SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Fresh Solutions Network’s Side Delights® brand of fresh potatoes has launched a new Life Full of Flavor campaign, which taps into the depth and richness of memories made around meals. I spoke with Kathleen Triou, President and CEO of Fresh Solutions Network about the genesis of the campaign and what the company hopes to accomplish with it.
“Our new Life Full of Flavor ad campaign flows from the insight that memories are made around meals. We combined that insight with the fact that potatoes are still America’s #1 favorite side dish. The ad is an emotive look at how potatoes, and in our case, Side Delights potatoes specifically, add flavor and fun to the other food on the table and the people around the table,” Kathleen begins. “Some of our earliest memories include food. For me, my mother would ask me to help her make dinner by peeling potatoes. I would stand on a kitchen chair, and peel potatoes over the kitchen sink for our family’s dinner. It was a rite of passage in our house. Once my younger brother was old enough, he peeled the potatoes while I helped in other ways. We didn’t know it at the time, but we were learning how to feed a family and ourselves. We joined the ‘foodie’ tribe at an early age.”
With a range of fresh potatoes suited for every meal, palate, and household, regardless of size, Side Delights hopes to be a catalyst for memories like Kathleen’s. The line features potatoes packaged in everything from traditionally-sized bags to smaller bags of gourmet potatoes, to convenience-oriented offerings that are ready-to-microwave.
“The beauty of this campaign is that it transfers seamlessly to in-store use,” Kathleen explains. “We currently have a Side Delights merchandiser with a customizable header card that will leverage this campaign. The merchandiser is fantastic for secondary displays of Side Delights product lines in the deli, meat, and seafood departments or in the front of the store. Our data shows that when potatoes are merchandised in a secondary location—in this case, the meat department—overall category sales increased by 15.8 percent and the featured potato items increased in sales by 78 percent! Furthermore, fresh meat sales increased by two percent and the shoppers’ total basket ring increased by two percent. It makes sense for both the retailer and the shopper to merchandise potatoes outside the produce department, generating meal inspiration and sales."
To see Fresh Solutions Network’s Life Full of Flavor campaign in action, stop by the company’s booth on any trade show floor beginning in May, and to stay in the know on marketing tactics including new campaigns, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
JAPAN - "Egg of the Sun" might sound like the object of a quest by the Lord of the Rings troop, but it’s actually the coveted name given to a mango variety that has racked up a record-breaking $3,744 at wholesale auction.
Taiyo no Tamago are grown in the Miyazaki prefecture of Japan, according to news source Atlas Obscura, and sold throughout the country, usually for upwards of $50 but not necessarily priced in the thousands.
While we may not be used to mango prices charting the price of a thorough trip to Europe, this isn’t the first time beautiful fruit has made the news for decadant prices at Japanese auction—a few that come to mind are the prized Yubari melons, grapes imported and sold for over $200 a box, and even a luxurious parlor in Tokyo showcasing and selling fresh produce like Tiffany’s or Louis Vuitton.
Interestingly, when it comes to the Taiyo no Tamago, it is about the quality and care that goes into cultivating the fruits rather than the accessibility. Atlas Obscura reports that the Japanese farmers that raise these beauties surround each mango with a small net, allowing sunlight to hit the skin at all angles for its uniform, ruby-red color, while allowing it a safe fall when it’s ready for optimal ripeness.
So, what does the Egg of the Sun taste like? Apparently, you get what you pay for. It is described as melt-in-your mouth delicious, offering a balanced flavor of sweet and tart, juicy, with very little fibrousness.
And, of course, presentation is everything. Packaged more like a gift than a grocery item, it isn’t uncommon for those who receive the mangos to display them like natural, perishable art pieces.
The saddest part to my produce-impassioned self? Those delicious fruits are sometimes not even eaten. Granted, if I spent nearly $3,800 on something, I would likely have a hard time biting into it as well.
LOS ALAMITOS, CA - Frieda’s Specialty Produce is adding an experienced marketing vet—with executive experience from Starbucks and other worldwide food companies—to its team. The company announced that it has welcomed Cindy Karas Sherman as Frieda’s new Director of Marketing and Innovation.
“We are thrilled to welcome Cindy to the Frieda’s family,” said Karen Caplan, President and CEO, in a press release. “Her entrepreneurial spirit elevates our innovative culture, and her CPG experience gives us a fresh perspective to improve how we can go above and beyond for our clients.”
Sherman brings 16 years of experience in marketing strategy, marketing management, and innovation to her new role. Sherman has worked in a variety of marketing- and innovation-focused roles for consumer packaged goods companies such as PepsiCo, Wrigley, and most recently, Starbucks, where she launched Starbucks Plus K-Cup Coffee—in the grocery aisle—with twice the caffeine, and she managed the Teavana Hot Tea business within Starbucks retail stores.
Sherman has a bachelor of science in Marketing from Rutgers University and an MBA from Haas School of Business at University of California, Berkeley. She relocated from Seattle, Washington, to Long Beach, California, with her family in March.
We at AndNowUKnow congratulate Cindy on her new role and wish her and the Frieda’s team all the best.
BENGALURU, INDIA - Flipkart, which was founded in 2007 by two former Amazon employees and envisioned to be India’s Amazon, has since raised well over $6 billion, according to Forbes, including a $2.5 billion investment from Japanese multinational conglomerate SoftBank Vision Fund. This financial backing, coupled with Flipkart's current valuation of $18-$20 billion, as stated by an anonymous source to Inc 42, makes the company an ideal acquisition for any corporations, particularly Walmart and Amazon, looking to gain a footholding in the burgeoning Indian market.
With a large population and a relatively untapped market, India is an ideal location for businesses looking to expand their global footprint. Prior to Amazon’s expansion into the country, Flipkart was India’s biggest e-commerce company. Though it is currently unclear whether Amazon or Flipkart holds the largest market share, Forbes reports, the company is a force to be reckoned with.
If Walmart or Amazon acquire a majority stake in the company, they would acquire a large portion of India’s rapidly expanding e-commerce market, which is expected to grow to $200 billion by 2026, according to LiveMint. The company who purchases the stake will not only have an advantage over the other, but also over major international competitors like Alibaba. The deal offers Flipkart an opportunity to gain financial weight and a stronger, more efficient supply chain.
Though Flipkart was created by former Amazon employees, the company has now expressed that it is leaning towards selling the controlling stake to Walmart rather than Amazon because Walmart offers greater certainty. Because Walmart has no online retail presence in the country now, it faces fewer regulatory hurdles, according to Bloomberg Technology.
Though a deal with Walmart has been in the works for at least a year, the news source reports that Flipkart’s largest shareholder may prefer a sale to Amazon since Amazon has a track record of e-commerce success.
The stake that Walmart is currently in talks to purchase is a minority stake that could go up to 50 or 60 percent depending on which of Flipkart's current shareholders sell, reports Bloomberg Technology. Amazon continues to push for the deal out of fear that this share will grant Walmart a great deal of power in the emerging market.
In an attempt to dissuade Flipkart from partnering with Walmart, the company has offered a breakup fee, which Inc 42 reports is around $1 billion to $2 billion, an offer which may raise Flipkart’s valuation to over $20 billion. A breakup fee is a pre-set penalty offered by the payer in case the deal is terminated.
To follow seismic deals in our industry, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
CARLISLE, PA - Investing $70 million in capital expenditures across the state, Giant Food Stores has announced plans to bring new and revamped stores to Pennsylvania over the course of the next two years.
The company announced six new stores, to be built throughout 2018 and 2019, including stores in the East Stroudsburg and Walnutport communities—a first for the Ahold Delhaize-owned banner.
“We are positioning the company for long-term growth, and we are excited to grow our presence within East Stroudsburg and Walnutport to better serve the families in those communities,” said Nicholas Bertram, President. “This year Giant is celebrating our founding in Pennsylvania 95 years ago, so we’re especially proud to make these new investments in our home state.”
In its press release, the retailer announced the following new store locations:
- 300 Lincoln Ave., East Stroudsburg
- 300 S. Best Ave., Walnutport
- 176 W. Street Road, Feasterville-Trevose, which replaces the store at 1055 Bustleton Pike; anticipated opening summer 2018
- 2121 South Atherton St., State College will replace the store at 2222 East College Ave.; anticipated opening late 2018/early 2019
- 1661 Easton Road, Warrington, which replaces the store at2395 York Road, Jamison; anticipated opening early 2019
- West Chester Pike & Route 476, Broomall which replaces the store at 2910 Springfield Road; anticipated opening late 2019
Giant also announced three new fuel stations to be added to existing store locations in the cities of Lititz, Horsham, and Bethlehem. In total, the retailer anticipates bringing approximately 300 full- and part-time jobs to communities throughout the Quaker State.
Additionally, the company announced two major store remodels at the following locations:
- 14635 Mt. Airy Road, Shrewsbury, a 4,000 square-foot expansion
- 698 Downingtown Pike, West Chester
Giant promised that the newly-remodeled stores would offer a broader variety of products and an assortment tailored to customers in each community, including more local products, a deeper assortment of natural and organic selections, and healthier snack options. The retailer also promised improvements to these stores’ layouts that allow for easier navigation.
In its press release, the company also noted that these capital investments follow the completion of a new Peapod wareroom, opened in partnership with Giant in North Coventry, Pennsylvania, this February. And added that these investments are in addition to the ongoing investments in Giant Beer & Wine Eateries—of which there are currently 59 in the state—that began in 2011.
For more on this and other expansive retailers in our industry, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
KINGSVILLE, ONTARIO - While fresh to the strawberry game, Mucci Farms is already earning accolades and turning heads with its berry brand. The company recently won Loblaw’s President’s Choice Fresh Produce of the Year award for its PC Ontario Greenhouse Strawberries at the 2018 Loblaw Brands Innovation Summit held in Toronto, Ontario, on April 5th.
“We’ve been growing traditional greenhouse items for over 50 years, but strawberries were our first attempt at growing an unconventional greenhouse product,” said Danny Mucci, President of Mucci International Marketing, who, along with Joe Spano, was on hand to receive the award. “Our team and I were completely blown away and speechless when we got the news that we were nominated.”
Mucci Farms first began trialing its SmucciesTM Sweet Strawberries brand in 2014, eventually going to market with full scale production in 2016. Mucci Farms grows its award-winning strawberries in one of the largest indoor strawberry farms in North America and is still expanding. With phase two of the three-phase 36-acre expansion completed in October of 2017, the final 12-acres expansion phase is set to be completed by the fall of 2018 and will include supplemental HPS grow lights to accommodate year-round growth.
“I would like to thank the entire LBL-PC Team for working closely with us and entrusting us with this ambitious project,” said Joe Spano, Vice President of Mucci International Marketing. “The PC, procurement, and merchandising teams showed a great deal of interest in the greenhouse growing process. From R&D to traveling with us and learning about our industry, they were with us every step of the way. This not only strengthened our relationship, it helped us establish a unified vision for the program. We have truly been Partners in Produce.”
According to a press release, the criteria for the prestigious award required the product to be launched between fall 2016 and summer 2017. Along with being a truly unique stand-alone as "first to market" in Canada, the item also had to be a commercial success, generating additional sales and profit, and resulting in a major impact on the category. In the end, the winner was determined by a ballot vote by colleagues of Loblaw.
“Mucci Farms is passionate about growing because growing is what they love to do,” said Dan Branson, Senior Director; Produce, Floral & Garden at Loblaw in a video aired at the award ceremony. “What’s important to both of us is that we really behave as partners in development. Not only is the greenhouse strawberry an amazing tasting piece of fruit, the greenhouse strawberry is moving to a point where we are producing it year-round so it’s taking a lot of trucks off of the road, it’s giving amazing consistency, and more importantly than anything, it tastes like a strawberry is supposed to taste.”
In addition to searching for potential new greenhouse items, Mucci Farms is also highlighting an emphasis on greenhouse education.
“There is a story and a strong message to be told and shared about greenhouse grown produce and as we build on the consumer education component, we believe that the greenhouse story will become the greenhouse revolution,” Emily Murracas, Director of Marketing, Mucci Farms, said. “Mucci Farms is committed to being at the forefront of that movement, and building on our success.”
PC Greenhouse Strawberries are available across Ontario in several retail supermarkets owned and operated by Loblaw Companies Ltd.
Congratulations, Mucci Farms! For more produce industry accomplishments, stick with us at AndNowUKnow.
FOWLER, CA - Bee Sweet Citrus has been busy as a bee, buzzing about to keep up with the times tech-wise. The grower, packer, and shipper of California citrus has officially launched its new website, which has been tailored to meet the needs of the company’s audience. The new site features retail-specific information and consumer-driven content that Bee Sweet hopes will help improve engagement across its digital platform.
“When Bee Sweet’s marketing team first began to think about the development of Bee Sweet’s new website, we knew we wanted it to reflect the growth and change the company has seen over the past 30 years,” said Director of Communications Monique Bienvenue, in a recent press release. “From our diverse product line to our growing media presence, our new website acts as a centralized location where consumers and retailers are sure to find what they need.”
The new website will include a media center with an image library and recent press releases, a retail section with product and packaging information, and a consumer sections with recipes, food safety information, and FAQs. The page is clear and concise with subpages designed for efficiency.
“Our website is colorful, inviting, and includes all the information people need to learn more about our product,” continued Bienvenue. “It’s also mobile friendly, which allows our information to be accessed easily on all devices.”
To stay in the know on all technological trends in the produce industry, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
BRITISH COLOMBIA, CANADA - Have you ever been derailed while driving because you just bit into something so tasty that steering took a backseat to the culinary experience? Though investigations are still underway as to how the incident happened, we know that a paddler making his way down the Fraser River in Fort Langley, British Columbia, came upon a submerged 2016 Tesla S model with a produce favorite close by.
Inside EVs reported that the electric vehicle, from the brand so familiar to the produce industry, was stolen in Burnaby, British Colombia, on April 3rd, according to Royal Canadian Mounted Police Corporal Holly Largy. The brown car was found by police at 9 a.m. the following morning, almost entirely engulfed by the river.
The plot thickened, though, when the paddler helped police recover a large bag of onions, which had floated away from inside the car.
“Why they had a big bag of onions is anyone’s guess,” said the paddler, according to the Langley Times.
The news source implies that the electric car must have floated down the the river since the boat launch is far from where it was found.
Could there have been more produce favorites tucked inside that broke free in the chaos? It’s not everyday that you find a stolen Tesla face down in a river, but what can we say? Our industry provides flavors that drive some people wild!
In light of the passing of D. Allen Lund, Founder of Allen Lund Company (ALC), we would like to look back at the life that touched so many, both in the produce industry and outside of it. Allen Lund passed following a brief battle with cancer at 77 years of age, surrounded by his large family and a small choir of Carmelite Sisters at his bedside.
For just a brief look at an example of Allen’s spirit, in the hours before his death, he was asked by a grandchild how he was; his response: “Wonderful.” Allen’s tremendous life and peaceful death were exactly that, wonderful by any measure. His was a life rich in family, faith, and successes.
He leaves behind his adored wife of 57 years, Kathleen “Kathie” Lund. The couple had six children: David Lund, Kenneth Lund, Edward Lund, Natalie (Lund) Peterson, Anna (Lund) Clapp, and Christina (Lund) Doerfler, as well as their spouses. Allen was also blessed with 22 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. He is survived by his two sisters: Katie Atkin (Salt Lake City, UT) and Judy Holtkamp (Gold Beach, OR). But if you added up the names who saw Allen as a relative, the list of those he is survived by would be innumerably longer.
Allen was born September 3, 1940 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He took on life with an incredible work ethic and would see the American Dream play out as a result. After graduating from Davis County High School, Allen met Kathie while working as a ride operator at the Lagoon Amusement Park, and they then began the ride of a lifetime when they were married July 16, 1960. Allen then started work in heavy equipment operations while also serving in the U.S. Army Reserve. Then, shifting gears, he began working for a produce and truck brokerage company in Salt Lake City. Employment opportunities led he and Kathie to transfer to Glendale, California, in 1969.
Allen was inspired to work for himself and set out on his own—a matter of his character that was not proud, but doubtlessly capable. In 1976, he would found the Allen Lund Company, a truck brokerage firm. At the time, there was a shaky $1,000 in his bank account and his goal was a simple one: to feed his family. Now, headquartered in La Canada Flintridge, California, the Allen Lund Company has offices in 34 cities, with 450 employees, brokering 300,000 truckloads annually. As business thrived, Allen would come to be recognized as a leader in the transportation industry. His leagues of employees attest to working with Allen, not for him.
Honors and awards included the prestigious Transportation Intermediaries Association Heritage Award from his peers in 1999. Allen received the 2006 Achievement Award and the 2009 Business Person of the Year for the city of La Canada Flintridge. Allen’s expertise in his field was acknowledged by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1993, when he was tapped to travel to Moscow to assist the former Soviet Union’s new government in forming a more orderly distribution of food to the citizenry. In business, Allen had one regret: naming the company after himself. His concern was this would be taken as conceit, a chance to see his name on a building. However, his name is on that building to show that his word is his bond. His very name was on the line each time he entered a commitment to provide excellence in service. Allen was at no point in his life slow to return what he could to his community; he built a reputation around understated generosity. He was giving with all of his resources—be it time, talent, or his natural inclinations toward clear, rational thinking and genuine grit.
As a staunch proponent of Catholic education, Allen served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors at St. Francis High School, President of the Board of Regents at the University of Portland, and as Trustee on the Board for the Catholic Education Foundation of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The Lund Family Scholarship, established by Allen, benefits students from St. Francis HS and Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy who attend the University of Portland. Contributions to the University of Portland also include the campus bell tower, the St. John’s Bible, housed in the University’s Clark Library, and the Lund Family Residence Hall. Allen practiced his faith through commitment of self, serving as the Chairman of the Board for the Magis Institute, an organization created to design special programs to address the need for spirituality in public life. He also served on the Finance Council for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the Board of Directors of St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, and on the Board of Directors of Homeboy Industries Inc., an organization committed to rehabilitating former gang members through the dignity of work.
Allen’s belief in the power of prayer was so strong that, together with his wife and close friends, he launched the annual Los Angeles Catholic Prayer Breakfast in 2005. Every September, The Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels now hosts a Tuesday morning Rosary, Mass, and inspirational speaker for the Los Angeles community. It is now the largest Catholic prayer breakfast in the country. Allen’s honors for his philanthropic contributions included the designation of a Knight in Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and receiving the Papal Honor of Knight Commander in the Order of the Knights of St. Gregory in recognition to his committed service to Christ and to the Church.
Outside of his public life, Allen’s greatest role was as his family patriarch. He was happiest when with them all, entertaining at his Pasadena home or riding ATVs at his Long Canyon Ranch in Utah. Despite the size of his family, each child and grandchild attests to an individual relationship with their grandfather. Every girl was given a kiss when she walked to his chair in his study and each boy an honest handshake. As Allen’s health failed, emails and letters flooded in from friends and those even of brief acquaintance. All said much of the same: Allen Lund was a giant of a man who gave and gave wholly. His was a life aiming for heaven, and he did everything he could to make it possible here first. The life he led was one at which to wonder. Or as the man himself put it, it was wonderful.
A Rosary will be held at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Pasadena on Friday, April 13 at 7 p.m. A funeral Mass will be held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels Saturday, April 14 at 5 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Carmelite Sisters at Carmel of St. Teresa, 215 East Alhambra Road, Alhambra, CA 91801, or at www.carmelteresa.org.
CHARLOTTE, NC - Though Postmates was reportedly considering a merger with DoorDash earlier this month as a means to compete with Amazon, the food delivery service has instead chosen to team up with one of Amazon’s biggest brick-and-mortar rivals to up its stake in the game. In addition to Uber and Deliv, Walmart announced it is partnering with Postmates to continue to expand its online grocery delivery service to more cities.
This news comes after a series of moves Walmart made just this year to stay on top of online grocery, including expanding its online grocery delivery service to 100 metro areas and adding vending machines for online orders in 700 stores.
“Customers are busy; they are managing jobs, soccer practice, dance lessons, and social schedules; so we are on a mission to do more than keep a little extra money in their pockets,” said Mark Ibbotson, Executive Vice President, Central Operations, Walmart U.S. “With the help of Postmates, we’re making grocery shopping even easier by bringing the everyday low prices of Walmart right to the front door of customers in Charlotte with more areas to be added soon.”
Initially kicking off in Charlotte, North Carolina, with plans to expand to other areas in the coming year, Walmart and Postmates are combining their personal shoppers and delivery networks to bring fresh groceries to consumers' doorsteps.
“Both Walmart and Postmates strive to make the lives of our customers easier,” said Dan Mosher, Senior Vice President, Merchant Lead, Postmates. “With our growing fleet of 160,000 couriers, we are confident that we’ll be providing Walmart customers with the ultimate convenience.”
According to a press release, shoppers can place their orders on Walmart’s website or app and a Postmates courier will deliver the groceries as soon as that day for a fee of $9.95 fee on a minimum $30 order.
Will Walmart’s partnership with Postmates give it an edge over Amazon? AndNowUKnow will continue to bring you the latest retail developments.