DALLAS, TX - It looks like everything isn’t always bigger in Texas, or at least, not for Walmart. The retail giant is downsizing in its latest venture and testing a smaller format convenience store, dubbed the “Walmart Fuel Station.” After opening a few locations last year, Walmart is expanding its c-store test to include more locations in Texas this year, according to a report by Dallas Business Journal.
“It’s another piece of our efforts with online deliveries and curbside pickup towers. It’s all about choices. It is another way Walmart is offering our customers choice and convenience that save time,” said Anne Hatfield, Walmart’s Director of Communications for Texas. “We often test new services and concepts in Dallas-Fort Worth. Dallas is a great market for us and a very important market.”
After the success of its c-store in Crowley, Texas, Hatfield noted Walmart opened a 2,900-square-foot convenience store last week in Plano, Texas, and expects to open three more locations in Arlington, Lake Worth, and The Colony, Texas, later this year. The retailer is also eyeing Avon, Ohio, as another hot spot.
All locations feature fruits, snacks, lunch options, doughnuts, coffee stations, and a variety of deli items and currently only exist in Walmart Supercenter parking lots that didn’t already have gasoline pumps. No freestanding locations are planned for now as Hatfield emphasizes the c-stores are still in testing stages.
Will Walmart test success and expand its c-store format across the nation to rival Target and other retail competitors? Stick with us as we follow all retail developments.
BROCKTON, MA - Concord Foods is teaming up with Mars Wrigley Confectionery to bring an exceptionally sweet new product to produce aisles; the two companies are introducing a Concord Foods Caramel Apple Kit with M&M’S® chocolate candies.
“We are excited to offer a nostalgic fall staple with a fun twist that both kids and adults alike will love,” said Charles Olins, Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “We believe fresh food can be fun, and even a little bit decadent in moderation, and can be a way to bring families together.”
Each kit can make four decorated caramel apples and includes easy microwaveable caramel, M&M’s® chocolate candies, and wooden sticks.
According to a press release, the new kits will be available September through December—just in time for building back-to-school and holiday displays. With Halloween parties and fall get-togethers at a peak September through December, the Caramel Apple Kits can be a great resource for entertaining during fall festivities, the company noted.
Concord Foods noted that it is expanding its seasonal line-up with new Caramel Apple Kits in an effort to encourage more opportunities for family fun during the fall season—and the company welcomes this and other partnerships with like-minded companies, as it seeks to make the preferred products for enhancing fresh produce items.
For more innovative products in the produce aisle, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
HOUSTON, TX - An 18-wheeler headed north bearing a load of watermelon and other fresh produce careened into hot water last weekend—literally—after the vehicle crashed off a North Loop frontage road, tearing apart its trailer and spilling fruit into the waterway below.
The crash occurred in the early morning—around 12:30 a.m. on Friday July 13, 2018 along a stretch of Houston, Texas' 610 North Loop.
According to a report by the Houston Chronicle, the truck upended with its trailer suspended part-way over a bridge, and its contents—boxes of watermelons, bananas, and more—were spilled into the bayou below.
The truck’s driver was reportedly headed northbound when he lost control of the vehicle. The truck subsequently slid down a grassy embankment and toppled onto the frontage road adjacent the highway, clipping a guard rail and flipping over onto the edge of the bridge below.
The trailer was reportedly completely dismantled and the ill-fated fruit destroyed as it dropped into the brackish water below.
The truck’s driver managed to avoid injury, but his melons, unfortunately, suffered a fate worse than Gallagher.
For more on melon mashing and produce pulverization, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
IRVINE, CA - It’s a no-brainer that avocados and nutrition go hand in hand. Working with supermarket dietitians (SD), nutritionists, and wellness advisors, the California Avocado Commission (CAC) is supplementing traditional marketing tactics with customized health and wellness initiatives in its retail promotions.
“Supermarket dietitians play a vital role in communicating avocado nutrition news in a way that is credible to shoppers,” said Jan DeLyser, CAC Vice President of Marketing. “The Commission works closely with dietitians to tailor programs that support the California avocado season and disseminate powerful messages about avocado nutrition.”
Men’s Health Month took place in June, the same as California Avocado Month. According to a press relaese, it was natural for CAC to participate in a month-long men’s health initiative promotion with Midwest grocery retailer Hy-Vee. Working with Julie McMillin, RD, LD, Assistant Vice President, Retail Dietetics, Northern Region; and Stacey Loftus, RD, LD, Assistant Vice President, Retail Dietetics, Southern Region, the Commission sponsored Hy-Vee’s Healthy You Mobile program.
Nine Healthy You Mobiles went to multiple Hy-Vee locations in June and conducted PSA screening tests. California avocado videos could be seen on mobile monitors throughout the program, and promotional material was distributed to shoppers. Digital and social support, as well as in-store signage and other SD activities rounded out the promotion.
Also in June, Gelson’s Staff Nutritionist, Sarah Wright, joined the Commission for its California Avocado Grove Tour weekend. The tour included visits to a California avocado grove, a state-of-the-art packing house, and samplings of myriad California avocado recipes created by local chefs.
At Raley’s, California avocados were part of a month-long wellness focus for all Raley’s team members, designed by Raley’s Wellbeing Ambassador Jennifer Hood. Nutritional education focused on gut health and California avocados being a good source of fiber. CAC recipe booklets were distributed, which featured recipes certified by the American Heart Association®.
A CAC program at Albertsons stores in California, Idaho, and Montana was developed in cooperation with Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, Wellness Services Corporate Dietitian for Albertsons. The program featured in-store demonstrations with recipes developed by Magee as well as giveaways and California avocado handouts with recipes, tips, and nutrition messaging.
“With a lot of promotional activity and warmer weather than expected for July, California avocado harvesting is going at full speed,” concluded DeLyser.
For the latest in fresh produce news, stick with us at AndNowUKnow.
MONTEREY, CA - This year, at the third annual Organic Produce Summit held July 11th in Monterey, California, AndNowUKnow took our Quiz Quix format to the show floor—teaming up with OPS to offer $500 dollar cash prizes to two of the fastest and most organic-savvy buy- and supply-side contenders.
Competition among attendees and exhibitors was fast and furious, but only two competitors could walk away with our grand prize.
On the supply-side, showcasing his organic produce acumen and fast fingers, Marc Shiemke of Werner Enterprises took home our grand prize. And buy-side winner Vien-an Friedel from
The leaderboard was packed with produce folks looking to cash in on their well-earned organic knowledge, with the top ten listed below.
- Marc Shiemke, Werner Enterprises
- Tran Nguyen, IFCO
- Caitlin Klueber, Oppy
- Brianna Shales, Stemilt Grower
- Amanda & Junior Miller, Werner Enterprises
- Vien-an Friedel, Albertsons
- Matt Mandel, SunFed
- Cathy Asmus, CCOF
- Jacobo Yanes, Bridges Organic Produce
- Jeff Dugan, SpartanNash
In all our Quiz Quix quizzes, there’s always one question that proves the most difficult, and this round was no exception.
Most Missed Question
True or False: Organic fresh produce sales revealed an 8% dollar and volume growth compared to the first quarter of 2017.
Correct Answer
True
If you missed us at OPS, you can still enjoy our Quiz Quix throughout the year, and test your agile mind and dexterous hands on all subjects fresh produce.
Be sure you are subscribed to AndNowUKnow’s newsletter to stay in-the-know on our next quiz opportunity, Snack Magazine contests, and industry news. Just click the link here and you’re eligible.
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.
Congratulations Marc and Vien-en! We’ll see you at next year’s OPS2019.
TOKYO, JAPAN - Walmart’s Japan-based brick-and-mortar Seiyu was reported to be up for grabs just last week, but right after news hit, Walmart is singing a new tune, claiming that it has not decided upon selling the banner. Instead, it hopes to further develop business in Japan, Reuters reported.
“Walmart has not made a decision to sell Seiyu. We are not in any discussions with prospective buyers, and we continue to build our Japan business towards the future to meet the changing needs of customers there,” a spokesperson for Walmart told Reuters.
Walmart was reported to be seeking a departure from the Japanese market, according to Nikkei Asian Review, but other news outlets are saying that is not so. What complicates the notion that the company wants to leave Japan is that it also has an online grocery delivery service in Japan with e-commerce firm Rakuten, as we previously reported.
Online retailers, discount drugstores, and convenience stores are encroaching upon Japanese supermarkets, which are currently seeing lower profits, according to Reuters. The news source goes on to explore the idea that the loss of Seiyu’s 300+ stores would mean the loss of a large asset that another company would benefit from in Japan, which is host to a broadening market for global private equity funds.
Will Walmart stick it out and stay the course with Seiyu, or will it open up to new possibilities while granting another company a go of it with the overseas retailer? AndNowUKnow will keep you updated!
LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA - Our industry’s needs change with the times, and as we all adapt to streamlined processes and new innovations, companies like ALC Logistics are making sure its customers are able to do so in flying colors. Earlier this year, ALC Logistics announced the consolidation of its TMS offering under the Alchemy brand in order to emphasize the produce and perishable industry’s transportation needs. I caught up with Kenny Lund, Vice President of ALC Logistics, to find out more about the company’s latest updates to its Alchemy TMS.
“I am pleased to announce the name of our TMS is now going to be Alchemy. We chose the name Alchemy because that’s taking stuff that is not valuable and making it valuable,” Kenny tells me. “It’s a suite of software to help you with your transportation—everything from visibility, to cost controls, to payments to the carriers. It will really help companies out there as they manage so many more data points with their transportation.”
Similar to ALC Logistics’ other offerings, Alchemy TMS builds off of and pulls from the companies’ existing software and expertise to meet customers’ needs as they change with our industry. Specifically, Kenny notes that—in addition to providing shipper and carrier modules, freight audit and spot pricing options, load tendering, yard management, and business intelligence reporting—the recent addition of dock scheduling is vastly growing.
“This software has been available for the last seven years, but we have new modules that are coming out all the time—for example—we have a dock scheduling program that now has over 1.3 million appointments being made with it every year,” Kenny adds.
For the full deets, watch our exclusive video above. And for more details on companies keeping our industry up-to-date on the latest software and more, stick with us at AndNowUKnow.
RIO RICO, AZ - 2018 is not the only thing progressing. Juan Carlos (JC) Barrionuevo with SunFed® received a promotion to the company’s Rio Rico, Arizona-based sales team.
Bringing six years of experience to his new sales position, Barrionuevo began his SunFed journey with the company as the Facility Director in Texas for the warehousing team.
The company is extremely excited to bring JC to the sales team, as he has proven to be one of SunFed's all-star players.
“We are very excited to welcome JC to his new role at the company. He has proven to be a valuable and indispensable team member both here in Arizona as well as in Texas, and his experience has prepared him well for the challenges ahead,” Vice President of Operations Matt Mandel said in a press release. “We are all 110 percent behind JC and are looking forward to watching him succeed and grow in his new role.”
Filling the void that Barrionuevo’s departure to Arizona created is Gil Renteria, who was hired to fill the General Manager position in Texas. Renteria fills the company’s requirements for someone who can tackle inbound/outbound logistics—as well as the ancillary processes in which SunFed is involved like Quality Control, Transportation, Packaging, Repack, and In/Out Services.
“We are very fortunate to have Gil joining us as he will bring a wealth of industry knowledge in both the Arizona and Texas markets. Having worked at some very notable companies over the years including The Produce Exchange, Ciruli Brothers, CMMV, and Amex Distributing, we look forward to Gil's great understanding of our business,” Mandel explained. “Having known him for over ten years, I am confident that he will integrate smoothly and help us all in our mission to deliver on the promise of Perfect Produce®.”
Renteria will dive into SunFed’s operations to expand the company’s “Texas Grown” program in both growers and commodities, as Barrionuevo transitions into his new role in Arizona.
From all of us on the AndNowUKnow team, congratulations to JC and Gil on your new roles!
HARRISON TOWNSHIP, NJ - Avocados aren’t the only produce item thieves are targeting. This time around, it’s peaches.
According to a report from NJ.com, a local peach farmer, Tom Holtzhauser, whose family business is the longest running family-owned farm in Harrison Township, awoke one morning to find that his 144-acre farm had been stripped of its white peaches.
The estimated cost of what the thieves stole is around $1,000—enough to fill a bin that would typically hold 800 pounds of the fruit.
"There was not one peach on any tree," Holtzhauser told NJ.com. "They stripped every tree clean. Big ones, small ones. Ready ones, not ready ones."
Holtzhauser said his employees pick the fruit in cycles, picking peaches from one tree and then not returning to it for two days. Within those 48 hours was when the robbery must have occurred, he stated.
"Whoever did it knew what they were looking for," he said. "It was definitely an organized group. It would have taken four of my men an hour and a half to get what was gone."
He noted that the trees weren't damaged, and there wasn't any trash or tracks left in the field when he reported the incident to police on Tuesday.
The Holtzhauser farm has been in operation since Tom's great-grandfather started it in 1897 and consists of retail, wholesale, and sales to area restaurants. Holtzhauser told NJ.com that the stolen peaches accounted for what he normally would have sold at the retail level in about a week.
Although he’s experienced setbacks before, Holtzhauser hasn’t let this stop him, and isn't going to let these peach thieves get him down, either.
"You just carry on," he said."That's all you can do. It's another day tomorrow."
For the latest in produce news, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
RIVERSIDE, CA - After breaking ground on its 60,000-square-foot ripening, packing, and distribution center just over a year ago and opening it up for business on January 9, 2018, Index Fresh’s Pharr, Texas-based facility is enjoying steady progress as it supports the company’s operations across the United States.
“Mexico is a year-round source and we bring all of our Mexican products through Pharr. It’s an integral part of our operation. We use it for staging, for shipping loads into the Midwest, Northeast, and the West. It’s working really well. We’ve got a great crew down there and we’re pleased,” said President and CEO Dana Thomas.
VP of Operations Santiago Pacheco added, "Our Texas facility is strategically located to better serve our customers with the increase in supply chain capabilities.”
Complementing other Index Fresh facilities, the Pharr ripening, packing, and distribution center has helped the company to be more efficient in its operations thanks to its equipment of 2,600 pallet positions, 10 ripening rooms, and three bagging machines.
“The bagging and repacking in the facility have increased in the last few months. Our ripening process has been successfully implemented meeting our customer’s needs and expectations. What I am most excited about since operations started is—my team. It’s a high-performance team that is experienced and self-motivated, and they are doing an excellent job,” said Manrique Palacios, Distribution Center Manager of the Pharr facility.
According to a press release, since Index Fresh is the first occupant in the Pharr Produce Park, the company has spurred construction for other facilities, which is a big step for Pharr’s economic development. Additionally, the facility has been a great way for Index Fresh to expand its Mexican program this year.
“We are expecting our second Mexican season and to complete our first year of operations. We are performing an analysis to enhance our bagging capacity for the next season and working on business development to expand our ripening volume in Texas and the Midwest,” Palacios continued. “We are also open to offering 3PL services that include storage, ripening, bagging, and distribution to potential customers.”
For more of the latest happening in fresh fruit and veg, stay up-to-date with AndNowUKnow.