CALIFORNIA - The Pineapple Express, an atmospheric river, which originated in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii, is set to rumble through California this week, pouring rain at a rate of one inch per hour in many places and snow by the foot in the Sierra Nevada, according to Bloomberg.
Although the snow will provide a much-needed addition to the snow pack, which is currently 83 percent below normal, after last year’s wildfires, which left much of Southern California barren, the deluge of rain may pose a threat. Bloomberg reported that the widespread rainfall of up to four to six inches expected by Thursday's end may cause mudslides and flashfloods in the fire-affected areas.
Weathermelon stated that this storm will be the biggest to hit California yet in this current winter season and that all harvesting in impacted regions will be halted. Rainfall for major growing regions in the state is projected as follows:
- Bakersfield – 2”
- Fresno – 3.25”
- Modesto – 1.5”
- Oxnard – 3.5”
- San Diego - .5”
- Santa Paula – 3.5”
- Salinas/Watsonville – 1.35”
- Santa Maria – 4.5”
Some crops that may be affected include strawberries, broccoli, celery, lettuces, other veg, citrus, and avocados.
With just under half of California facing drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor, will the beneficial snow pack offset the threat of mudslides and harvest delays? Stay with us at AndNowUKnow to find out.
BOISE, ID - With more and more shoppers looking for local and upstart brands on grocery store shelves, big-name grocers are looking to enter the niche arena Whole Foods Market has long dominated and that which Amazon has since latched onto. This week, Albertsons is upping its chances for success in this arena after announcing plans to launch a digital marketplace for small or new-to-the-game brands and to curb its own buying decisions for the better, according to a report by CNBC.
“If you’re a small player with a very good product or a big consumer packaged goods company with a small unit, you will struggle to get the attention of some of our larger banners,” said Narayan Iyengar, Senior Vice President of Digital Marketing and E-commerce. But, according to CNBC, by opening its digital marketplace to outside vendors capable of picking and shipping, Albertsons is helping brands receive more exposure and a larger platform to manage sales and customer service.
And, with the help of data from the marketplace, brands can also advocate for shelf space in Albertsons’ stores, while Albertsons itself can use the sales data to better understand its customer trends and choose the vendors it sees as the most fitting for its shelves.
Yet another move to bolster its e-commerce offerings, Albertsons’ latest announcement also comes at a time of choppy sailing for Whole Foods, who is in the midst of soothing its own vendors, unhappy with Amazon’s acquisition and the changes it brings, at a summit this week.
Will Albertsons’ latest venture tapping into local and upstart give the retailer an edge over its competitors like Whole Foods and Amazon? AndNowUKnow will continue to report as the story unfolds.
MCALLEN, TX - Texas-based Lone Star Citrus has had another banner Winter Sweetz grapefruit season, due to what the company said was a combination of sales and marketing successes. With a goal of highlighting unique ways to consume the fruit since its 2015 inception, Winter Sweetz has prioritized its strategic marketing to offer inspiring content that educates and showcases all the potential Texas Red grapefruit has to offer.
“We’re fully committed to continuing to grow our marketing efforts because we want people across the country to experience what we know to be true—that Texas Red grapefruit truly is the sweetest and most delicious,” said April Flowers, Director of Marketing. “Our sales and marketing teams work hand-in-hand to ensure that our retail partners are supported by our marketing efforts in order to get shoppers into their stores, and we’re seeing the results of that as we sell out every year with increased demand.”
For its most recent promotion in December of last year, Winter Sweetz hosted 12 Dayz of Sweetz, which unlocked a new prize on Facebook every day for 12 days to encourage active engagement with the brand on social media. In only 12 days, according to a press release, Winter Sweetz earned more than 4,500 new and qualified brand advocates to nurture and engage with throughout the year.
To further push the Texas red grapefruit mission, the brand has partnered with five nationally-recognized food bloggers, who, together, produced 13 approachable and seasonal recipes to share with their fans. Having earned more than two million branded impressions over the course of the winter season, the recipes encouraged the use of Winter Sweetz grapefruit in every eating occasion, while it pushed education for consumers about segmenting the fruit and creating optimal flavor.
As we previously reported, Lone Star Citrus’ third successful season was punctuated with President Jud Flowers being inducted into Texas International Produce Association’s Hall of Fame, as well as an increase in Texas Red grapefruit sales.
To learn more about the continued push for Winter Sweetz, be sure to stop by booth #79 at the Viva Fresh Expo in San Antonio, Texas, April 5-7. At the show, Winter Sweetz will be highlighted in the Innovation Showcase as a finalist for Most Innovative New Fruit Product and Most Innovative Packaging or POS Solution.
SEATTLE, WA - Amazon is once again looking to expand its brick-and-mortar footprint with the possible acquisition of some defunct Toys “R” Us locations, following the latter company’s recent bankruptcy. According to Bloomberg Technology, the online retail behemoth is not so much interested in maintaining the beloved toy store's brand, as it is repurposing the soon-to-be-vacant spaces for its own purposes.
Representatives from both Amazon and Toys “R” Us declined to comment. This possible move follows Amazon’s industry shaking purchase of Whole Foods Market—which included the retailer’s more than 450 locations—and the opening of a line of Amazon bookstores and a convenience-store concept.
Bloomberg Technology suggests that this new space could be an opportunity to open a network of stores that place inventory closer to customers and increase the speed of delivery.
Despite these suppositions, no concrete deals have come to light, and after Amazon’s fruitless discussions with Radio Shack, prospectors must approach this potential partnership with hesitancy.
To follow the news as it breaks, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
MIAMI, FL - Crystal Valley Foods announced it will begin shipping conventional and organic Florida-grown, Crystal Valley-labeled blueberries this season, with first shipments sent out of the state at the end of March and available until the end of May.
“We are excited to be able to offer our customers domestic blueberries this year, and we are especially looking forward to kicking it off with fresh Florida blueberries,” said Director of Marketing Katiana Valdes. “Not only will it be a strong Florida season, but we are also proud to be promoting Florida grown produce, as it is our home state.”
This addition to the company’s lineup comes as a result of an exclusive partnership with a grower/packer in Hawthorne, Florida. The company expects this Florida season to be a good one since the region's weather works well for volume and quality. Further, about 20 percent of the blueberries will be organic, according to a press release.
This partnership is the company’s first step to ensuring customers can get Crystal Valley blueberries year-round. The company entered the berry category last year with its acquisition of Team Produce, which supplies imported blueberries September through April.
The Crystal Valley blueberries making their way out of Florida this season are available in 6 oz conventional and organic packaging.
For more updates on fresh produce offerings, keep checking back with AndNowUKnow.
SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES – Severe storms have hit the Southern U.S. hard this week—wreaking havoc on Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina—and as far inland as Alabama and Mississippi. After several tornadoes touched down on Monday, much of Florida and some of Georgia are currently under tornado watch—with wind advisories spanning as far as eastern Texas.
“Much like the storms on Monday, these storms will be capable of producing damaging winds, large hail, and even a couple of tornadoes," said Meteorologist Brett Rossio in an AccuWeather report on coastal storms. Rossio added, "The most likely area for a few tornadoes will be in eastern South Carolina, where the greatest spin in the atmosphere will be located.”
Meanwhile, USA Today reported “tornadoes across the South” as of Monday evening, with powerful winds tearing roofs off of houses, causing significant power outages, and even resulting in “golf ball to tennis ball-sized hail.”
Both USA Today and Fox News reported significant damage to Jacksonville State University, and the latter news source reported on that a “damaging and possibly large tornado near Jacksonville and Calhoun counties [in Florida]…was moving east” as of Monday evening.
Current weather advisories throughout the state of Florida—as of 10 a.m. PST Tuesday, March 20, 2018—warn: “torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead to localized flooding.” And the National Weather Service has warned drivers throughout the state not to drive through flooded roadways.
How will this far-reaching storm system effect agriculture and shipping in the Southeast? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
IMMOKALEE, FL - Spring has sprung, and Lipman Family Farms is busy growing Crimson tomatoes, which the company promises will deliver more than just color. I had a chance to glean some insight from the grower’s Bo Bates, General Manager of Tomato Sales, on how and why Lipman’s proprietary tomato variety Crimson is so successful.
Q: Thanks for taking some time to answer some questions about Crimson, Bo. How are things out in tomato land?
Bo Bates: We couldn’t be happier. As both the grower and marketer of our Crimson variety, we have the luxury of boots-on-the-ground field intelligence and tight quality control. Since we have the entire supply chain under our management, we’re able to deliver everything our customers and consumers love about the Crimson.
Q: So what do retailers love about the Crimson?
BB: It’s a bright red pop that makes for a stunning tomato display in-store. But we back that up with a program that delivers consistent quality and promotable volume throughout our growing season. We’ve covered all the bases with our Crimson variety and really have something special here. It delivers brilliant out-of-the-box color, with an amazingly uniform presentation and predictable ripening behavior. This means less shrink and management for our retail partners, while providing produce managers with a vibrant and compelling display tool that grabs shopper’s attention.
Q: And what do consumers love about Crimson?
BB: It not only looks amazing; it has the flavor to stand up to any boutique or heirloom variety. While it’s the blemish-free color and uniform size that first draws shoppers, the Crimson really shines once you slice and taste it at home. Home cooks and professional chefs tell us the Crimson has that classic home-garden fresh, bright taste they have been missing. And it slices like a dream—it’s a unique experience.
Q: Flavor I get, but why does slicing matter?
BB: The Crimson was developed to have superior interior density and color which means it has a solid, meaty center, and its red all the way through. As a result, the Crimson slices beautifully and cleanly—and those slices look amazing on a burger and in a salad! This is a big part of what keeps consumers coming back and why we have such retailer loyalty to the variety. There’s nothing else like it in the market.
Q: Any future plans around Crimson you can tell us about?
BB: Lipman Family Farms already has the most field acreage in Florida. To keep up with demand, the scientists on our R&D team have been diligently working to adapt the Crimson to deliver the same quality and consistency in other growing regions. Our goal is Crimson availability year-round, and it’s not that far away.
While Lipman works hard to make the Crimson available year-round, we at AndNowUKnow will keep working to help you stay in the know on all produce industry news.
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has filed an administrative complaint under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) against Farmers Best of NYC Inc.
The company, operating from New York, allegedly failed to make payment to 11 produce sellers in the amount of $610,686 from February 2016 through October 2016, according to a press release.
Farmers Best of NYC Inc. will have an opportunity to request a hearing. Should USDA find that the company committed repeated and flagrant violations, it would be barred from the produce industry for two years. Furthermore, its principals could not be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee for one year and then only with the posting of a USDA-approved surety bond.
In the past three years, the USDA resolved approximately 3,400 PACA claims involving more than $58 million. PACA staff also assisted more than 8,500 callers with issues valued at approximately $151 million. These are just two examples of how USDA continues to support the fruit and vegetable industry.
YAKIMA, WA - With winter weather waning and spring on the horizon, apple lovers have a scant few months to take advantage of domestic apple varieties they know and love. One such variety is the Autumn Glory®. The top 20 apple is gaining ground with consumers, and retailers can take advantage of the programs extensive season.
I recently spoke with Catherine Gipe-Stewart, Communications Manager for Domex Superfresh Growers, the exclusive grower and shipper of Autumn Glory apples, to learn more.
“We’re highlighting the organic Autumn Glory,” Catherine explained. “We have Autumn Glory, right now, November through May. We still have lots of apples going—getting great consumer reviews right now; they love the caramel and the cinnamon notes.”
At the tail end of a great season that saw Superfresh Growers work with bloggers and online influencers to grow the profile of the Autumn Glory, retailers can still capitalize on the popularity of the burgeoning apple variety. And in less than three months, Catherine tells me, Superfresh Growers will introduce another popular pouch-bagged offering—its massive Two-Bite Cherries™, alongside the company’s ever popular Rainier cherries.
“It’s a few more months. We’re looking at an early June start for our Washington/Northwest cherry crop,” Catherine said. “We’re going to be marketing our Two-Bite Cherries.”
For more information, see our brief video interview above.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - Alphabet Inc.’s Google has launched a new program, which charges retailers each time the search engine refers shoppers to the traditional retailers’ websites. The program, Shopping Actions, takes advantage of Google’s voice assistant-based shopping services, according to a Reuters exclusive.
“We have taken a fundamentally different approach from the likes of Amazon because we see ourselves as an enabler of retail,” Daniel Alegre, President for Retailing and Shopping, told the news source. “We see ourselves as part of a solution for retailers to be able to drive better transactions and get closer to the consumer.”
For this new program, Google has teamed up with a multitude of retailers, including Target Corp., Walmart Inc., and Costco Wholesale Corp. These retailers will have the option to list their products on Google Search, Google Express shopping service, and Google Assistant on mobile phones and voice devices.
“It gives customers an easy way to shop your products on the Google Assistant and Search with a universal cart, whether they’re on mobile, desktop, or even a Google Home device,” said Google in an announcement on its official blog this morning.
Rather than paying to place ads on Google platforms, retailers will pay Google a portion of each purchase facilitated by Google’s listing of products and linking of loyalty programs. Google has pitched this program as an opportunity for retailers to compete with Amazon.com Inc. and to capture more purchases through desktop, cell phones, and smart home devices with voice search, which are quickly becoming the primary frontier of e-commerce; in the past two years mobile searches asking where to buy products rose by an astounding 85 percent, according to Reuters.
Early results from the implementation of Shopping Actions have indicated a 30 percent increase in the average size of a customer’s shopping basket. In the past six months, Target, for example, reported that the number of items in shoppers’ Google Express baskets increased by nearly 20 percent, on average, since the Google partnership.
With Reuters reporting that smart voice devices will be installed in 55 percent of U.S. households by 2022, this burgeoning market is essential terrain for retailers who wish to remain relevant.
To follow all sneaky new marketing programs, keep reading AndNowUKnow.