NEW YORK, NY – Blue Apron stocks rose 0.7% in Friday morning trading, following analyst Matthew Trusz's initiation of coverage of the company’s buy rating, according to Market Watch. Trusz feels that this growth reflects a shift for the company away from the previous operational issues it faced.
Trusz places the company’s current market value at $8 billion and expects that the company will continue to grow as consumers become more comfortable with online grocery shopping. Market Watch reports that Trusz sees “good reasons” for Walmart to partner with or buy blue apron outright.
Although Blue Apron stock has fallen 79% from its June IPO price, this present increase could indicate a positive shift in consumer and mainstream retailer perception of grocery delivery. With Blue Apron’s appointment of Brad Dickerson from CFO to President and CEO late last year, the company looks toward to the future.
As we reported in December, Dickerson feels that, “We have an exceptionally talented team at Blue Apron that is focused on taking decisive actions to transform the business, continuing to innovate our product in new and diverse ways, and unlocking future growth opportunities.”
Does this observation indicate the next major deal in our industry? To stay up to date on all shifts in the industry, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
TUCSON, AZ – U.S. Marketing Service has its eye on a growing horizon, having recently added four new retail markets to its portfolio, according to a recent press release.
“Our auditors measure retail price, promo pricing, display space, quality, brands, competition, origin, etc.,” said Mike Gretz, President of the company. “Basically whatever you want measured, in whichever locations, we can most likely provide.”
These new areas bring the total city count covered by the U.S. Marketing Services Group of retail auditors to 44, which the group said includes all major markets and retailers.
The new cities are:
- Boise, Idaho
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Richmond, Virginia.
Additionally, USMS has continued expansion in Canada and now conducts retail audits of 22 different retailers in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, and Montreal.
Throughout its 22-year history, over 100 growers, shippers, commodity boards, retailers, and international trade associations have utilized USMS’s services to stay one step ahead in today’s marketplace. Known as FASTRAX, USMS Retail Audits are designed to be a fast, economical, cost-effective, and time-sensitive way to track a client’s brand, as well as its competition.
This past summer, USMS added coverage of Aldi, Trader Joes, and Sprouts stores in 20 markets. To find out more about the company, click here.
CANADA – Fresh produce has now gone where no variety has gone before: cheese! Exclusively in Canada, Whole Foods Market now offers vegan cheese line Nuts for Cheese, dairy-free hand-crafted cheese wedges made from the milk of cultured organic cashews.
Cultured using traditional fermentation processes then air-dried and aged for sharpness, Nuts for Cheese's plant-based cheese line offers convincingly cheese-like wedges in a variety of flavors. And cashews aren’t the only fresh produce item featured in the creamy wedges. The five flavors also include produce favorites, like:
- Coconut! Un-Brie-Lievable is a soft and creamy blend of coconut and cashew
- Algae! The sharp Super “Blue” is marbled with algae powder
- Peppers! The bold and spicy Chipotle “Cheddar” is marbled with crushed chipotle peppers
- Turmeric! The mild Red Rind has a turmeric and paprika rind
- Artichoke and pumpkin! The Smoky Artichoke and Herb is marbled with a pumpkin seed and artichoke pesto
That’s one small step for vegans, one giant leap for a sustainable, produce-happy mankind!
For more on how fresh fruits and vegetables, and more, are chameleon-ing their way across grocery stores and into center aisles, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
SANTA MONICA, CA - Ours is an industry of vibrant personalities and rich stories, chameleons and trendsetters, movers and shakers. With such a dynamic trade changing the face of food, flavor, and health—it is easy to say that we have some of the best platforms on which to share both vision and insights. One of those individuals stepping into the spotlight this year is professional comedian, keynote speaker, and business consultant, Shannon Leigh—Founder of Sleigh Creative.
Shannon took a beat to chat with me about her new venture, the program underway, and how comedy is not only a great vehicle for thought but also for growth.
“When we live, ‘Leadership as a Lifestyle,’ we gain access to the highest level of power, which is derived, not from title, but from how successfully we lead ourselves,” Shannon tells me. “As we strive to build our leadership capacity across all cultures in our lives, we increase our ability to influence others and effect positive change.”
Shannon’s background in business management and sales leadership cultivated in the 12 years she spent at C.H. Robinson during her time in fresh produce, combined with her personal story and comedic presentation style, make her uniquely qualified to address and enrich the industry at large. Shannon brings a range of concentrations to her program and keynote presentations, from leadership, personal and professional development, and sales and negotiation, to effective engagement, personal power, and transformation.
“I have always been deeply passionate about connecting with others, whether it be one-on-one or group coaching sessions with employees and clients, selling in the field, presenting to large audiences, or simply making people laugh. Taking a comedic approach with audiences has provided a tremendous vehicle in attaining higher levels of information retention, engagement and overall openness, when dealing with serious subject matter,” she shares. “I am beyond lucky to be able to apply my skills and experience across various organizations and groups, and it has been incredibly inspiring thus far to be a part of others transformation. To be able to work with and inspire people to uncover their true potential, achieve their goals and ultimately, see the results truly is my dream job.”
Sleigh Creative provides services that bring a range of opportunities to her clients, including keynote addresses, comedy performances, motivational speaking, speech writing and career coaching workshops. These traverse many formats and across multiple industries, from seminars, corporate events, and one-on-one and group coaching sessions, as well as industry group forums, like trade conventions and conferences.
With Shannon’s breadth of talent, background, and resources, 2018 looks to be a promising year for new industry opportunities—whether you are taking to the stage or cheering from the audience.
For more information or to connect with Shannon Leigh, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the professional powerhouse, here.
Congratulations Shannon on this amazing new venture, and I am sure to be in one of your audiences soon!
MIAMI, FL – Cuties season is upon us and in honor of the sweetest time of year, Sun Pacific has launched its 100 Days of Sunshine—a campaign that celebrates the beloved California-grown mandarin brand, promotes these healthy snacks, and gives back to communities across the country.
“100 Days of Sunshine is our effort, this year, to really celebrate Cuties season and all the sweetness that comes with it,” said Mel Dohmen, Senior PR strategist for Cuties. “So, we’re really promoting all the different ways that families and kids can share sweetness with one another, with family members—and really help promote kindness and sharing throughout the season.”
In an effort to encourage sweetness, the Cuties brand recently teamed with After-School All-Stars the leading national provider of daily, comprehensive tuition-free academic, fitness, and enrichment programs for underserved families after-school to deliver some California sunshine to kids enrolled in the program at Bowman Ashe/Doolin K-8 Academy in South Florida.
Cuties teamed up with iHeart Media to donate a Buddy Bench—signed by artists performing at the iHeart Radio Jingle Ball tour including Demi Lovato, Nick Jonas, Charlie Puth, Halsey, and Logic—and present a pledge encouraging healthy eating. Additionally, the brand donated a season’s supply of Cuties to After-School All-Stars to keep kids happy and healthy and continue to celebrate sweetness throughout the year.
“We’re so happy and grateful to Cuties and iHeart Radio for donating a season’s worth of Cuties for all 2000 kids in the South Florida After-School All-Stars program,” said Natalia Sol, Vice President of External Affairs for the South Florida After-School All-Stars.
For more, check out Cuties’ high-graphic video above.
And for more fresh produce news, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
SEATTLE, WA - We still await the turnaround numbers for how acquiring Whole Foods has impacted the bottom line for Amazon. In the meantime, the e-commerce turned grocery retailer is touting a successful close to fiscal 2017, including breaking the billion dollar profit milestone.
“Our 2017 projections for Alexa were very optimistic, and we far exceeded them. We don’t see positive surprises of this magnitude very often—expect us to double down,” said Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO, in the financial report.
The company saw a net income of $1.9 billion in the fourth quarter, compared with net income of $749 million at the same point last year.
“We’ve reached an important point where other companies and developers are accelerating adoption of Alexa,” Bezos continued. “There are now over 30,000 skills from outside developers, customers can control more than 4,000 smart home devices from 1,200 unique brands with Alexa, and we’re seeing strong response to our new far-field voice kit for manufacturers. Much more to come and a huge thank you to our customers and partners.”
Fourth quarter highlights in addition to the above achievement included:
- A net sales increase of 38% to $60.5 billion in the fourth quarter, compared with $43.7 billion in fourth quarter 2016.
- Excluding the $1.1 billion favorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, net sales increased 36% compared with fourth quarter 2016.
- Operating income increased 69% to $2.1 billion in the fourth quarter, compared with operating income of $1.3 billion in fourth quarter 2016.
Amazon also benefited from a provisional tax benefit in the fourth quarter 2017. The impact of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 was approximately $789 million, according to the report. As for Whole Foods having weighed in on the success, the company stated that the results exclude the impact of its recently-acquired grocer.
As for this coming fiscal year, net sales are expected to be between $47.75 billion and $50.75 billion, or to grow between 34% and 42%, compared with first quarter 2017. Operating income is expected to be between $300 million and $1.0 billion, compared with $1.0 billion in first quarter 2017 assuming “no additional business acquisitions, investments, restructurings, or legal settlements are concluded.”
In 2017, more than five billion items shipped with Prime worldwide with more new paid members having joined the program than any previous year—both worldwide and in the U.S.
Prime members were privy to particular deals through Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods, which the Wall Street Journal previously reported as having helped to boost its grocery sales.
As we look to how this will affect Amazon’s business, and others in our industry, AndNowUKnow will continue to report the latest.
WATSONVILLE, CA – Support continues to pour in for the California Giant Foundation’s 5th Annual Tour de Fresh, which aims to get more salad bars to schools across the country. In a press release, the organization made an exciting new announcement, Axel Merckx, eight-time Tour de France rider and Olympic Bronze Medalist will attend the event yet again: offering expertise and support.
Alex Wassmann, the tour’s Technical Director, will accompany Merckx and the rest of the riders during the four-day span of the event. Jesse Moore, a key ride guide for the event who has coached multiple top 10 Tour de France, will aid riders in navigating the tough terrain on this year’s route.
“I am eager to join the riders of Tour de Fresh for a second year,” said Axel Merckx, Hagens Berman Axeon Cycling Team Owner. “Seeing the passion that everyone involved in this event has for getting salad bars in more schools is a humbling experience that I am proud to be a part of.”
With the success of the past years, California Giant Foundation hopes to not only get fresh fruits and vegetables in front of school age children, but also to offer a chance for industry leaders to spend time with friends and colleagues.
“We are excited for our fifth year for many reasons,” said Cindy Jewell, Vice President of Marketing for California Giant Berry Farms. “We love seeing how much support this event has gained since year one and can only see it continuing to grow. But more importantly, with the increase in support, we are increasing the salad bars that are being placed into schools which means that more kids have access to fresh fruits and vegetables.”
The ride, which will begin at the Kirkwood, CA, ski resort, will weave through Jackson, Livermore, Mt. Hamilton, San Jose, Aptos, and Monterey.
"I am blown away by how much this event has grown over the past five years,” said Brock Nemecek, marketing manager, North America, for T&G Global Limited. “I’m grateful to have been a part of such a meaningful cause and can’t wait to celebrate five successful years with friends from the industry!”
To join sponsors, including Crunch Pak, JAZZ Apple, Mann Packing, Mission Produce, PMA, Taylor Farms, Tanimura & Antle, and, your favorite, AndNowUKnow, visit www.tourdefresh.com or email the Tour de Fresh team at [email protected].
NOGALES, AZ – Nogales—one of the top ports of entry for fresh vegetables, with $2 billion worth of them having moved through the port in 2016—is currently working through a shortage of officers. According to Cronkite News, Nogales’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) fleet is short up to 300 officers of the approved staffing levels, consequently resulting in long lines that negatively impose upon the region’s economy.
While CBP didn’t say just how many officers are currently working at the gateway for security reasons, they did acknowledge that the port is working through 90-day rotations that bring officers from other ports around the country to the Arizona location. Up to 175 officers have been relocated to the Nogales port for temporary duty, according to the National Treasury Employees Union; however, CBP is singing a different tune, reporting that only 35 officers have undergone temporary duty assignments at the location.
On the one hand, this is a solution to the current, imminent problem; on the other, this is only a temporary answer and requires long-term resolve.
“You pay or you pay,” said Erik Lee, Executive Director for North American Research Partnership, in the Cronkite News piece. According to Lee, there will be economic consequences for this lack of proper staffing—a result of the slowed traffic through the port.
What are the specific numbers on the port’s traffic that is in danger of being slowed? According to the Arizona-Mexico Commission, $8.3 billion in exports left Arizona for Mexico, and $7.4 billion in imports made their way from Mexico to Arizona in 2016 alone. Further, this economic activity creates 90,000 jobs in the Southwestern state.
“Customs’ functions are an integral part of the border community and border economy, and if you allow customs to languish, it hurts the… economy,” said Lance Jungmeyer, President of Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, according to Cronkite News, and he explains that anything that menaces the flow of goods at the port is harmful for the industry at large.
Travelers looking to traverse the border are also looking at lengthy delays and should be aware of the effects of this shortage in staffing has on their itineraries. The delays are resulting in travelers looking to other ports with shorter wait times, said Olivia Ainza-Kramer in the Cronkite News article, President and CEO of the Nogales-Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce, and these redesigned traveling plans are now impacting the state as a whole.
While there is no definite answer to the current state of affairs at Nogales, National Treasury Employees Union President Anthony Reardon relayed that CBP’s protracted and complicated hiring process, strict polygraph testing, and extensive training times are all at play during his congressional testimony; this has resulted in 3,700 vacant positions for the agency, Reardon said, simply because of the 12 to 18 month hiring process.
The Unified Cargo Processing program, which was created in 2016 and allows Mexican and American customs agents to work alongside each other to inspect shipments making their way into the other country, has sprung forth from this current staffing shortage situation, said Jungmeyer, proving CBP’s innovative prowess when pushed to find solutions; according to CBP, this newer program has reduced wait times at the location by almost three hours.
How will CBP come to a permanent solution for the current staffing shortage, and will our industry see a larger tug on other ports as Nogales’s pace slows? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
PHILADELPHIA, PA – AgroFresh Solutions, Inc. announced Paul Nselel will be joining its team as Vice President and Global General Manager, Post-Harvest. Nselel will lead the company’s post-harvest commercial division to increase penetration, market share, and revenue in order to achieve AgroFresh’s financial objectives.
“Paul brings a wealth of experience to AgroFresh and will be a tremendous asset to our team,” said Jordi Ferre, CEO, in a press release. “His background at Monsanto and previous experience in various strategic and financial planning roles will be instrumental in enhancing our core post-harvest business, building on our existing platforms to expand the solutions we offer, and increasing our share of our customers’ business. I am confident that his diverse experience, strategic thinking, and strong commercial leadership will help drive AgroFresh and our future growth.”
Nselel began his career in banking with companies such as Paribas in Europe and Lehman Brothers in New York, before spending six years with Nike in strategic planning. Nselel also spent eight years with Monsanto where he held various positions, ranging from marketing to leading the company’s commercial effort and teams in Eastern Europe and the U.S.
Nselel earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Poitiers, his Master of Science in Applied Mathematics from the University of Caen, and his Master’s in Business Administration from the Wharton School. He is fluent in English and French and speaks Spanish.
Congratulations, Paul Nselel! For more on what’s fresh and new in the produce industry, keep checking back with AndNowUKnow.
NEWARK, DE – For decades, Sesame Street’s tunes have sung their way into our hearts, and now some of the characters are bringing health-focused initiatives into our lives. As part of the eat brighter™ initiative, our old friends, like Elmo, Big Bird, and Abby Cadabby, are showcased on produce packaging and store signage to encourage the consumption of fruits and vegetables. A collaboration between the Produce Marketing Association (PMA), Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), and Sesame Workshop, which is the nonprofit educational organization working in conjunction with Sesame Street, the eat brighter! initiative hopes to positively influence children and families’ eating habits.
“We are pleased to continue our partnership with Sesame Workshop and the PHA to extend the eat brighter! movement, which is a key component of PMA’s demand creation activities to grow a healthier world,” said PMA CEO Cathy Burns in a recent press release. “Our members have welcomed this opportunity to serve their customers and consumers in general with delicious, healthful produce as they build produce consumers for life.”
Since its launch, PMA members have jumped on the opportunity to join the eat brighter! initiative, with suppliers, worldwide promotional organizations, and retailers throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico joining the fun. All of the publicity surrounding the initiative has come about from the three partners’ tireless outreach and support.
“We are excited to extend eat brighter! through 2021 and to continue working with the produce industry to encourage healthy habits for kids and their families,” said Gabriela Arenas, Vice President of North America Licensing for Sesame Workshop.
The appeal in the initiative is its Sesame Street charm, with images adorning products to invite younger audiences and their families to eat produce. The affordable strategy has reportedly increased sales for suppliers and amplified excitement for retailers and promotion boards in the produce departments.
"We have proven again that making nutritious foods affordable and available is what American families want. We applaud the retailers and distributors participating in the eat brighter! campaign—and your savviness is paying dividends for your bottom line and for children's health," said Nancy E. Roman, President and CEO, Partnership for a Healthier America.
Turnkey graphics and marketing materials are available through the eat brighter! initiative, as the three organizations work to make fresh produce more enjoyable for everyone, and to make fresh produce companies more successful.