- Read more about Friday Morning, July 20th, 2018
- Log in to post comments
CINCINNATI, OH - Kroger seems to be shifting its focus and making moves away from its former buying tactics, now closing both its Wenatchee, WA, and Fresno, CA, buying offices, sources have informed AndNowUKnow.
It’s no secret Kroger has been reevaluating its strategy and upping the stakes on its digital involvement. Since the introduction of its Restock Kroger plan last year, the retailer has continuously cited the outline for moves it is making in its approach to “create value for shareholders focuses on redefining the food and customer experience through digital and technology, expanding partnerships to create customer value, developing talent, and creating social impact.” At the same time, it has also been slowly consolidating operations across all categories, with produce lagging behind, as one longtime industry veteran, who asked to remain anonymous, pointed out.
“Over the past decade, Kroger has played quite a bit of ‘musical chairs’ with [produce] category managers, and buyers, too. Is Kroger losing valuable insight, knowledge, and relationships within the most dynamic department in the store? Is this move a sign of more changes and a larger gap to come, between suppliers and Kroger?” they said. “Fewer and larger shippers and more contracts and technology has shrunk our world, and perhaps reduced the perceived value of regional buying offices. This is a debatable point, and in this case someone lost and someone won.”
Kroger has certainly rocked the fresh produce boat as of late. Still fresh in all our minds is the move to enact a new Net 90 Payment Policy for suppliers across all sectors of the store, effectively asking all fresh produce providers to waive their rights under PACA, which it effectively dropped weeks later in regards to our industry after growers and associations made their plight. While the ANUK team certainly breathed a unanimous sigh of relief, experts raise concern that this was a sign of the retailer’s further withdrawal from key fresh produce insights, furthered by moves to close remote buyer offices.
“My concerns are bigger picture. Is this a sign of Kroger furthering themselves from suppliers in both a geographic, relationship and knowledge, or understanding sense?” another source shared in relation to the developments.
A number of contributors still reserve optimism of this new direction, observing that the closure of these offices could lead to a more centralized approach and vision that might be a better direction for the industry, suppliers, and beyond.
The retailer is offering current employees the opportunity to stay on its team, requiring them to relocate from their current locations to its homestead of Cincinnati, OH. Those who choose not to relocate but remain in their positions through October may reportedly be offered a severance, according to one source, but specified details have yet to be released.
Kroger did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ever looking to follow the pulse of this industry and all the sides that ensure its movement, AndNowUKnow will continue to report the latest.
BOULDER, CO - Lucky’s Market is not done growing yet. The natural and organic foods grocer has announced the signing of several new leases for stores in Florida that are scheduled to open in the next 18 to 24 months. New locations that will house Lucky’s Market include Venice, West Boca, Pensacola, and Ormond Beach, Florida.
Lucky’s Market has been growing exponentially in Florida as of late, recently announcing that it will also open new stores in Oakleaf, Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Naples, Fort Myers, Port Charlotte, Port St. Lucie, Boca Raton, Dania Beach, Cooper City, Hunters Creek, Orlando, Winter Park, Vineland, Colonial Landing, and Lake Mary.
According to a press release, the chain still has more on the horizon, too. Lucky’s has a handful of store locations with what it refers to as “letters of intent.” The company said it will release this information as it becomes available. Currently, Lucky’s Market operates 30 stores (13 stores in Florida) and anticipates its store count by the end of 2018 to total more than 35 stores (more than 16 in Florida).
South Florida news source The Sun-Sentinel described the typical Lucky’s Market store as an approximately 45,000-square-foot “cross between a brewery, farmer's market, and the best of several grocery chains packed into one.”
AndNowUKnow will continue to report with more on Lucky’s Market’s expansion plans in the dynamic Florida retail market and beyond.
BURLINGTON, WA - Bay Baby Produce, grower, shipper, and packer of painted pumpkins, long-stem ornamentals, and organic winter squash, has just gotten a boost in its production power. The company, which announced plans for its new facility last year, has completed construction on its brand new 55,000-square-foot building that enables the company to up its production, storage, and shipping capabilities.
I chatted with Michele Youngquist, Owner of Bay Baby Produce, to learn more about how this new facility will benefit Bay Baby’s growth plans and reach.
“The expanded space allows for increased production capacity and will make it possible to meet the increased demand for Bay Baby Produce’s products in current and expanded markets,” Michele shares with me.
The new facility, located just outside of Mount Vernon, and easily accessible off the I-5 corridor, boasts of new technology, such as rooftop solar panels, and a larger, more efficient washing and sorting line.
“We strive to implement care of water, soil, and environment through recycling, solar energy, and sustainable farming solutions. Our new rooftop solar panel addition makes Bay Baby Produce the largest solar-powered agricultural facility in western Washington state,” says Michele. “And the new line will allow for faster and increased production, as well.”
With this new location, Michele is confident about the opportunities for Bay Baby to grow and expand into additional markets.
“We will continue to expand our full and half pallet display options customized to fit each client’s needs,” she tells me, clueing me in to the fact that these options reduce retailer labor, allowing for an opportunity to increase sales.
Congratulations to Bay Baby on this exciting news!
LOS ANGELES, CA - The Future of Protein™ is here—well, in Los Angeles. Beyond Meat recently announced that its new 26,000-square-foot research and development center at its headquarters is now open.
At the facility, 100 employees are working on the company’s Manhattan Beach Project, where leading scientists, engineers, food technologists, chefs, and managers in service create the plant-based meats. The new Innovation Center is seven times the size of its existing location and will support the company’s Rapid & Relentless Innovation initiative, which seeks to highlight its products to such an extent that Beyond Meat products are indistinguishable from animal protein.
“The use of science and technology to build meat directly from plants, coupled with a commitment to all natural and non-GMO ingredients, is the core of our company. At Beyond Meat, we strive to understand meat at new levels, and then rebuild it using amino acids, lipids, and minerals from plants. What the animal has done throughout history—organize plant material in the form of muscle or meat—we believe we can do more efficiently to the benefit of human health, the environment and animal welfare,” said Ethan Brown, CEO and Founder. “The path to the perfect build of meat from plants is both long and steep, but with every iteration we are getting closer and closer. I am so pleased to join our special group of scientists, engineers, chefs, and managers in announcing the opening of our new state-of-the-art innovation center.”
The new facility will be separated into eight distinct labs and footprints, which focus on consumer engagement and learnings. The goal for the new facility is to improve the marketplace on an annual basis through rapid innovation.
“The new home to the Manhattan Beach Project allows us to reimagine the use of existing technologies for a better understanding of the complexity of meat,” said Dr. Dariush Ajami, Vice President of Research & Development. “The Innovation Center gives us a leg up, as we apply this knowledge in our efforts to perfectly build meat directly from plant materials, using only natural ingredients and without genetic modification.”
A gourmet-style kitchen will be made available for chefs and culinary experts to experiment with Beyond Meat products and create new products like the Beyond Breakfast Sausage that recently debuted. Another 50 new jobs with the Manhattan Beach Project will be made available over the course of the next year. The company is tapping into universities and research centers in the U.S. and abroad to find the the best fit talent for its crew of scientists and engineers.
DeAndre Hopkins, a top NFL wide receiver, recently signed on board to invest in the company, showing it is gaining wide-spread popularity with heavy-hitting influencers. Hopkins attended the company’s ribbon cutting for the new facility on the 19th.
“Beyond Meat’s products are a gamechanger, and I’m honored to be here today, as we mark this important milestone in the company’s history,” commented Hopkins.
Over 25 million Beyond Burgers have been sold since the company’s 2016 debut. It can be found in over 10,000 grocery stores and on the menu at around 10,000 restaurants, hotels, and universities—such as TGI Fridays, BurgerFi, Bareburger, Epic Burger, and A&W Canada, according to a press release. By the end of 2018, in fact, it wil be found on six out of seven continents and in 50 countries throughout the globe.
How will the new innovation-focused facility boost the company’s exposure and expansion moving forward? Stay tuned to see how it grows and to find out more industry news!
CARPINTERIA, CA - There’s a big push in grocery for local these days, and Pete’s Living Greens is making sure its customers and consumers on both coasts are feeling the love and have access to the freshest veg. I chatted with Baltazar Garcia, Senior Sales Manager, to find out more about the company’s emphasis on local and its latest foodservice offering, Salicornia.
“We’re highlighting our distribution on the East Coast. We have a cold packer, a partnership, up in Virginia. Now we’re able to get into the East Coast without having that high-end transportation from coast to coast,” Baltazar explained to me. “It’s a big thing for us.”
Baltazar shared with me Pete’s Living Greens’ main objective, which is to become local and to get retailers their product within a day or two. With its new partnership, the company will now be able to serve the various markets—representatives of which Baltazar noted are out in full force on the show floor at United Fresh—in the United States more efficiently and with fresher offerings.
“What we like about United Fresh is that we get to see most of the retailers that we normally don’t get to see because of the travel time. We get the East Coast, we get the Midwest, we get the Western States. So, it’s a really great show for us to be here and be in front of all our customers,” Baltazar shared with me.
Along with a new partnership, Pete’s Living Greens recently launched Salicornia, which is already making a splash in our industry.
“We just launched Salicornia, a.k.a. sea beans—great alternative to salt,” Baltazar said. “We’ve had great, great feedback from it. In fact, we won the FABI Award at the NRA show. We’re very excited about all the great opportunities we have ahead of us.”
For more from Baltazar on Pete’s Living Greens, check out our video exclusive above. And for more news like this, stick with us at AndNowUKnow.
NEW ZEALAND - News surrounding avocados is predominantly happy. Unfortunately, this time around, the report from the Daily Mail is a somber one. A New Zealand man recently lost $100,000 worth of avocados when thieves robbed 70 percent of his orchard. The property, which has about 550 trees, was raided over a period of three weeks.
The 75-year-old farmer said the theft was pointless due to the fact that the fruit was months away from harvesting, the Northern Advocate reported.
"It's ridiculous. The fruit is far from being ready and won't even ripen or get anywhere close to being able to be eaten," he said.
It is believed that the stolen avocados were taken to Auckland where they would be sold, but authorities are still unsure. Police issued a statement that, due to the nature of the crime and lack of CCTV, they were unable to link any offenders to the theft.
"We provided the victim with some prevention advice to help protect his avocado trees," an officer said.
Since this theft, the farmer has decided to install security cameras on the property to hopefully catch the thieves. He also mentioned that the 20-year-old trees provide plenty of shelter for anyone looking to access various sections of the orchard.
Will the produce industry continue to see thefts of this nature? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
DELANO, CA - California grape season is heating up, and Castle Rock Vineyards' harvest season on several key varieties is off to a booming start—with several key varieties already in-store and a sales-driving staple hitting the shelves later this month.
I recently spoke to Laura Berryessa, Sales Manager, to learn more about the grape grower/packer/shipper’s July.
“We are into our third week of harvest from the Delano area, shipping Sugarones, Flames, Summer Royals to start off the season,” says Laura, who noted that the company will soon begin harvest of a perennially popular signature variety—Sweet Celebration.
Laura tells me that Sweet Celebration harvest will most likely start early this year, offering all the enticing characteristics that customers and end consumers enjoy.
“We are excited to start our Sweet Celebration which looks to start a little early—approximately the last week of July,” continues Laura. “Our customers do very well with this variety, as it has all the components of the best grape—size, full color, and most of all, it eats great! I think at the end of the day regardless what your variety the grape has to eat good; as we always say: It’s All About the Flavor.”
For more updates as the season progresses, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
BLANDON, PA - Taking the blog space by storm is Giorgio® Foods with its BLENDABELLA™ Portabella mushroom blends. The company is inviting bloggers to bring their A-game to its inaugural BLENDABELLA Summer Blogger Recipe Challenge, where they can show off their creativity for the masses for the opportunity to become the Grand Prize Winner. The contest began July 1st and runs through September 30th.
Those who want to throw their hat into the ring for this competitive challenge will use the Giorgio Foods BLENDABELLA mushroom blends—which are infused with portabellas, veggies, and herbs—to create an array of regional flavors to wow eaters. Space is limited to the first 50 bloggers who sign up for the three grueling challenges: appetizers, side dishes, and entrées.
One winner will be selected for each category and will take home a $500 prize, with the potential, if bloggers sign up for all challenges, to win $1,500 total. On top of that, the winning recipes from each category will then have a face-off to determine which one is worthy of the $1,000 grand prize.
The judging criteria for the winners are as follows:
- Taste: 50%
- Visual Appeal: 25%
- Creativity: 25%
Those wanting to submit can send their entry forms to www.blendabella.com.
According to a press release, qualifications to participate in the contest are as follows:
- Must be 21 years old or older at time of entry
- A legal U.S. resident - Void in Alaska and Hawaii
- Food blog must be updated frequently (at least once per week) and has been in existence for at least 6 months
- RECIPE MUST BE ORIGINAL
- Applicants cannot be professional chefs
- NO PURCHASE NECESSARY
Those who qualify to participate will receive the following items to assist with their original recipe creations:
- 2 Jars of BLENDABELLA Zesty Mexican
- 2 Jars of BLENDABELLA Coconut Thai
- 2 Jars of BLENDABELLA Rustic Tuscan
Recipes that are easy to recreate, incredibly delicious, and innovative will be specially noted.
May the best blogger win!
For more industry news and contests, check back with us at AndNowUKnow!
SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA - Walmart de México y Centroamérica is expanding its reach, agreeing to acquire supermarkets from Gessa Corportate Group in Costa Rica, which owns Perimercardos, Super Compro, and Saretto.
“The combined operation of the Walmart and Gessa stores generates an excellent complementarity to better serve the Costa Rican market. In this way, Walmart promotes its growth plans in the region, and Gessa’s current stores and collaborators will be able to offer increasing value to its customers,” said Cristian Barrientos Pozo, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Walmart in Central America, according to an article by The Costa Rica News.
While the deal is still under review by the Commission for the Promotion of the Competition (COPROCOM) and the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce (MEIC), if approved, Walmart will acquire a total of 52 supermarkets that they will integrate into its brand. Walmart will also take on over 1,300 employees currently working with Gessa, reported The Costa Rica Star.
Walmart currently operates 247 stores in Costa Rica, including 11 under the Walmart banner, 35 under Mas X Menos, 39 under Maxi Palí, and 162 under Palí.