SALINAS, CA – As the weather heats up, school winds down, and the sun continues to shine, Mann Packing has announced its own seasonal trait with the company’s new “Summer Fun” vegetable tray packaging.
“The limited edition design demonstrates Mann’s distinction as an industry leader in innovation with a collection of special edition packaging for summer,” said Kim St. George, Director of Marketing and Brand Management, in a press release.
The seasonal packaging graphics will be featured on Mann Packing vegetable trays starting on Memorial Day, and will adorn the company’s trays until August.
“To bring the spirit and character of the trays to life, classic moments of summer were chosen, creating a visually striking product on the shelf and meaningful connections with consumers,” finished St. George.
The “Summer Fun” graphics will be featured on the company’s 18 oz and 40 oz trays, for both the U.S. and Canada.
Attendees of this year’s United Fresh Expo, can see the graphics and trays showcased at the Mann Packing booth #1823.
Keep an eye to AndNowUKnow as we continue to cover promotions and marketing strategies to heat up your summer season.
PARMA, ID – An automation fever is gripping the ag industry, with science looking to provide us with the bots and mechanisms that will place produce at the forefront of the cutting-edge.
It is the time for technology in our industry, according to Bayer, which calls robots and autonomous tractors an important solution to improving farm efficiency.
“Agriculture still offers great potential for automation,” Peter Dahmen, a technology expert in Bayer’s research department, said in a release. “We don’t know what the future looks like. But it is quite conceivable that robots will help us to increase the productivity of farming in a more sustainable and environmentally compatible way.”
One of the machines the company listed as helping to lead the charge is a microplanting robotic “agricrab,” Prospero.
“Why not take the large machines of today and break them into thousands of smaller machines,” said the contraption Creator, Des Moines, Iowa-based engineer David Dorhout, according to Bayer.
With six legs and the capability of navigating the field, planting, and marking locations to spray, Dorhout hopes that, one day, a Prospero fleet will fill the fields, using infrared signals to communicate amongst themselves and direct needed assistance to any untended area.
“This approach completely frees the farmer from the farm machine, and gives him more time for the economic and scientific aspects of his agribusiness,” Dorhout said. “I’m really interested to see what the farmers of tomorrow will come up with if they are given a tool that tends their fields inch by inch or plant by plant.”
The farmers of tomorrow is a concept that many of us wonder about as more and more automated assistants come into play. As we reported recently, recent research has projected an agricultural robot market climbing up to $16.3 billion by 2020, and affordable driverless tractors in the next decade.
“Precision is the key to efficient agriculture,” Professor Simon Blackmore, Director of the newly-founded National Centre for Precision Farming (NCPF) in Great Britain, told Bayer. “And later robot generations will be intelligent enough to adapt to nature, the weather, and other environmental conditions.”
Dorhout predicted that robotics will have revolutionized agriculture in the next 20 years, with new technologies working alongside traditional machinery.
It’s quite a picture painted for our future fields, and as it approaches, AndNowUKNow will continue to report how the industry continues to make it happen.
WENATCHEE, WA - Stemilt is gearing up for the Northwest cherry season as the overall state crop looks to produce more than 20 million boxes this year. With an early start slated for June 1st, retailers should be planning ahead for June and July promotions, as the compressed season will create higher demand within produce departments.
Marketing Director, Roger Pepperl, joined me to talk about all-things Stemilt, and what retailers should be prepared for during the 2016 Northwest cherry season. From exclusive varieties and new merchandising concepts and displays, Stemilt is looking to share its recent innovations and strategies to help drive sales upward.
“This year it is important to note a much shorter season and changes in timing for ad programs,” Roger tells me. “You will most likely see 90 - 95 percent of the fruit shipped in June and July. While it’s good to have cherries early at retail, it will create challenges toward the end of the season for customers who don’t plan their schedules around this season’s new peaks and expectations.”
This year’s Northwest crop is slated to be compressed to a period of eight weeks and retailers need to capture every sale possible.
“We are going to see ads for the 4th of July pulling around June 15th and you will see lots of promotions moving forward,” Roger adds. “The 4th of July ad is a really great opportunity that I would consider a slam dunk at retail so get your orders in now. The month of July is so important for in-store promotions and we ask retailers to work with us to plan early and take advantages of our key, and new, opportunities.”
From about July 1st through the 20th, Stemilt will be promoting Cherry Festivals with a variety of different cherries on ad at the same time. With the compressed season, Stemilt advises that retailers build big, dynamic, eye-catching displays that communicate that festival atmosphere and draw the consumer and impulse buyer into the produce department.
The Cherry Festivals will feature dark sweet cherries and Rainiers in both organic and conventional, as well as the new Stemilt-exclusive, Skylar Rae variety in limited volumes. Skylar Rae is a bi-colored cherry with a firm texture and flavor profile that the company says makes it “the sweetest cherry you’ll ever eat™.”
“Displaying multiple varieties has proven to increase sales and impulse purchases,” Roger says. “Consumers like options and like the idea of a destination.”
The Kyle’s Pick Program is also slated to have a great year and features premium varieties and the largest sized fruit, like Stemilt’s Skeenas that offer high-firmness and high-flavor. Back by popular demand, Kyle’s Pick cherries will come in pouch bags in order to help retailers merchandise while driving repeat sales of cherries this season. This is truly a premium program with the consumer in mind.
“This year we are looking at 9.5 row sizes and larger for Kyle’s Pick cherries, which offer consumers a unique eating experience paired with amazing dessert flavors,” Roger says. “These cherries are picked for size, maturity, sugars, and firmness.”
Rainier cherries, another consumer favorite, will start around the 15th of June and will only be available for three to four weeks. Typically, Stemilt’s Rainier program will just be getting started around the first two weeks of July, but this year early July will actually be at the tail end of the Rainier cherry program. While they will not make it all the way through the month, they are a must-have while available – just another reason for retailers to stay ahead of the shorter season.
With varietal timing in flux across the entire season, Stemilt’s Half Mile Closer to the Moon cherries will be coming on early as well, slated for July 28th instead of the typical mid-August arrival. A majority of the fruit will come in early August.
“These high-elevation cherries are grown around 2,500 to 3,200 feet above sea level where the climate remains cooler during the heat of summer and cultivates an amazing crop of cherries,” Roger tells me. “Premium varieties including Skeena, Sweetheart, and Staccato® cherries are grown for this program.” Stemilt is continuing to plant higher in elevation which will continue to extend this program in future years.
Stemilt will be promoting its new display bins during 2016, with dark sweets on the front of the bin and Rainier cherries on back; allowing retailers to promote, at any given time, the variety of their choosing. Also new on the merchandising front are Stemilt’s aisle displays, which will feature a one-box display unit for Skylar Rae. These cherries will also be marketed in a new dome clamshell that features a high-gloss, metallic label.
“Stemilt is always working to differentiate in the orchard and at the store level,” Brianna Shales, Communications Manager, tells me. “With our new merchandising options we are visually capturing the consumers and building excitement throughout our retail cherry programs.”
Brianna also shares that Stemilt is continuing to go down the path of reaching the consumer directly and as she tells me, there are exciting things in-store to engage those cherry lovers.
“Cherries are a big driver to our website, and over the summer months we will have a host of opportunities to share our versatile cherry program with consumers,” she says. “Included in these offerings is a new eBook which presents a cherry how-to guide on all things Stemilt, from how to pick the perfect cherries, to freezing, storing, and juicing. We look at ourselves as the fruit experts, and definitely the cherry experts, and that is how we will engage with our social media outlets and consumer programs this year.”
Stemilt’s Farm to Fork program is picking up steam as well, and introduces retailers and consumers to the stories that have built and continue to grow Stemilt’s loyal following and expanding customer base.
“Whether consumers are eating a Skylar Rae cherry, Kyle’s Pick cherries, or Rainiers, we want to show the work, the stories, and the behind the scenes efforts that go into our program to bring some of the world’s most amazing cherries to market,” Brianna says.
So, what are you waiting for? Stemilt has great things in store and the strategies to take advantage of the Northwest’s upcoming cherry crop.
PLEASANTON, CA – As goers of this year’s FPFC could see by the giant truck in the parking lot, Veg-Fresh Farms showed up to the event in a big way, with new products and a new look. So what does all this newness entail? Director of Marketing Kate Reeb took a moment out of the bustling event to tell us about the company’s plans.
“Veg-Fresh Farms has been in business for over 27 years,” Kate tells me. “When they moved to the Corona facility it opened up a world of opportunities.”
Opportunities like expanding into two new brands, Crystal Cove Berry Farms and Good Life Organic. But two new brands and expanded focus isn’t all on Veg-Fresh’s plate, as the company also released new products, like the Gems line, and sustainable packaging.
“They are selling way beyond any of our expectations,” says Kate with a smile, as she describes the recycled packaging now utilized by the company.
Want more innovative features and new product announcements from Veg-Fresh Farms? See the exclusive video above…
BRAMPTON, ON - Loblaw has announced intentions to cut its prices in what seems to be an attempt to combat both competition in the retail sector and inflation in Canadian food pricing.
Following the announcement of lower-than-expected supermarket division sales in its Q1 2016 financial report, Loblaw’s Executive Chairman, Galen G. Weston, told investors that the company is trying to find the perfect balance of increasing markdowns to entice more customers, while avoiding too much damage to its bottom line. In its first quarter, Loblaw backed off too much from discounting “while our competitors ramped up significantly,” which “hit us harder than we anticipated,” he explained.
Loblaw has been seeing a stronger shift of consumer dollars towards discount formats, responding with what Weston calls a “measured” approach to lowering prices rather than outright slashing them.
“Our view is that that intensity is going to continue to increase,” he said, according to The Globe and Mail. “We see inflation slowing down as the Canadian dollar continues to increase. We see consumer prices coming down in certain markets and in certain categories.”
Peter Sklar, a retail analyst at BMO Nesbitt Burns, told The Globe and Mail that grocery prices will rise about 2 to 3 percent in 2016, compared with last year’s 4 percent jump.
Other grocery players in the region like Sobeys Inc. and Walmart Canada have made moves to drop prices with Metro Inc. CEO Eric La Flèche, saying last month that pricing in certain categories has been “quite aggressive. … It’s very competitive out there.” Last fall, Metro’s Quebec stores reduced prices, and earlier sharpened pricing at its Food Basics discount banner.
Highlights from Loblaw’s Q1 2016 financial report include:
- Sales at stores open a year or more rose 2.6 percent (excluding gasoline sales), compared with a 4 percent gain a year ago
- Non-pharmacy same-store sales at Shoppers Drug Mart rose 8.2 percent
- Profit rose to $193-million, or 47 cents a share, from $146-million, or 35 cents, a year earlier
- Sales grew to $10.4-billion from $10-billion
- Adjusted profit was $338-million, up $37-million or 12 percent
- Common share dividend will rise to 26 cents a quarter, payable July 1, up 4 per cent from 25 cents
Loblaw’s stock stayed mostly stagnant following the announcement, but fell a little over 1 percent.
As the Canadian grocery prices continue to fluctuate, AndNowUKnow will bring you all the details.
IMMOKALEE, FL - With sponsorships and upwards of 200 registrations, Lipman Family Farms was able to successfully raise $21,000 to benefit students through its fifth annual participation in a “Run for Backpacks” 5K and Junior Fun Run.
“Our ‘Run for Backpacks’ 5K is my favorite event of the year because it’s such a meaningful way to give back to children and families right here in our community,” said Jaime Weisinger, Community Relations Director for Lipman and Board Chairman for Lipman Family Foundation, according to a release.
The funds are enough to purchase nearly 1,200 backpacks filled with school supplies for local students, the company said, with the help of more than 25 local sponsoring organizations. Some of those included:
- Bronco Packaging
- Gargiulo, Inc.
- Intergro, Inc.
- Baker Hostetler Law Firm
- Rinker Systems
- Salazar Machine Steel
- Salee Productions
- Howard Fertilizer
- Henderson Franklin
- Insurance Company of America
- First Florida Integrity Bank
The successful event is one that Weisinger expressed the company would happily continue. “Encouraging education and healthy lifestyles is very important to us, and we hope to serve even more children in the coming years,” he finished.
The backpack giveaway will be hosted on August 6th, helping ensure that children have what they need in time for the start of the school year.
SANTA PAULA, CA - Mother’s Day is closer to hours than days away, and Limoneira sees the opportunity in the time remaining to ensure that lemons are on the mind.
Company spokesperson and Founder of Healthy Grocery Girl®, Megan Roosevelt, teamed up with MomsLA founders Yvonne Condes and Sarah Auerswald to create an all-day lemon-inspired menu to spoil moms.
To see the ladies’ collaboration, watch the four minute video above.
So what is MomsLA?
“MomsLA is super practical information for parents in Los Angeles,” Sarah explained as the three began to show off the meal ideas to spoil mom and, hopefully, inspire her the rest of the year.
“Although Mother’s Day is only one day a year, lemons are available to us all year long and Sarah and Yvonne were sweet enough to bring along some lemon-y treats to share with us,” Megan said.
From breakfast in bed, to a meal she doesn’t have to make, here is what Limoneira offers to feed moms on their special day:
Breakfast in Bed: Brown-Sugar Lemon Mascarpone Muffins
This breakfast pastry yields 12 to 16 muffins, so while mom doesn’t have to share, she definitely can. Using four whole lemons among its ingredient, they only take 15 to 17 minutes to bake, so you can still catch some Z’s before the morning surprise. For the recipe, click here.
Lemon-y Lunch: Grilled Lemon Chicken Salad
This zesty midday meal is something you’ll want to prep in advance, with the recipe calling to marinate the chicken overnight in the fridge. But having it prepared beforehand means more time to spoil moms anyway! For the recipe, click here.
Night In Dinner: Creamy Lemon Pasta
Finish off her day of not having to cook with a healthy, tasty pasta incorporating a pound of asparagus and, of course, two or three lemons. It’ll end the night on a high note and may even add to her bag of recipes throughout the rest of the year. For the recipe, click here.
Limoneira added that it has long asserted that lemons are one of the most versatile fruits.
“This spring, we also want to put our money where our mouths are and bring you some great tips for how to make this year’s celebrations just a little bit zestier,” the company said in a press release.
Even more recipes to push lemons for Mother’s Day and beyond can be found on the Limoneira blog, Lemons for Life home page, and Pinterest.
Keep checking in with AndNowUKnow for all the latest marketing ideas and offerings.
CALIFORNIA – As the rest of us prepare for the end of the week on the West Coast, rain and possible thunderstorms are beginning to make an appearance, with the potential of extending a few more days.
In a wide sweep of weather, California as a whole will be affected by a string of rain and storms which will provide some optimisim to the drought-afflicted region. AccuWeather.com reports that the bulk of the rainstorms, which began on Thursday, will hit on Friday and run through Saturday.
Beginning in the northern half of the region, storms will expand across central and southern California before moving into Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Zapolski said in a statement that while the storms are not expected to be particularly severe, affected communities should still be prepared for sudden downpours, high wind gusts, and small hail.
Officials have stated that flash flooding is possible over the next two days, with possible delays at airports throughout California. Also expected in the more desert-like areas of the state and southwest, are dry thunderstorms.
While meteorologists hail the upcoming rainfall as a needed combatant to the drought still afflicting California, officials are still leery of the prolonged impact of the storms.
"A long-term drawback will be that the rainfall will spur growth of small brush," stated AccuWeather’s Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. "As this brush dries out over the summer, it could become the fuel for wildfires later on."
For the most part, continued officials, despite some flash-flooding the storms will not be a washout. The storms are expected to expand further into the southwest states into the end of the weekend.
Keep your umbrellas handy and your inbox prepped, as AndNowUKnow continues to cover these California storms and other weather changes throughout the nation.
TAMPA, FL – In an effort to keep closely aligned with company and industry standards, IFCO North America has announced that it has finished installing SmartGuardian™ technology in all six of its Reusable Plastic Container (RPC) service centers in the U.S.
“Forward-thinking North American growers and retailers utilize IFCO RPCs to get their products to market, and SmartGuardian is the latest in a long list of factors that make IFCO RPCs a wise choice for the packaging, transportation, storage, and display of all categories of fresh food,” said Daniel Walsh, President of IFCO North America, in a press release.
Facilities now equipped with the monitoring technology are located at the following listings, as of these reported dates:
- McDonough, GA (August 2015)
- San Antonio, TX (December 2015)
- Bolingbrook, IL (January 2016)
- Rancho Cucamonga, CA (January 2016)
- Portland, OR (January 2016)
- Fresno, CA (February 2016)
SmartGuardian is proprietary software that controls the company’s RPC cleaning and santitation process. By monitoring water pressure and temperature, detergent and disinfectant concentration and contact time, IFCO can ensure that each RPC is processed correctly. SmartGuardian sends an alert or stops the machine if one of those parameters is out of line.
Pallets of clean RPCs that have passed inspection receive a label with the wash location, machine, and date and time. From here, these up-to-code pallets are given to distribution where they are tracked until delivery.
“IFCO RPCs have developed a well-deserved reputation for safety, efficiency and sustainability,” finished Walsh. “As the market leader in reusable fresh food packaging, we constantly strive to improve our products and services, and SmartGuardian is the latest example of our commitment to that core principle.”
Keep up with AndNowUKnow as we continue to cover leading industry software and food safety guidelines.
AUSTIN, TX - Whole Foods Market has announced some major moves for its 365 by Whole Foods Market banner this week. The company will take its total number of leases for the chain up to 19, adding six new locations in Akron and Toledo, OH; Bloomington, IN; Decatur, GA; as well as North Hollywood and Long Beach, CA.
“Created to complement our Whole Foods Market stores, our new 365 format will offer our same industry-leading standards and dedication to food transparency in a streamlined format designed around affordability and convenience and supported by enhanced digital experiences,” said Walter Robb, Co-CEO of Whole Foods, in a statement.
Despite a few rumblings in the financial community about the 365 banner creating some inside competition with the company’s flagship banner, Robb was sure to emphasize his confidence in what he sees as its inevitable growth. “We believe there is customer demand for both formats, and as a second growth vehicle, 365 allows us to attack the value-quality proposition in a new way, while maintaining the integrity the Whole Foods Market brand represents in the marketplace.”
Three 365 by Whole Foods Market stores will open in 2016:
- Silver Lake, Los Angeles, CA, on May 25
- Lake Oswego, OR, on July 14
- Bellevue, WA, this Fall
As many as ten additional 365 by Whole Foods Market stores are expected to open in 2017.
Along with the new store announcements, Whole Foods Market released its financial results for Q2 2016, revealing increased total sales reaching a record $3.7 billion. While comparable store sales decreased 3.0 percent, Whole Foods posted adjusted earnings of 44 cents a share, up three cents from Reuters’ analysts expectations of 41 cents a share.
“We produced record sales and operating cash flow, and returned $144 million of capital to our shareholders. Through our improved cost structure and expense disciplines, we delivered strong EBITDA in a challenging sales environment,” Mackey continued. “In addition to becoming more competitive on price, we are making measurable progress in fundamentally evolving our business and providing an enhanced experience for our customers across all platforms before, during, and after their visit.”
Other highlights from Whole Food’s Q2 financial report include:
- EBITDA was $353 million, or 9.5 percent of sales
- Produced $343 million in cash flow from operations
- Invested $159 million in capital expenditures
- Returned $44 million in quarterly dividends to shareholders
- Repurchased $100 million or 3.5 million shares of common stock
- Ended Q2 with $1.1 billion of total debt and $1.3 billion of total available capital
- Repurchased $50 million or 1.7 million shares of common stock
Whole Foods stock jumped over 5 percent following the financial announcement, reaching $30.01 as of 12:56 PM EDT on May 5th. This brings the retailer up to a market cap of $9.66 billion.
As Whole Foods continues to rapidly grow both its sales and its 365 banner, AndNowUKnow will update you with the latest.