CHILE - Though I can’t quite place it, I feel there is something magical about stonefruit. I find that biting into a sweet and juicy peach can transport me to a world of summer bliss. With Chilean stonefruit season wrapping up, I had an opportunity to speak with Karen Brux, Managing Director of The Chilean Fresh Fruit Association to discuss this past season.
“The Chilean nectarine and peach seasons have ended, with the final shipments to the U.S. in Week 13 (week of March 26)," Karen reports. "Plum exports are also winding down and will finish by late April. YTD, Chile has shipped 6.97 million boxes of stonefruit to the U.S. This is a small decrease from last year’s volume of 7.2 million boxes. Peach and plum volumes to the U.S. actually saw a slight increase, while nectarine exports decreased. This was due to the fact that the China market opened for Chilean nectarines in February of 2017, and this was Chile’s first full year shipping nectarines to China. The U.S. is Chile’s largest export market for peaches and nectarines. China is the largest for plums.”
Speaking as both a marketer and a consumer of Chilean stonefruit, Karen says that quality improves year to year, and she has seen double or triple digit increases across the board with retailers who promote.
“I’m always a bit perplexed when I stop by a supermarket and they’re not carrying any stonefruit. They’re missing out on revenue. If retail buyers actually tried our stonefruit and worked with us to promote it, they’d see how Chilean stonefruit could contribute to their produce sales,” Karen tells me.
“This past year, I was meeting with a buyer from a large nationwide retail chain that doesn’t carry Chilean stonefruit When they told me it wouldn’t sell in their stores, I pulled out a bag of some amazing plums of different varieties,” she continues. “After trying some, the buyer said ‘We could sell that.’ So, I think the challenge for the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association with stonefruit is different from what we face with the other fruits we market, like blueberries and grapes. We don’t have to ‘sell’ retailers on these categories. We can just get to work on partnering with them to market it. With stonefruit, there are still a number of retailers who need to be convinced that Chilean stonefruit can add to their produce sales. We’ll be developing more strategies and programs for generating retail support next season. There are huge opportunities, so I’m pretty excited about that!”
Signage, demos, and other in-store and online promotions have all contributed to increased sales of Chilean stonefruit. The Chilean Fresh Fruit Associations plans to expand retail promotion support in the coming years.
I am all for stonefruit year-round and applaud Karen and her organization for their efforts to get retailers on board. To follow the plight of all beautiful, sweet, and untapped produce sectors, stay with us at AndNowUKnow.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Target has announced plans to expand a forward-thinking customer service initiative—piloted at 18 stores across five states—to more than 100 sites spread across 20 states. The company is partnering with Tesla, ChargePoint, and Electrify America to introduce electric vehicle charging stations to more than 600 parking spaces—reducing its carbon footprint while courting eco-conscious consumers.
“Accelerating our efforts to install new charging stations at Target stores across the country is one way we’re building on our commitment to investing in solutions that leave our communities better for future families,” said John Leisen, Vice President, Property Management, Target, in a press release. “And it’s an opportunity to work with industry-leading partners to bring a more convenient shopping experience to guests as we look to design lower-carbon solutions throughout our entire operation.”
The company also noted in its press release that electric cars are gaining in popularity, with more than 1 million electric cars projected to be sold by 2020. And Target is helping consumers conveniently make the switch by partnering with tech firms to offer public charging stations to its guests—who will be able to “drive up, plug in, and shop while their car charges.”
“Throughout 2018 and 2019, we’ll continue our work with Chargepoint, Tesla, and our newest partner, Electrify America, to install charging stations in the parking lots at more than 100 stores and other Target properties. Charging stations will also be a feature we’ll consider as we evaluate new stores and their associated parking footprints,” the company added in its press release.
Additionally, the company noted, Target is working in a number of ways to offset its carbon footprint—working to add rooftop solar panels to 500 stores by 2020 and pursuing 100-percent renewable overall.
For more grocery news, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
NATICK, MA - Wegmans Food Market is wowing its consumers with a new, multi-level store format. The retail chain opens its new Natick Mall doors on Sunday, April 29th, at 7 a.m.
“Imagination and attention to detail,” said Store Manager Rich Boscia when describing what it takes to tackle such an exciting project. “This store is a unique space that looks unlike anything we’ve done before. Every decision was made with our customers in mind.”
This addition to the retail chain is one of its largest, at 145,500 square feet. Two levels offer direct access to the mall. An atrium, bright and centrally located, houses a cart conveyor system with an adjacent escalator so that customers have easy access to both levels. With so much room to roam, the company is able to store 70,000 items—3,000+ of which are organic.
On the first level, customers will find natural foods, grocery, dairy, bulk, and frozen items, as well as health and wellness, home and entertaining, and a wide array of alcohol.
If you’re anything like me, you often get the munchies while meandering the store and eyes all of the goodies. Lucky for this location’s customers, The Burger Bar and Buzz Coffee Shop sit on the second floor, offering restaurant-quality prepared foods with lots of seating, fresh produce, bakery, seafood, meat, cheese, deli, and charcuterie options. In addition to this, there are catering and floral shopping options. The retailer is bringing a party to town; Blue Dalia Restaurant & Tequila Bar opens at the location, as well, on Friday, May 4th.
According to a company press release, 550 employees will join the Natick-based team to offer made-to-order pizza, hand-decorate cookies from the Cookie Shop, prepare fresh-caught and locally-sourced seafood, and guide customers to the right wines to pair perfectly with their produce-packed meals. To prep employees for the Wegmans happenings, the company trained them at another Massachusetts location for up to six months before the debut.
“We’ve brought together a terrific team, and we’re still hiring for available full- and part-time opportunities,” said Boscia. “This is a beautiful place to visit for anything from a cup of coffee and a snack to a full grocery shop or a memorable dinner at Blue Dalia. Apart from the look of the store, what may surprise people most is our combination of quality, incredible service, and low prices. We want to be the place where families, business people, mall shoppers, and the community gather.”
Instacart will begin delivering Wegmans’ goods for the Natick location on May 2nd. For those wanting to head into the location, though, parking may be found in Parking Deck F across from Wegmans’ main entrance. An enclosed walkway will lead customers straight into the second level of the store. If you want the full Wegmans experience, show up at 6:55 a.m. on opening day to witness the Wegmans employees do the store’s cheer.
For more fresh produce industry happenings and retail strategies, keep checking back with us at AndNowUKnow.
NEW ZEALAND - Bringing a full line of apples and pears to retailers across North America this spring and summer is the Southern Hemisphere fresh produce program brought to you by Oppy. Ripe for the picking and with continued growth across key varieties, the company’s expanding portfolio will help the produce department drive both sales and flavor for these high-demand categories.
Joining me to talk shop about the program as well as the outlook for the season is David Nelley, the company’s Category Vice President for Apples, Pears, Cherries, and Global Exports.
“Our large pear program and organic apple programs in Argentina are already underway with a full range of varieties on the water being quickly followed by popular apple and pear varieties from Chile. For Oppy, Chile is dominated by conventional JAZZ™, Envy™ and Ambrosia apple varieties to complement Royal Gala, Cripps Pink, and Granny Smith,” David shares with me. “Our New Zealand program, which kicks off now and will run through September, is a huge part of our apple and pear deal as well.”
This year will be one of the biggest volume years for New Zealand, David adds, with 1.2 million boxes projected to be packed out of the region with a lion’s share of that coming from T&G Global.
“The big story for us is the New Zealand apple program dominated by JAZZ and Envy. We are going to see over 70 percent of our New Zealand program led by these new varieties,” David tells me.
In addition, the U.S. Apple Association’s “Munch Madness” consumer competition declared the Envy apple America’s favorite last month, chosen from 32 different apple varieties. Not a bad way to kick off the spring.
“We are excited for these larger volumes of Envy to match the demand we have continued to build for this apple,” he adds.
Oppy has been selling Envy since 2006, and it has become one of the larger volume apples for Oppy. David shares that this variety, available both bagged and loose, really matches what the North American consumer is looking for in an apple eating experience.
“Oppy has done a lot of research into the taste and texture of Envy,” David says. “The highlight of what they really like is that variety is uniquely sweet, crisp, juicy, and a vibrant red.”
What Oppy found is that once consumers tried it, they become believers, hence the positioning line Oppy developed for Envy, “Bite and believe”—which now supports the brand globally. The company has seen a great uptick in sales from club store formats to small niche retailers and everywhere in between. The apple also has a fantastic application for foodservice because it, naturally, does not brown when you slice it.
The JAZZ apple has been a part of the Oppy portfolio since about 2003 and the company has been year-round with the variety for the past five years. What does this mean for retailers? They can list this apple for 52-weeks of the year, both in a bag and in a loose format, bringing a consistent offering to those apple loving consumers. JAZZ research has shown that the two words that really jump out for consumers are “juicy” and “crisp,” providing a unique eating experience for the palate—something wonderful for the summer months.
“JAZZ is an apple that we really pride ourselves on helping to introduce to the North American marketplace,” David reflects. “We are really looking forward to the new crop and promoting with our retail partners. For both JAZZ and Envy, as well as our other varieties, a highlight of the season is that there are a lot of larger sized apples coming to North America that bring more variety to the current spread of apple sizes at retail.”
I ask David, what are some of the new developments on the organic front specifically for Oppy?
“Organics for us on apples and pears out of Argentina are really becoming a staple for our program and the small organic apple program out of Chile has experienced growth as well,” David notes. “And on the New Zealand front, we will be seeing our organic JAZZ program come one with bigger numbers. It is an exciting time for us.”
As Oppy shared with us recently, the company has had a great response to the new crop, which is following the demand curve for high-quality organic apples.
For a quick snapshot of what Oppy is offering this Southern Hemisphere season, check out this list:
- Argentina: Fuji, Granny Smith, Pink Lady/Cripps Pink, Royal Gala apples; Bartlett, Bosc, D’Anjou, Packham, Red Bartlett pears
- Chile: Ambrosia (very nice ones!), Braeburn, Envy, Fuji, Granny Smith, JAZZ, Pink Lady/Cripps Pink, Royal Gala apples; Bartlett, Bosc, Comice, Asian pears, Packham pears.
- New Zealand: Braeburn, Divine, Envy, Fuji, Granny Smith, JAZZ, Pacific Rose, Pink Lady/Cripps Pink, Royal Gala, Smitten apples; Bosc, Comice, Honey Belle, Taylors Gold, Velvetine pears.
In competitive fresh produce categories like apples and pears, differentiation, flavor, and quality are key, and it sounds like Oppy has it all in spades.
MARLBOROUGH, MA - This week, Massachusetts was treated to—or rather subjected to—a truly epic apple turnover, when a tractor trailer carrying 30,000 pounds of apples toppled onto the side of the interstate.
The vehicle was traveling alongside a length of Interstate 495, through the town of Marlborough, when the incident occurred.
“It’s not uncommon that loads shift, and when they shift, especially if you’re on a ramp and they turn, it can cause a rollover,” State Police Lieutenant Tom Ryan told the Boston Globe.
The incident took place in the early morning—at approximately 5:20 a.m. on Tuesday, April 24th, 2018. The tractor trailer transporting apples was negotiating an on-ramp, turning onto the I-290 East ramp toward I-495, when it overturned.
Despite the massive quantity of apples involved, the truck’s contents didn’t spill and traffic was able to continue on its way, skirting the overturned truck as workers labored to move the toppled truck.
No news on whether the bruised fruit could be recovered or repurposed. AndNowUKnow will continue to report with fruit-jostling news.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - Working to be an ideal partner has always been an emphasis for CHEP. The company has been providing the best service possible and tailoring solutions to its partner’s needs.
I recently had an opportunity to speak with Rick Overholt, Director of Produce for CHEP, and learn more about the company’s partnerships and the initiates that make CHEP ideal for produce industry ventures.
“Tanimura & Antle has a keen focus on creating efficiencies, and environmental sustainability is part of their mission,” explains Rick. “CHEP and IFCO collaborated together to create solutions that allowed them to save over 4 million pounds of food waste.”
The company also implemented customer storage and international solutions with Melon 1—allowing for a more efficient and sustainable shipping and storage.
“For the produce industry, the initiates that we’re looking to continue to promote would be customer storage, and international seems to be a really good fit for the produce sector,” adds Rick.
To learn more, check out our brief video interview above.
SEATTLE, WA - In a new wave of convenience innovation, Amazon is taking a back seat in grocery delivery—literally. After launching Amazon Key last year to deliver groceries inside of consumers’ homes, the e-tailer is taking online delivery up a convenience notch by offering consumers the option of receiving deliveries inside of their vehicles. With Amazon Key In-Car, Prime members with OnStar or On Call accounts and compatible vehicles, including Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, and Volvo, can now have Amazon packages delivered to the inside of their vehicles parked at home, work, or other locations in their address book.
"Since launching Amazon Key last November, we've safely delivered everything from cameras to collectable coins inside the home. Customers have also told us they love features like keyless guest access and being able to monitor their front door from anywhere with the Amazon Key App," said Peter Larsen, Vice President of Delivery Technology, Amazon. "In-car delivery gives customers that same peace of mind and allows them to take the Amazon experience with them.”
With the Amazon Key App, consumers can sync their Amazon and connected car service accounts to select the “In-Car” delivery option at checkout. On delivery day, the Amazon Key App lets customers check if they’ve parked within range of the delivery location and provides notifications with the expected 4-hour delivery time window, when the delivery is en route, when delivery has been completed, as well as when the car was unlocked and relocked.
"Unlocking Amazon Key In-Car delivery for more than 7 million Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac owners is another great example of how we are leveraging the embedded connectivity in our vehicles to provide our customers with services that make their ownership experience more valuable," said Alan Batey, President of General Motors North America.
And, for those of us still weary of the new service, Amazon is assuring Prime members by using multiple layers of verification to ensure the security of in-car deliveries, including verifying authorized delivery drivers are in the right location with the right package when they request access to a customer’s vehicle through an encrypted authentication process, according to a press release. And only once drivers are confirmed authorized, are the cars unlocked. No special keys or codes are ever provided to delivery drivers, and for added peace of mind, in-car delivery is backed by Amazon’s Happiness Guarantee.
"Simplification of experience for our consumers is central to Volvo's digital vision. Receiving a package securely and reliably in your car, without you having to be there, is something we think many people will appreciate. Our partnership with Amazon now makes this possible for a majority of our customers in the U.S.," said Volvo Cars’ Chief Digital Officer Atif Rafiq. "This intersection between transportation and commerce could very well be the next wave of innovation, and we intend to be at the forefront."
Starting in 37 cities and surrounding areas across the U.S. with more cities to be added over time, Amazon’s In-Car delivery is available on tens of millions of items sold on its website and at no extra cost for Prime members for Same Day, Two-Day, and Standard Shipping. For more information on Amazon’s latest grocery delivery service, visit www.amazon.com/keyincar.
For more on what innovations are changing the face of grocery, AndNowUKnow will continue to report with the latest.
LOS ANGELES, CA - The Wonderful Company is welcoming a new Marketing and Insights team to be part of the Wonderful Agency, its in-house and full-service advertising and marketing agency. Leading the department will be industry-veteran Amy Snow, who served as Head of Market Research and Consumer Insights and reports to Wonderful Agency President Michael Perdigao.
“The Wonderful Company has had an amazing history of success with its impressive portfolio of brands,” said Snow. “What’s happening here matters from a branding, research, and business standpoint to drive positive impact on our consumers’ healthy lifestyles and within the communities we operate. Our motto, ‘Doing well by doing good,’ goes beyond corporate social responsibility and authenticity and speaks to the heart of who we are as a company.”
This formation is the first of its kind, a company press release shares, as the research team combines respected researchers with client-side and vendor-side experiences across many categories. With the research captured, the new team will offer creative and empirically-sound consumer insights that will, consequently, influence decisions, drive change, and inspire the company’s brands and campaigns to appeal to the masses. As a result, the Insights team’s role is critical for the creation of business strategies, brand development for a portfolio of leading and iconic brands, and macro business objectives for the company. These objectives focus on education, health and wellness, and philanthropy, among others.
In her new role, Snow will tackle the voice of the consumer by finding and interpreting what resonates with them. She will then showcase current and potential customer truths. The goal is to foresee consumer needs and cultivate culturally relevant and authentically compelling products and strategies, the company explains. What Snow specifically brings to the table is 25 years of experience creating insights-driven branding and strategy for some major brands, including Google, Amazon, Uber, Disney, Faceook, Visa, Nike, Starbucks, Microsoft, and many more. Her focus has been on consumer-centric brands, with an emphasis on strong, empirical approaches.
According to the company’s press release, the following will be joining Snow’s team:
Kate Hartzell, Director, Research & Consumer Insights
Kate most recently served as Senior VP at Basis Research, running the U.S. office. Over the past decade, Kate has led global strategic research initiatives for a number of leading companies, including Starbucks, Disney, Toyota, Gap Inc., Sonos, and Fitbit.
Alec Bardzik, Senior Manager Strategic Insights
Alec brings integration to larger strategic initiatives, which will help define what differentiates The Wonderful Company and its brands from both an economic and a consumer standpoint. His background in agriculture and applied economics, and as a consultant at Deloitte, make him uniquely suited for the team’s new hybrid model. Alec joined Wonderful from Deloitte’s Strategy and Operations Consulting practice, where he worked on initiatives in the CPG and agribusiness space related to market expansion, growth strategy, supply chain optimization and corporate social responsibility.
Erin Harumi Lee, Manager, Consumer Insights
Erin facilitates a more holistic understanding of consumers and brands through rigorous and empirically sound research gained from her time at Disney. She integrates that experience with knowledge gleaned through category insights from her tenure at Nielsen. Erin joins Wonderful from Disney ABC Television Group, where she was mostly recently a research manager. An experienced and trusted researcher, bringing both vendor-side and client-side experience in quantitative and qualitative research methods, Erin has particular experience in entertainment, technology, kids and family, and CPG.
For more fresh produce industry happenings, keep checking back with us at AndNowUKnow.
RIO RICO, AZ - MAS Melons & Grapes President Miky Suarez, a Mexican table grape business veteran of 30 years, has announced that Mexican table grapes have overcome last year’s remarkable delay and will start this season at the normal time in the first week of May. Though the volume is estimated between 14 million and 16 million, if weather conditions allow, there may be a higher volume.
“I expect harvest to start the first week in May, but chances are we could see few table grape trucks crossing into the U.S. the last week of April," Suarez explained. “During the first week or so, we are going to see lower crossings than the average we are used to seeing.”
Mexican table grapes are grown in five areas in the country: Tuxcacuesco in Jalisco and Ciudad Obregon, Guaymas, Hermosillo, and Caborca in the northwestern state of Sonora. Tuxcacuesco production is still relatively small; Hermosillo is, by far, the country’s leading production region, according to a recent press release. The Mexican Department of Agriculture (SAGARPA) reports that over 95 percent of Mexican table grape production occurs in Sonora, and 9 out of every 10 tons of Mexican table grapes are grown in Hermosillo and Caborca alone.
This year, MAS Melons & Grapes has added to its marketing line up of Perlette, Flame, Sugraone, Black Seedless, and Red Globe with new varieties Ivory from the Spanish-based SNFL Group and other ARRRA Varieties known as Early Sweet. Next year, the company plans to expand production of these varieties considerably.
“We are proud that, this season, the Ortiz Ciscomani family’s Agricola Orqui, S.A. de C.V. has decided MAS Melons & Grapes to market a reasonable portion of their table grape production, as we have had the privilege to distribute their honeydew melons and squashes over the past years,” said Suarez.
Miky expects quality and size to improve this season to meet consumer demand for large size grapes. MAS Melons & Grapes' grapes are marketed under the Desert Pride® brand and available in 18 lb boxes containing either 9-2 lb bags each or 4 lb and 3 lb clam shells, which are sold primarily to club stores like Costco and Sam’s.
“Some of our table grape customers here in the U.S. consider our company as a boutique-type distributor, as every single order received is thoroughly customized and consistently delivered under the highest quality and service standards,” Suarez added.
In addition to shipping to the U.S. market, MAS Melons & Grapes also ships to New Zealand and Japan, and, depending on market conditions, to some southeastern Asian countries. To follow both domestic and global produce production, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
LOS ALAMITOS, CA - I could put coconut in anything and everything. With its versatile texture and sweet flavor, I just cannot get enough—as long as I don’t have to crack the fruit myself. Last week, Frieda’s Specialty Produce celebrated the first shipment of young coconuts from its new grower partner in Thailand with some friendly competition. Throwing its first-ever young coconut opening challenge on Thursday, April 19, 2018, Frieda’s sales, marketing, and sourcing teams showed off their chops and raced to crack open coconuts.
In a bracket-style tournament, Frieda’s team members competed to open the young coconuts, using any tools of their choice from knives to a special coconut opening tool. But, for the finals, only knives were allowed.
Only one could win, and this year, Allen Demo, Director of Procurement and Sourcing, shocked the crowd when he opened the coconut in eight seconds with a single blow of a chef’s knife, nabbing the first-place spot.
“Allen has just returned from Thailand after a visit with our grower partner and touring the coconut groves, so I’m sure they taught him a few tricks,” said Alex Jackson Berkley, Assistant Sales Manager, who lost to DeMo in the second round, according to a press release. “Was it an unfair advantage that Allen was trained by Thai farmers who trim coconuts for a living when the rest of us are taught by YouTube? Maybe.”
A few audience members watched in the splash zone and were splattered with coconut shells and coconut water, but, luckily, there were no injuries reported other than a slightly bruised ego of the second-fastest young coconut opener. Account Manager Matt Hubbard came close to the first-place seat after opening a coconut in 10 seconds with a coconut opening tool.
To see the fun yourself, watch the video above, or check out the highlight reel from the young coconut challenge on Frieda’s Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.