover the next generation of technology and talent," Hjelm said. "Our vision is to create a talent pipeline that supports our business and positions the region as a place for digital and technology students and professionals."
The creation of the 1819 Innovation Hub aims to provide a space for people and companies to come together to create advancements for the rapidly evolving economy and fast-paced industry. Through these efforts, Cincinnati will become a top choice location.
"As the anchor tenant of our burgeoning innovation district, UC's 1819 Innovation Hub is a microcosm of the bigger picture," UC’s Chief Innovation Officer David J. Adams shared. "Companies are choosing to co-locate here with us for proximity and access to the talent that a major research university provides. As the district comes to life with residential and retail options, the mix of students, faculty, industry, and community that you see in our knowledge action center today will spill out into the surrounding neighborhood, making innovation a visual place in Cincinnati."
The partnership shares a special bond because of the communities they jointly know and service on a daily basis.
"Working with a hometown company and one of the world's largest retailers gives our university an opportunity to make an impact not only locally but also globally,” Pinto expressed. “This is the kind of partnership that allows our students and faculty to work on real-world challenges in a cross-disciplinary way, while offering our corporate partners added value with access to talent, expertise, research, creativity, and specialized equipment and technology."
As students head back to school, they will head into the new hub, which opened earlier this week for the fall term. Kroger’s innovation lab sits in a 2,500-square-foot space on the third floor of the four-story building. Construction for Kroger’s lab is expected to be completed in October.
Kroger’s digital headquarters is also located in downtown Cincinnati, and it plans to double its digital team of 500 to 1,000 by 2020.
How will Kroger’s new partnership boost interest in its innovative approach to retail? AndNowUKnow will keep you updated.
VANCOUVER, BC - SEPC’s second annual Southern Innovations Organics and Foodservice Expo is fast approaching—and our industry is abuzz with fresh foodservice and organic offerings to be featured at Nashville, Tennessee’s Gaylord Opryland Resort, September 6-8.
One company uniquely positioned to offer foodservice and organic offerings across a number of fruit and veggie categories is Oppy. From popular produce sales drivers like table grapes to perennial favorites like strawberries, I spoke to Oppy’s Organics and Foodservice Category Manager Chris Ford to learn more about what one of North America’s preeminent providers of produce is bringing to Music City.
“One of our primary areas of focus for foodservice is table grapes—a very strong category that we offer year-round. We are in California right now, and soon transition into Peru and then Chile—where we are one of the largest importers in North America,” Chris tells me. “We are also currently in-season with our Oceanside Pole tomato program, which is a field-grown round and Roma program in Southern California. Oceanside Pole grows a winter crop of Brussels sprouts as well. We will also showcase our Ocean Spray® Family Farmer-Owned brand strawberries and blueberries, which we grow year-round.”
Chris notes that the Ocean Spray® Family Farmer-Owned brand also features organic berries, pointing out that berries are among the fastest-growing categories in the organic sector.
“Alongside our popular berry line, we will feature our Zespri organic green and SunGold kiwifruit,” Chris comments. “Those are very much in season and at the peak of flavor. It is a great time to promote kiwifruit, as stonefruit crops are winding down and apples are just starting.”
Once North American apple crops hit full swing, Chris says, Oppy will be there to meet the burgeoning demand for its premium organic varieties.
“We have our three premium branded apples—JAZZ™, Envy™, and Pacific Rose™—starting with fresh crops in October,” he comments. “We will feature those in 2 lb pouch bags and in count cartons in a range of sizes. We are putting a lot of energy into apples, with an exciting increase in supply this year and expand distribution for those premium brands.”
Additionally, Oppy will feature greenhouse-grown produce from Divemex—whose operations throughout Mexico are currently producing a variety of Fair Trade and organic certified hothouse items.
“Our grower partner Divemex is just starting their colored bell pepper season and will produce peppers and long English cucumbers through next spring,” Chris notes, adding that, between Divemex and BC-based grower partner OriginO, Oppy is year-round in the organic hothouse space. “We have represented Divemex for quite a long time, and they continue to grow their organic volume under their premium brand.”
To learn more, check out booth #520 at the 2018 Southern Innovations Organics and Foodservice Expo at the Gaylord Opryland Resort, September 6-8, in Nashville, Tennessee.
NASHVILLE, TN - Of the many sports that can bring together industries, football really tops the list. Between loyal college football fans to the NFL teams’ diehard supporters, the football-passionate traverse backgrounds and trades. With Southern Innovations Organics & Foodservice Expo just around the corner on September 6-8, 2018 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, I thought I would touch base with one of the keynote speakers to grace the stage.
Steve Spurrier, retired College Football Coach for the University of Florida and Coach for the 2019 Alliance of American Football’s Orlando team, joins me for a look at the upcoming event, his legacy, passion, and what he has learned along the way.
“I am excited to meet an industry that aligns with the same health and wellness goals as myself,” Spurrier shares with me as we talk about the event ahead. “For the Southern Innovations keynote, I want to share my story and how it all happened for me, from my days as a player to my first head coaching job at Duke and the positions that followed. It all came down to setting goals and dreaming and visualizing those goals. And low and behold, the successes kept on happening during my career, but not without hard work and passion. Some of the things I love to talk about are those miraculous moments, or rather ‘thank you, Lord’ moments that have happened in games. I have been incredibly fortunate, and I am looking forward to sharing my story at the event.”
Spurrier was born in Miami, Florida, and attended Science Hill High in Johnson City, Tennessee. He laughs as he tells me that he was probably a better athlete in basketball and baseball originally than football. As high school progressed, Spurrier got a little taller and a little quicker and became the team’s quarterback, lettered in three sports, and was an all-state selection in football, basketball, and baseball, as well as a high school All-American quarterback in 1962.
“My father was a Presbyterian minister and instilled a love of competition in me and my brother and sister—that desire to win, the will to win, that I have carried with me all my life. My dad told me that if it is a contest and you love competing, you should be trying your best to win,” he laughs. “I have always believed in that idea, and how it can be applied to whatever you do in life. What it comes down to is passion, and approaching each opportunity in life the way I approach the game.”
Spurrier received a scholarship to the University of Florida where he continued to play quarterback, further establishing himself as one of the best passers in SEC history on his way to winning Florida’s first Heisman Trophy in 1966.
“I think that accepting the scholarship at Florida was the best choice I could have made. Not only for the opportunities I had there, but because that is where I met my wife, Jerri Starr,” he tells me, and I can sense a smile spread across his face.
Spurrier then went onto play 10 years in the NFL—nine for the San Francisco 49ers (GO NINERS!) and one for the Tampa Bay Bucs. He was a Head Coach for 30 years. Check out these stats:
- USFL – Tampa Bay Bandits (35-19)
- Duke – Won the ACC Football Championship in 1989 - This is the only one Duke has won in 55 years.
- Florida – Won seven SEC Championships, one National Championship in 1996
- South Carolina – Finished Top 10 three years in a row and won 11 games three years in a row
In addition, Spurrier is one of the winningest coaches in Florida football history and one of the winningest coaches in South Carolina football history. Coincidentally, his record versus Nick Saban is 3-1 and against Dabo Swinney is 5-2. He is one of only four men to be inducted to the National College Football Hall of Fame as a player and coach in 2017.
“The relationship of coach to player or player to coach is an interesting one—being a coach does not necessarily have a lot to do with being a player. I may have been an All-American star player but that doesn’t necessarily make a good coach. There are no Heisman trophy winners out there coaching for example and very few All-American players that are coaches,” Spurrier shares with me. “What I learned about coaching, as I imagine most do, I learned once I became a coach. I intensely studied other coaches’ successes and business models, read all the books I could get my hands on, learned from the best and also those that had failed. It is a game where you are always learning, you must always learn—as in life.”
Next up for Spurrier? He has been announced as the coach for the Alliance of American Football’s Orlando team. The league, founded by TV and film producer Charlie Ebersol and Hall of Famer Bill Polian, features eight teams under a single entity structure, with a 12-week season kicking-off on CBS on February 9, 2019, with the championship game on April 26-28, 2019.
“We will have 10 games, and hopefully two playoff games,” Spurrier laughs and says. “What really drew me to the league was not only the chance to coach again but the league’s commitment to putting top-flight, professional football on the field and creating a true alliance between fans, players, and the game.”
When I ask him what advice he lives by, among the many things he tells me is this...
“Attitude is everything; a person can alter their lives if they can change their attitude,” he shares.
I am not sure about you, but I will be clamoring for a good seat at next month’s Southern Innovations keynote. See you all there!