YUMA, AZ – As the weather begins to cool down in the San Joaquin Valley, Legend Produce’s transition to its Arizona fall melon crop is starting to heat up. The company continues to ship good volume of high-quality melons out of Mendota, CA as the Westside winds down, before all the focus switches to Arizona’s October 10th start date.
“Looking ahead, we will have an excellent fall season over the next 6 weeks from Yuma, Arizona, with exceptional quality and flavor,” says Barry Zwillinger of Legend Produce. He also tells me that the company’s projections for the season are right on target, with the forecasts predicting perfect weather conditions for the final leg of the domestic cantaloupe season. With experience farming in Yuma for over twenty years, Barry says Legend Produce is once again expecting the fall season to produce the same excellent melons as seen in seasons past. “We will have good volume on larger sizes out of the desert that will showcase the high-quality, sweet flavors, and fragrant aromas which our varieties are best known for,” says Barry.
Throughout all four seasons–whether it’s domestic or import–Legend Produce says its focus always remains on the customer. The goal is to build loyalty by consistently sending the best eating fruit on every order to ensure the end consumer gets something they enjoy. “A satisfied customer is a returning customer,” says Barry. “Customers know good fruit, and if they eat a sweet, juicy, flavorful cantaloupe, they will come back to buy more. If we as a company remain focused on the end customer by growing and choosing only the best seed varieties, everyone wins."
With plans to finish off the fall season strong, get your orders in for Legend’s excellent quality melons by contacting the sales office at 623-298-3782. As the company's slogan says, “The Legend Continues.”
WENATCHEE, WA – Encouraging kids to eat their fruit doesn’t have to be a challenge with Stemilt Grower’s tiny fruit for tiny mouths. The central Washington company who grows, packs, and ships apples, pears, and other tree fruits turned small fruit into a branding success through its distinguished kid-sized fruit program, Lil Snappers®.
“Lil Snappers’ creation back in 2011 was to help elevate consumer demand for smaller fruit,” said Brianna Shales, Communications Manager. “And now, here we are, six years later and the program has grown tremendously. We offer multiple varieties in high-quality grades which is helping retailers drive sales and target a specific and important shopper group both today and in the future–parents and kids.”
With a variety of flavors, high quality fruit, and convenient pouches, each Lil Snappers 3lb apple or 2lb pear bag holds ten pieces of fruit, which means that a household with two children can pack a serving of fruit every day for a week with Lil Snappers.
Stemilt offers Lil Snappers in multiple conventional and organic apple varieties, including Braeburn, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp Piñata®, and Pink Lady®. “The varieties offered are the flavors that kids actually want to eat,” stated Shales, in a recent press release. “Today, our consumers are parents of children, but those children are the fruit consumers of tomorrow, so we need to learn what they like and keep offering those varieties.”
Stemilt also offers multiple pear varieties including Bartlett, Bosc, Concorde, d’Anjou, Red Pears, and Tosca in both conventional and organic options. “Organic pears are a niche item, but Stemilt is passionate about offering a full line-up of Lil Snappers through our Artisan Organics™ program. The 2lb offering for organic pears allows retailers to offer a lower retail price and drive sales to both the organic and pear categories,” Shales added.
The Lil Snappers program is also selling well online. “Retailers have seen a great deal of success when selling the Lil Snappers brand online,” reported Shales. “The biggest challenge retailers will face when it comes to e-commerce will be the consumer trusting someone to pick out their fresh produce. This will not be an issue for Lil Snappers brand. The consumer understands what they are getting when they decide to purchase our brand–high-quality, flavorful fruit the whole family will benefit from.”
This trust has been evident the last six years as the Lil Snappers program has grown tremendously in both sales dollars and varieties. In 2016, the year over year volume for the brand was up 131.1 percent and dollars up 123 percent, and Shales is confident that the small fruit success will keep coming.
“We expect to see a continual climb of success for this program,” stated Shales. “At the peak of the season, we will see smaller fruit sizes, making this year’s crop a perfect time to build the Lil Snappers brand at your store. Plus, Stemilt is expanding their organic availability with multiple varieties, so we will see an increase across the board with our organics category. Not only does this open more doors for organic consumers, it gives retailers more opportunity for success with the Lil Snappers program.”
While parents and their kids tend to be the driving force behind the brand, Shales confirms the grab-and-go style of the pouch bag is designed to catch the eye of any consumer who doesn’t have time to buy fruit in bulk and who prefer a smaller piece of fruit.
For more produce industry news, AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Always an advocate to the fresh produce industry, not to mention a friendly face, Produce Mom® Lori Taylor is making an exciting new announcement ahead of this year’s PMA Fresh Summit. After five years of growing her blog, starting once as the consumer brand of the Indianapolis Fruit Company, Lori Taylor has announced she will be rebranding The Produce Mom to The Produce Moms™.
“I believe that if we are going to change the way America eats and establish a preference for fresh produce, we have to start at the source and build a community of moms, children, and school professionals that want to see positive change,” said Lori, CEO of The Produce Moms. “This community of Produce Moms will be comprised of the people that will ultimately lead and shape change in their local homes, schools, and communities.”
Now further solidifying its place as an important educational media brand for the produce industry, Lori and her team have grown the company’s aim to serve three specific audiences: moms, children, and school professionals, providing inspirational content and action-oriented materials for each audience that is geared towards increasing the consumption of fresh produce in America.
“We intend to provide our community of Produce Moms with access to educative content on a regular basis, as we have done for the past two years,” Lori added. “In addition, it is my goal to provide tools and turnkey solutions that The Produce Moms’ army can access and use to shape change in their own communities around the country.”
Over the past two years, The Produce Mom has been working as the sole-source provider of a grant awarded to the state of Indiana by the USDA Team Nutrition program. Over this time period, The Produce Mom has hosted special events at schools geared to introduce students to fresh produce varieties and encourage foodservice professionals to provide fresh fruits and vegetables. The grant project continues for the next year, according to a press release, and includes the publication of a national digital curriculum and continuing education program for school foodservice professionals in all fifty states.
“The work that Lori and her team have conducted in K12 schools over the past two years has been transformational. I’m grateful to be a part of this movement as we’ve witnessed first-hand how children react positively to healthier food choices by making it exciting, available, and delicious,” shared Chef Todd Fisher, a culinary veteran and spokesperson for Duda Farm Fresh Foods.“Through public-private partnership between the USDA and Duda Farm Fresh Foods, I had the great opportunity to collaborate with The Produce Moms and educate over 200 school foodservice professionals.”
Duda, The Produce Moms, and the USDA have had a strong working relationship, supporting a three-day live culinary skills training program earlier this year. The training included Smarter Lunchrooms strategies and recipe development to promote the under-consumed vegetable subcategories and impacted over 1 billion annual school meals.
The Produce Moms has worked with many fresh produce brands across the industry, which have been partners, supporters, and advocates of Lori’s work since the company’s inception. Through these collaborations, fresh produce brands have had the opportunity to reach consumers in a way that is purposeful and puts fresh fruit and vegetable products at the forefront.
“The Produce Moms provides Wada Farms with an engaged and evolving resource for on-trend marketing discussions, both with The Produce Moms consumer community, and the other well-respected brands of The Produce Moms’ Family of Partners,” said Kevin Stanger, President of Wada Farms. “Wada Farms believes in The Produce Moms and has benefitted greatly from our two-year association with the brand.”
If you’d like to learn more information about how to join the fresh produce fight with Lori and The Produce Moms, visit http://www.theproducemoms.com/. Lori will also be in attendance at this year’s Fresh Summit, and will be available to meet with brands and enthusiasts seeking to connect to the cause and the consumer.
OXNARD, CA - Over the years as Mission Produce has continued on its goal of leading the ripe avocado revolution, the company has picked up a few unique tricks of the trade when it comes to handling the creamy, chartreuse fruit. Now, with thirty-five years of experience under its belt and eleven ripe centers globally, Mission Produce is ready to share those tips with you, launching a best practices avocado guide, AvocaDOs and DON’Ts.
“AvocaDOs and DON’Ts addresses the things people have wondered but haven’t asked or talked about,” Brent Scattini, VP of Sales and Marketing told ANUK. “We are aware of where this category is going, and by pulling the curtain back on sizing, seasonality, and data-driven category insights we’re helping our customers not only keep up, but get ahead.”
According to a press release, Mission will be rolling out two versions of the guide simultaneously—one geared toward Retail, with helpful handling practices, merchandising tips, and consumption data, and the other for Foodservice, containing food safety practices, cutting and storing recommendations, and menu insights.
“Ripe avocados have grown to be one of the top five items in the produce department, and we want our retailers to fully capitalize on the trend. Our best practices guide, AvocaDOs and DON’Ts, equips them with additional tools to make that happen,” said Patrick Cortes, Director of Sales. “We also want to make sure we are providing the same type of insights to our foodservice operators, who have their own set of avocado handling challenges. Mission’s avocado best practices guides provide all of our customers the information they need to manage their avocado category.”
Denise Junquiero, the company’s Director of Marketing, added that with the new guides, Mission sought to provide solutions to people across the avocado supply chain.
“Our goal was to design AvocaDOs and DON’Ts to be relevant to all levels, from a Vice President, Buyer, Store Produce Manager, or Chef. We want everyone to find it useful,” she said.
For those attending PMA in New Orleans in the coming weeks, Mission Produce will have the AvocaDOs and DON’Ts guidebooks on hand at its booth #644, as well as complementary assets, including backroom posters and infographics. The guidebooks can also be mailed upon request, as well as found online at www.worldsfinestavocados.com/
CINCINNATI, OH – Kroger started today with aplomb, announcing plans to create value for shareholders and focus on redefining the food and customer experience through digital and technology, expanding partnerships to create customer value, developing talent, and creating social impact. Perhaps the most compelling part of the company’s plan, though, may be the reevaluation and potential sale of Kroger’s various c-store banners.
"We know that when we serve America through food inspiration and uplift, we create value for our shareholders, customers, and associates," said Rodney McMullen, Chairman and CEO, in a press release. "We understand that today's marketplace is shifting rapidly. Kroger's success has always depended on our ability to proactively address changes by focusing relentlessly on our customers…Restock Kroger builds on our strengths and strategically repositions Kroger to accelerate our customer-centered efforts in order to create shareholder value."
With a new plan called the “Restock Kroger Plan,” the company outlined a slate of propositions fueled by capital investments, cost savings, and free cash flow.
The Restock Kroger plan is expected to generate $400 million in incremental operating margin by 2020, the company noted, and Kroger is purportedly planning to outline how it will prioritize its estimated $9 billion in capital investments to support Restock Kroger over the next three years. The company also noted that it expects to generate more than $4 billion of free cash flow over the next three years—nearly double what was generated over the previous three years
One major source of cash may be the sale of Kroger’s c-store division. In a section entitled “Exploring Strategic Alternatives for Convenience Store Business,” the company outlined plans that could result in the sale of 768 c-stores across 18 states and a variety of banners, including: Turkey Hill Minit Markets, Loaf 'N Jug, KwikShop, Tom Thumb, and QuickStop.
"Our convenience stores are strong, successful and growing with the potential to grow even more. We want to look at all options to ensure this part of the business is meeting its full potential. Considering the current premium multiples for convenience stores, we feel it is our obligation as a management team to undertake this review," said Mike Schlotman, Kroger's EVP and CFO. "Our convenience store management and associates are an important part of our success. They put our customer first every day. We value what they do and thank them for what they will continue to do as we conduct this evaluation."
Including fuel, the company noted, Kroger's convenience store business generated $4 billion in total sales last year.
Bloomberg and other financial news sources reported that Kroger’s stock jumped this morning, buoyed by the news of a c-store sale. Bloomberg also speculated that potential suitors for Kroger’s c-store division could include 7-Eleven Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard, two of the largest North American c-store operators.
In addition, Kroger reaffirmed its 2017 guidance, including:
- Identical supermarket sales growth of 0.5 to 1.0%, excluding fuel, for the remainder of 2017
- Net earnings of $1.74 to $1.79 per diluted share, including an estimated $.09 for the 53rd week
- Adjusted net earnings of $2.00 to $2.05 per diluted share, including the 53rd week and excluding charges related to the withdrawal liability for certain multi-employer pension funds and a voluntary retirement offering (the "2017 adjustment items")
To view the entirety of the Restock Kroger Plan, click here.
Will a c-store sale bring ballast to the Ohio-based retailer as it vies with an Amazon-owned Whole Foods, a resurgent Walmart, and others? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
BENTONVILLE, AR - Retail giant Walmart is predicting strong turnaround from the significant moves it has made to counteract Amazon on the e-commerce terf, having set a prediction of 40% growth in online sales next year. Shortly after, the stock market responded in kind with as much as a 4.5% boost, according to Reuters.
In the leadup to an annual investor meeting we reported on the unveiled intentions Walmart released about the growth projection, as well as plans to invest $11 billion in capital expenditures and add 1,000 online grocery locations.
“We are going to lean into places like technology, e-commerce, international stores,” Chief Financial Officer Brett Biggs said in the webcast of the meeting, Reuters noted.
Growth is also forecasted for overall net sales, according to the retailer. The meeting touched on a boost of at least 3% in the year ending January 2019, adding it would buy back $20 billion of its shares over the next two years.
Its shares rose 4.5 percent to close at $84.13, reported as the top driver of gains in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 index. As of this morning, shares were still up as the last week reflected the strong climb.
With reported growth of about 62% for the first half of fiscal 2018, up from 12% from a year ago, AndNowUKnow will continue to eye this and other big players in the dynamic buy-side market.
PHOENIX, AZ – Sprouts Farmers Market continues to spread its roots, this time expanding into new markets in the Sunshine State. The presses have barely cooled since the retailer announced that it was expanding Eastward amongst some of the nine new locations planned for 2018. Now, the chain has confirmed it will expand its Florida footprint by adding stores in Orlando, Naples, and the Tampa area.
“We knew residents’ interest in health and value would make Sprouts a natural fit for Floridians,” said Ted Frumkin, Chief Development Officer, in a press release. “We’re ramping up expansion efforts based on the strong performance of our Tampa and Sarasota stores, and positive customer response to the affordable fresh and natural products across the entire store.”
The Orlando area store will be its first in that market, set to open in Winter Park. Naples, too, will be a first for Sprouts, opening near the intersection of Immokalee Road and Logan Boulevard. Tampa is a market the brand has an increasing presence in; in addition to recently announced plans of opening a store in Valrico during the first quarter of 2018, the retailer opened three stores in Tampa and one in Sarasota earlier this year.
Sprouts attributed its rapid southeast expansion’s anchoring to a distribution center that opened in Atlanta last year.
Additional details, including opening dates for these sites, are said to be announced at a later date. You can see a full list of stores by region, or others coming soon, at sprouts.com/stores/search.
REIDSVILLE, GA – Shuman Produce has announced exciting plans for the 2017 PMA Fresh Summit—including chef demos featuring RealSweet® brand sweet onions and sweet potatoes and a festive Big Green Egg Giveaway. And this year, Shuman Produce is proudly celebrating 20 years of growing premium sweet onions in Peru.
The year-round grower and shipper of RealSweet onions has plans to showcase its Peruvian sweet onions, available to retailers during the fall and winter months. According to the company’s press release, the premium sweet onions are the product of Peru’s ideal combination of weather and sandy soils. Shuman Produce’s RealSweet Peruvian sweet onions maintain the taste, sweetness, and color consumers have come to expect from RealSweet Vidalia onions and maintain supply of the sweetest onions possible year-round.
Kevin Jenkins and Erik Holdo, also known as the personalities Chef & The Fat Man, will once again host live cooking demos featuring RealSweet Peruvian sweet onions and sweet potatoes at Shuman Produce’s booth #4237. These two culinary creators will, according to Shuman Produce, both entertain and provide delicious meal samples that highlight the company’s products.
This year, Shuman Produce also plans to highlight its RealSweet brand sweet potato crop. Harvested in Georgia in late-September, these sweet potatoes are expected to be available to retailers in time for Thanksgiving and will be available in both 40-lb. bulk options and consumer pack varieties.
PMA Fresh Summit attendees can also enter to win a Big Green Egg by visiting Shuman Produce’s booth. Big Green Egg is the highest-quality ceramic kamado-style charcoal grill and can be used as a smoker, oven, or grill. Lucky entrants who win will be able to enjoy RealSweet Peruvian sweet onions in a variety of ways with this perfect complement to tailgates and barbecues.
Attendees of the 2017 PMA Fresh Summit, held October 20-21 in New Orleans, Lousiania, are encouraged to stop and visit Shuman Produce at booth #4237—and visit realsweet.com for more on sweet onions.
FRANKLIN, TN - Could Carl’s Jr. be the next major food industry power player to be taken under Amazon’s wing? If the fast food company's latest online marketing campaign is to be taken at face value, Carl’s Jr. may be gunning for it. As of 3 AM ET on Monday, the fast food brand began tweeting at Amazon once every hour, offering up a few "billion dollar" ideas in an attempt to seduce the e-commerce giant into a buyout.
"This is about generating a conversation around a partnership,'' Jeff Jenkins, Chief Marketing Officer, Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, shared in an interview with USA TODAY. "The tweets are obviously a start to try and see where the dialogue goes…have a lot of fun with it, and see if they find the spirit of it as fun as we do.’’
According to USA Today, potential ideas Carl’s Jr. has been throwing at Amazon include a tongue-in-cheek "Eater Reader," a food tray that also serves as a cradle for your Amazon's Kindle tablet, and “Prime Thru,” an express drive through lane at Carl’s Jr. locations designed just for Amazon Prime members.
Carl’s Jr. has never been known for being shy with its marketing strategies in the past, making a name for itself though sexy ad spots in which scantily clad ladies enjoy one of the company’s signature messy burgers. But could this campaign actually lead to a deal?
Amazon is no stranger to attention in recent months, with many cities and companies alike courting the e-Commerce giant. For one, several cities have been going head-to-head to win rights to be the home of Amazon’s second headquarters, HQ2, which is projected to bring as many as 50,000 new jobs and insert billions of dollars into the local economy.
"We've got to be impossible to ignore,” Jenkins said of Carl’s Jr.’s Amazon marketing strategy. “Both Carls Jr. and [sister brand] Hardee's have a history of provocative advertising...The question is how do you modernize that.”
USA Today reports that Carl's Jr. plans to continue its tweet storm through the remainder of the week, preparing to offer up even more ideas, such as the "Tender Button" to get a chicken tender delivered straight to your door through Amazon.
"Some of the ideas are closer to home (to what) we could execute, but some are obviously pushing the envelope," Jenkins said. “People always overestimate what could happen in two years, and underestimate what will happen in ten.’’
Will you soon be ordering up burgers and fries from your local Prime Carl’s Jr. delivery location or scrolling through your Kindle with your new Carl’s Jr. fry stylus? AndNowUKnow will keep bringing you the latest.
LOS ANGELES, CA – As part of a strategic effort to expand into new fruit categories and support increased demand for existing business, Dulcinea Farms announced today the addition of three produce industry professionals to its Sales team, welcoming Christopher DeSana, Dan Carapella Jr, and Jeff Nichol to its already seasoned Sales organization.
“We are pleased to bring on these three industry veterans to support our growing supply base and customer demand,” General Manager Josh Leichter stated. “Christopher, Dan, and Jeff all bring track records of superior customer service in categories that align well with our current as well as future planned product lines.”
Christopher DeSana is taking on the position of East Coast Import Manager/Sales Manager. After graduating from Western Michigan University, Christopher served as an Account Executive at Sbrocco International, and more recently as Seald Sweet’s deciduous fruit manager.
“I have followed the growth of Pacific Trellis/Dulcinea over the years with some level of admiration and could not be more excited to join Josh and his team to build an even better future,” DeSana said about joining the group.
Dan Carapella Jr. is working as Salesperson in the New Jersey office, focusing on continuing to expand the company’s retail customer base as well as assist in the growth of newer categories like citrus, cherries, apples, and pears. Dan joined the fresh produce industry in 2004, after graduating from La Salle University, working as a Transportation Coordinator with Oppenheimer and following in his family’s footsteps of working with southern hemisphere imported produce. Most recently, he served as Sales and Marketing representative for Sbrocco International.
“The table grape program at Pacific Trellis is second to none, leading the way with many new varieties and sourcing from the growing areas preferred by supermarkets today,” explains Carapella. “In addition to the top-notch product, it was exciting to me to join a vertically integrated company that could offer retail partners truly direct year-round programs on table grapes.”
Jeff Nichol joined the company as Salesperson in the Los Angeles office and will focus on the Dulcinea melon business and supporting national retailers as well as the LA market area chains. After graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Jeff spent time with The California Mushroom Farm and Tanimura & Antle before working at SOL in Sales and Business Development.
“I am excited to join the Dulcinea Farms sales team and look forward to the opportunity to represent their amazing product lines,” Nichol confirms.
Dulcinea Farms/Pacific Trellis Fruit’s addition of DeSana, Carapella Jr., and Nichol to the sales team will help deliver superior customer service, expand solid grower partnerships, and boost strong retail demand, according to a recent press release.
We look forward to Dulcinea Farms’ upcoming year! For more industry related news, AndNowUKnow will continue to report.