TEWKSBURY, MA - It feels like Market Basket has been a newsroom fixture ever since Arthur S. Demoulas organized the ouster of his cousin and much beloved Market Basket President and CEO, Arthur T. Demoulas last month. This week is no exception with news breaking that Market Basket workers have issued a new set of demands to the company's new CEOs Felicia Thornton and Jim Gooch. They have made it clear that they expect an answer by Thursday, July 17th at 4:30pm.
According to the Boston Herald, the list of demands read:
- Bring Arthur T. Demoulas "back with full authority, non-negotiable
- A non-answer will be considered a no.
- A group meeting must be held by 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 17, informing us of your decision.
- We will not work for anyone but [Arthur T. Demoulas].”
Thornton and Gooch released a joint statement in the wake of the news saying, “This morning, several employees informed us that they require an answer on their demands by the end of day tomorrow. When we attempted to acknowledge their concern and respond on the status of the request, these employees instead left the meeting. We also are aware of a memo they issued, although it was not immediately given to us by these employees. This behavior is not appropriate nor is it in keeping with Market Basket’s culture of respect.”
Appropriate or not, the protesting employees are committed to their cause. They have already posted protest signs in and outside of the company's headquarters in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, according to the Boston Globe. So far, they have not informed the press about what their plans are if Thornton and Gooch refuse to give in to their demands, but a statement from Tom Gordon, a Market Basket manager with 39 years of experience with the company, may hint at it...
“They can’t run this company without the team at headquarters,” he said.
With emotions this high on all sides, there's no telling what may come next. No matter what happens however you can count on AndNowUKnow to keep you updated on any developments, so stay tuned.
Also, if you'd like to read about the events that lead up to this powder-keg of a situation, you can check out our previous articles here and here.
ATLANTA, GA – Competition in the Atlanta grocery market continues to grow. Last week, Instacart added Whole Foods Market to its grocery delivery services there.
Instacart delivery is also expanding its services to Smyrna, Vinings, Cabbagetown, Reynoldstown, Sandy Springs, and Dunwoody as well as parts of East Atlanta.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that Instacart users in Atlanta can now order groceries from Costco, Kroger and Whole Foods and have them delivered in as little as one hour. Interestingly, you do not have to be a Costco member to order from Costco through the service.
Instacart is currently offering new users a free delivery on their first order of $10 or more. Taking a line from Amazon Prime, Instacart also offers Instacart Express, an annual $99 membership that gives free delivery on all orders of $35 or more.
Atlanta is the latest addition to the new markets in which Instacart is currently operating.
Adding more competition to the market, Sprouts Farmers Market continues its growth in the Atlanta area with the grand opening of its second store there. This is just one of the markets that Sprouts plans to grow
Sprouts may increase its store count by as much as 14% yearly, which means it would reach the 1,200 stores it forecast within about 15 years. The CEO noted, expanding to as many as 1,500 stores isn’t out of the question in that time and that growth will come from building stores rather than through takeovers. For more information on Sprouts’ planned expansions, check out our previous story by clicking here.
UNITED KINGDOM – A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition shows that organic crops contain up to 60% more antioxidants than conventionally grown ones.
Newcastle University led a team of international experts in this study. They analyzed 343 peer-reviewed studies on the compositional differences between organic and conventional crops. A press release from Newcastle University said that the team discovered a change to eating organic fruit, vegetables and cereals or foods made from them provide additional antioxidants equivalent to eating between 1-2 extra portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
The study also shows significantly lower levels of toxic heavy metals in organic crops. Cadmium, one of only three metal contaminants which the European Commission has set maximum permitted contamination levels in food, has almost 50% lower levels in organic crops.
Newcastle University’s Professor Carlo Leifert, who led the study, says, “This study demonstrates that choosing food produced according to organic standards can lead to increased intake of nutritionally desirable antioxidants and reduced exposure to toxic heavy metals. This constitutes an important addition to the information currently available to consumers which until now has been confusing and in many cases is conflicting.”
The researchers also found pesticide residues were three to four times less likely in organic foods. Charles Benbrook, a Washington State University researcher and the lone American co-author of the study, said, “This study is telling a powerful story of how organic plant-based foods are nutritionally superior and deliver bona fide health benefits.”
The Newcastle release also states that these results contradict those of a 2009 UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) commissioned study that found no substantial differences or significant nutritional benefits from organic food. The FSA study made its conclusions on only 46 publications about crops, meat and dairy, while Newcastle based its data from 343 peer-reviewed publications on composition differences between organic and conventional crops.
Professor Leifert, Professor of Ecological Agriculture at Newcastle University, said, “The main difference between the two studies is time. Research in this area has been slow to take off the ground and we have far more data available to us now than five years ago.”
Additionally, Dr. Gavin Stewart, a Lecturer in Evidence Synthesis and the meta-analysis expert in the Newcastle team, added, “The much larger evidence base available in this synthesis allowed us to use more appropriate statistical methods to draw more definitive conclusitions regarding the differences between organic and conventional crops.”
The authors of this study welcome the continued public and scientific debate on this important subject. The entire database generated and used for this analysis is freely available on the Newcastle University website for the benefit of other experts and interested members of the public.
UNITED STATES - Telekensis and mind reading sound more like something out of the Jetsons than the modern retail market, but some exciting new technologies from companies like Neurosky and Emotiv are already making it a reality, one with some incredible possible retail applications.
Tan Le, Emotiv's CEO, showcased what her company's new tech could do in a interview since posted online. Even with the technology in its infancy, you can watch her move a toy car with nothing but her mind.
"I actually imagine a blue cube," she explained when asked about the thought process behind moving this toy car. "I imagine moving this little cube into the distance. That trigger is sent to the car and it drives it forward."
What does a toy car have to do with retail? Instead of a car imagine an employee navigating an unmanned forklift through a warehouse, or a grower plowing their field with a riderless, thought-powered farm plow. Imagine a customer needing assistance reaching something on a high-up shelf and a manager, from the other end of the store, effortlessly assisting them within seconds. Telekenetic-like techology, if advanced to this state, and Tan Le is very confident that this is possible, promises to increase worker safety, boost efficiency, and lead to ever better levels of customer support and satisfaction.
Emotiv isn't the only company on the market for thought-powered tech however. Applications are already being developed for Google's latest rollout, Google Glass, which are able to actually read customer's brainwaves, and assess their level of concentration or interest by analyzing them. MindRDR is one such app that harnesses this kind of tech to allow Google Glass wearers to take pictures with nothing but their thoughts.
Imagine now for a second a Google Glass wearer walking though a supermarket and pausing next to a pumpkin display. It's near Thanksgiving and the pumpkins catch their eye. A retail oriented Google Glass app could hone in on this brain activity and perhaps prompt the wearer with a store promotion for the product they might not know about, or perhaps a personalized savings deal, or even a pumpkin pie recipie that could further incentive a purchase. The possibilities are truly endless.
To learn more about where the industry could be going with these types of technologies be sure to stay tuned to ANUK. We'll keep you updated.
SOLEDAD, CA – Braga Fresh Family Farms has launched a website for its Josie’s Organics brand of USDA certified organic vegetables.
Check out the new Josie’s Organics website by clicking here.
The new site features quick and unique recipes, nutritional facts and product tips, kids’ activities, stories and photos of Josie Braga’s family and their almost 90 years of farming history, where to buy and much more, according to a press release. The site can be accessed by tablet, mobile phone or computer.
Moxxy Marketing developed the site and used the signature Josie’s Organics blue polka dots throughout to create a vibrant background. Moxxy tapped food and lifestyle expert Chadwick Boyd to create ten new recipes inspired by President and Farmer Rod Braga’s grandmother, “Nonnie” Josie, according to a press release.
“For more than two decades I’ve worked with celebrity chefs and premium retailers, but helping families eat healthy foods is the most rewarding work of all,” Boyd said. “The Braga family story—based on three generations of sustainable farming with Nonnie Josie at the heart of the home, keeping everyone well fed and putting wholesome fresh vegetables on the table—excites me to share these modern recipes inspired by her spirit.”
The recipes also include a per-serving nutritional analysis of important vitamins and nutrients, and the recipe section on the site offers key-word search and browse-by-vegetable options.
Rod Braga said, “Times have changed since Nonnie Josie prepared our meals, but families still need wholesome, fresh food and time together. With recipes, meal ideas, nutrition information, and preparation tips, the goal of the Josie’s Organics website is to make planning and preparing healthy meals easier. Plus, the site allows consumers to get to know our family, who has been growing vegetables sustainably for nearly 90 years, and why that will always be important to us.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Three PACA violators in Arkansas and Texas have been restricted from operating in the produce industry, according to a USDA press release.
Twin City Produce of Springdale, a Springdale, AR based company, failed to pay a $7,778 award in favor of a Texas seller. Travis F. Sharum was listed as a member of the business.
Freshpack Distribution, a McAllen, TX based company, failed to pay a $129,324 award in favor of a Colorado seller. Virginio R. Moreno was listed as the sole proprietor of the business.
Sun Belt Commodities Inc., a Houston, TX based company, failed to pay a $10,158 award in favor of an Arizona seller. James C. Lai was listed as the officer, director, and major stockholder of the business.
In the past three years, the USDA resolved approximately 4,600 claims under the PACA involving more than $87 million. Individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders may not be employed or affiliated with any PACA licensee without the approval of the USDA. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), PACA Division, regulates fair trading practices of produce businesses operating subject to PACA.
IRVINE, CA – The California Avocado Commission (CAC) celebrated “California Avocado Month” in June as part of its early season marketing by partnering with artisan chefs across the U.S. to add California avocados to the menu. The public relations program generated consumer media coverage and showcased the versatility of California avocados in different dishes to promote menu placement at restaurants.
“The Commission continues to tap into the creativity of artisan chefs to encourage new uses for California avocados,” said Jan DeLyser, Vice President of Marketing for CAC. “These chefs put together some awesome menus highlighting California avocado versatility throughout CAC’s California Avocado Month program in June.”
Well-known chefs across the U.S. participated in the promotion and featured California avocado specials in their restaurants, according to a press release. Seattle chef Eric Tanaka ran month-long specials at three Tom Douglas properties. His featured dish was Grilled and Chilled Rhode Island Squid, California Avocado, Lemon, Radish, Pea Vine and Squid Ink Aioli.
Carol Wallack of Sola, CAC’s artisan chef partner in Chicago, featured a special of Unagi atop Sushi Rise, Drizzled with Sweet Soy-Sake BBQ Sauce, accompanied by a California Avocado and Banana Puree. Across New York, New Jersey and Florida, Chef Ivy Stark featured her own spin on guacamole with California Avocado.
Other artisan chef partners who participated include Bruce Auden from San Antonio; Trey Foshee from San Diego; Philadelphia’s Mitch Presnky; Kent Rathbun from Dallas/Houston/Austin/Plano, and Oregon-based Lisa Schroeder.
Chef Schroeder’s restaurant, Mother's Bistro & Bar in Portland, Ore., was the site of a California Avocado Month artisan chef media dinner. Fifteen local food media attended the dinner, including representatives from The Portland Mercury and Oregon Public Broadcasting. Guests enjoyed a meal full of California avocado that kicked off with appetizers and Lucy Brennan’s Avocado Daiquiri. After enjoying a Butter Leaf Salad with California Avocado, Green Onion and Lemon Vinaigrette, attendees were served the chef’s Grilled Chicken Breast Topped with Sautéed Onions, Sliced California Avocado and Fresh Tomato Salsa along with one of her signature side dishes, California Avocado and Bacon Macaroni and Cheese.
During the meal Chef Schroeder demonstrated one of the appetizers – California Avocado, Pink Grapefruit and Dungeness Crab Cocktail – while providing facts about California avocados. Avocados also were the key ingredient in the dessert, a California Avocado Lime Pie.
The California Avocado Commission will continue to generate awareness about the versatility and uses of the California avocado.
MCMINNVILLE, OR – HBF International, formerly Hurst’s Berry Farm, has expanded its sales force with the addition of four new members to the team.
Jessica Menke has been hired to Domestic Sales. She started with HBF International in early 2011 as a sales assistant, according to a press release. The experience she gained assisting the sales force with orders, customer service and truck transportation has made her an asset to the team.
Phillip Moreland has been hired to Domestic/Food Service Sales. Previously, he worked as Director of Sales for Sunnyside Packing Company. Phillip will work out of the HBF International California office and will take on the additional growth of HBF’s domestic and food service sales.
Barry Foley has been hired to Export Sales. He is an industry veteran with a career going back to 1986. Barry has held a variety of roles in the produce industry including managing his own export brokerage business for eight years, according to a press release. He will be working with and growing the export program.
Hollie Spivey has been hired as a Sales Assistant. She has 13 years of experience in ag-related business. Hollie worked at Evergreen Agricultural Enterprises for six years. She will be the go-to person in the sales department to assist the team in putting in orders, doing sales support and follow-ups. She will also arrange truck transportation for the entire domestic berry output.
HBF hopes that this expanded sales force will be able to deliver even more high-quality berries from the world’s top growers to market.
Congratulations Jessica, Phillip, Barry and Hollie!
CHEROKEE COUNTY, SC - This past weekend, karma came knocking for James Lawhorne - the man behind the bankrupted Tennessee Valley tomato company, Cypress Creek Organic Farms, as well as a string of felonies as long as the list of the states he committed them in. Lawhorne has been on the run for almost a year now, but was finally apprehended by South Carolinian authorities in Cherokee County after he was found to be driving under the influences and possessing an open container.
The DUI and open container violations are just the latest in a slew of crimes James Lawhorne has committed over his life. Under the alias Paul Rodger, he was indicted for 10 counts of bank fraud in 1987. After pleading guilty, he was sentenced to probation and ordered to pay over $34,000 in restitution payments to his former investors. More recently, he fled Alabama in order to avoid paying $228,000 in damages to Alabama investors which they were awarded in a civil lawsuit. He is also wanted in Tennessee, where there is an outstanding warrant for his arrest, issued after he failed to appear for court. He has been on the run ever since, at least until now.
Lawhorne will be held in a South Carolinian jail until he can be extradited to Tennessee to answer for his crimes. According to reporters at the Waff 48, he must first pay back the $1,400 dollar bond levied against him for his DUI charge before he can be extradited. Regardless, Tennessee prosecutors and Lawhorne's many defrauded investors can take solace in the fact that justice is finally in sight.
LOS ALAMITOS, CA – Frieda’s Specialty Produce has debuted its new season of “Specialty Produce 101” videos on its YouTube channel. The videos highlight specialty produce and are uploaded monthly.
Check out the latest installment below:
For more, check out Frieda's Youtube channel by clicking here.
“With marketing trends leaning more toward mobile, it is important to us that we have easy to access, short videos for shoppers to watch on the fly,” said Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s.
Each new video is about a minute and a half and keeps the quirky charm of the previous seasons while clocking in at about half the length, according to a press release.
According to Caplan, shoppers are not the only group that benefits from these new, shorter videos. “Many of our retail clients use our videos to train their produce managers,” she said. “The shorter form of the videos is much more time efficient.”
Alex Jackson, Account Manager and Caplan’s daughter, is featured in the videos and showcases usage tips, interesting facts and recipe ideas. The videos are all produced in-house in Frieda’s test kitchen.