FRESNO, CA - Baloian Farms is launching a new website in order to further the company's overall mission to grow and solidify its place in the industry as a category leader in pepper production. This total brand positioning effort has been the focus of the last 18 months of the company's business cycle and has included the launch of several new exciting products.
“We’ve been looking for a way to tell consumers our story while showcasing how to prepare and cook our products in healthy and delicious ways,” Jeremy Lane, Sales Manager for Baloian Farms, shared. “The new recipe section helps consumers make a more personal connection with our company especially as a third-generation family farm.”
According to a press release, the intention behind the new website was to display the depth and variety of the products offered at Baloian Farms as well as to showcase many of the company's new offerings in a consumer-friendly format.
In an effort to share the Baloian Farms story and further connect the company's consumers and industry partners, the website will feature:
- Availability charts, category and consumer research, food safety and sustainability information and various other tools for retailers and foodservice managers.
- A new recipe section.
- Information about the Baloian family and the history of the company.
- A new simple, clean design in order to facilitate easy navigation.
Great work on the new website, Baloian Farms!
LOS ALAMITOS, CA – Frieda’s Specialty Produce is offering Green Dragon Apples with labels to distinguish these sweet, juicy and fragrant heirloom apples from other green apples.
“We launched the new stickers last season, and the feedback has been very positive,” said Karen Caplan, President and CEO of Frieda’s, Inc. “Our effort to educate shoppers and produce staff continue beyond just the stickers. We carry on the conversation about how freckles are normal for these delicious apples on our social media channels and website.”
According to a press release, shoppers love the company’s exclusive Green Dragon Apple’s sweet, low acid flavor that has hints of pineapple and pear.
These apples have a lime-green, bruise-resistant skin and are dotted with brown freckles. Frieda’s has seen success with these labels because consumers often mistake them for Golden Delicious or Granny Smith and considered them blemished because of their freckles.
The new labels inform shoppers that the naturally freckled skin of these apples is quite normal to help educate the shopper.
NORTHEAST U.S. - The industry is bracing for impact as an unwelcome Nor’easter is expected to affect millions of travelers this Thanksgiving. Meteorologists anticipate seeing heavy rain, snow, and high winds to hit all major metro areas throughout the Northeast throughout Tuesday and Wednesday, typically known as the busiest travel days of the year.
“Rain is expected for coastal areas, and snow for the Central Appalachians and into inland parts of the Northeast U.S., which should adversely affect travel on Wednesday,” the National Weather Service reports. Winter Storm Watches from the National Weather Service have been posted from central Virginia to eastern Maine, including Philadelphia; Albany, NY; Springfield, MA; Hartford, CT; and Portland, ME, according to USA Today.
“The storm should rapidly strengthen off the coast of New England on Wednesday night, leading to strong and gusty winds, especially near the coast,” said AccuWeather meteorologist Ben Noll. “This would lead to some blowing and drifting of the snow, making travel on Wednesday night very difficult.”
Up to 10 inches of snow is possible in some areas, whereas northeastern Pennsylvania is expected to see the highest amount of snow, alongside the Catskills of upstate New York and into Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine, according to CNBC.
Though transportation delays are inevitable, Allen Lund Company is making adequate preparations in anticipation of the storm.
“While the poor weather conditions will certainly pose a challenge this holiday season, Allen Lund Company is confident we have the personnel and resources to keep freight delivered on time,” Steve Hull, Manager at Allen Lund’s Portland Office, shared with us. “We will be relying on our carriers and our support team to make wise choices this Thanksgiving week. With some of the most skilled drivers and logistics professionals in the industry among our drivers, our shippers and receivers can rest assured Allen Lund is prepared for the challenges ahead.”
While the storm will greatly impact the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, growers along the East Coast will also be watching the temperatures very closely, especially in Central Florida. Since things are already tight on the supply side with some items like tomatoes, it is imperative that they stay on their toes, one grower tells us. The way it stands and how it’s forecasted now, they are hoping to be in the clear of any significant damage and are hoping for the best.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue tracking the impact of this Nor’easter.
BENTONVILLE, AR - Wal-Mart's Chief Merchandising Officer Duncan Mac Naughton has announced that he will be parting ways with the retailer in order “to pursue new opportunities,” effective immediately.
Although this news is, of course, a loss, CEO Greg Foran said that he sees this departure as an opportunity for Wal-Mart to restructure its U.S. operations so as to stock more products able to attract consumers to its stores, according to the Wall Street Journal. Thus, he will not be naming a new CMO in the immediate future, preferring to have Wal-Mart executives in related departments report to him directly throughout this process.
“I would like to use this opportunity to get closer to the merchandising organization,” Foran shared in a Tuesday memo, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Wal-Mart has also announced that it will be replacing its Head of Grocery, Jack Sinclair. Steve Bratspies, the former head of Wal-Mart's General Merchandise Division, has been named the new EVP of Food, according to the Wall Street Journal. With “a strong focus on fresh,” Sinclair will instead be taking on a new role with Wal-Mart. The nature of this role will be announced at a later date, according to the memo.
Although Wal-Mart will be losing its Chief Merchandising Officer just days before the Thanksgiving holiday, the company says that it is confident the holiday strategy which it has had set for months will allow it to take full advantage of the busy season.
“We feel confident in operators and merchants to execute the holiday plan and take us on to next year,” explained Wal-Mart Spokeswoman Deisha Barnett.
AndNowUKnow would like to wish Duncan Mac Naughton the best as he enters this exciting new phase of his career.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – United Fresh Produce Association has hired Mary Coppola as its new Senior Director, Marketing Communications. Mary will fill the position formerly held by Ray Gilmer and lead the association’s member communications and marketing functions.
“I’m excited to have Mary join our team at United Fresh,” said President and CEO Tom Stenzel. “Mary will bring a fresh approach to our marketing and communications programs, helping us to better connect with and serve our members and constituents across the fresh produce and floral sectors.”
Most recently, Mary worked as Director of Marketing and Creative Services at the Healthcare Distribution Management Association in Arlington, VA. In that role, she oversaw communication and marketing functions relating to event, product, services and membership marketing, according to a press release. She joined HDMA in 2008 as Manager of Creative Services.
Before that, Mary managed a design consultancy offering brand services to clients like Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, GA., CaroLinks, Inc. in Charleston, S.C. and BFG Communications in Bluffton, S.C. among others.
She earned a master’s degree from Savannah College of Art and Design and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. She is a member of the American Marketing Association, the American Institute of Graphic Artists and the American Society of Association Executives and has won numerous awards for creative marketing and advertising programs.
Congratulations on this new position, Mary!
WENATCHEE, WA – Columbia Marketing International (CMI) has completed a social media contest on a Facebook page created for Ambrosia™ apples that has revealed interesting information on QR codes.
2,100 people entered the contest, which launched at the end of October. It offered consumers the opportunities to win a crate of fresh Ambrosia™ apples along with kitchen gadgets for cutting and preparing fresh apples. Additionally, the page featured an optional survey question about QR implementation on packaging.
“Survey respondents were asked whether they actively scan QR codes on packaging when making product selections,” said Steve Lutz, Vice President of Marketing at CMI. “We hoped that the question would provide us with insight on whether consumer trends were climbing with QR code implementation, and whether this was still a worthwhile endeavor for us to pursue.”
According to a press release, the results of the survery indicated that about half of consumers actively scan QR codes on packages, with 49.95% of consumers indicating that they use QR code readers on their handheld devices. 36.3% or respondents said that they have never scanned QR codes and 13.75% were unsure.
“It could be assumed that those respondents unsure about their scanning behavior likely had not scanned a QR code before, thus roughly evening the results between those that actively scan QR codes and those that do not,” said Lutz. “These results surprised us, as it appears through this survey that scan implementation is on the rise."
CMI is planning on continuing consumer surveying through social outlets to better understand and respond to changing consumer behavior.
DALLAS, TX – Avocados from Mexico (AFM) has announced successful results for its “Hungry for Football” promotion.
According to a press release, the campaign, which was launched on September 8, 2014, brought in over 92,000 consumer sweepstakes entries in its first five weeks. Also, retailers ordered about 9,500 promotional pieces and over 9,000 co-branded bins.
“We are pleased to see the success of the campaign thus far,” said Maggie Bezart, Vice President of Trade and Promotions, AFM. “It’s clear that guacamole remains a favorite recipe among consumers and avocados are the perfect produce item to pair with all football celebrations.”
The “Hungry for Football” promotion will run through December 15, 2014 and is a partnership with Ro*Tel®. It has been designed to get customers and consumers excited about the college football season while incorporating Avocados from Mexico in their celebrations.
AFM is celebrating the success of this campaign as it gears up for “Guac Fiesta,” the company’s next campaign, which will position the brand during the prime football season and the Super Bowl. This new campaign will take place December 16, 2014 through February 1, 2015.
The “Guac Fiesta” promotion will partner AFM with Old El Paso® and will include various signage options and a new produce bin to assist retailers in creatively designing displays, according to a press release.
Consumers can also join in on the promotion with in-store and online savings and a change of winning a prize pack to host their own Guac Fiesta prize pack, a $3,500 value. The prize pack will include a $1,000 grocery gift card, $2,500 gift card for fiesta supplies and a bundle of branded materials.
For more information on Avocados from Mexico or more about the “Hungry for Football” and “Guac Fiesta” campaigns, click here.
WASHINGTON - The USDA has lifted PACA reparation sanctions on KSP Enterprise Inc.
The Fullerton, California-based company has met its obligations and is now free to operate in the produce industry, according to a USDA press release. Brian M. Chong was listed as the Officer, Director, and major stockholder of the business and may now be employed by or affiliated with any PACA licensee.
KSP Enterprise Inc. was formerly restricted from operating in the produce industry in September 2014 after failing to pay a $183,594 award in favor of a Washington seller. Once a reparation order is fully satisfied and it is confirmed that there are not any outstanding unpaid awards, USDA lifts the employment restrictions of the previously named, responsibly connected individuals.
In the past three years, USDA resolved approximately 4,600 claims filed under PACA involving more than $87 million. Individuals, including sole proprietors, partners, members, managers, officers, directors, or major stockholders may not be employed by 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.
ISSAQUAH, WA - Costco earned over $110 billion in total revenue in fiscal 2014 with a multifaceted retail plan which has paid enormous dividends for the big box retailer. With over $5.9 billion in meat sales alone and a 91% renewal rate among club members in the United States and Canada (the global rate was an equally impressive 87%), Costco has clearly found a retail strategy that works.
Store Growth
Back in 2013, Costco shared that it planned to open 150 new warehouses over the following 5 years, with 55 of these concentrated in the United States alone. The new stores, primarily located in unentered markets, according to Executive Vice President and CFO Richard Galanti, would mean a wider market and more customers shopping each day. This aggressive approach to expansion has been key to the Costco growth model.
So far, Costco has made good on its promise, opening 26 stores in fiscal 2013 and 29 more in fiscal 2014, net of closures and relocations. This brought Costco's store count to 663 and was an important contributor to the 7% leap in its annual revenue, according to The Motley Fool's Eshna Basu.
With 31 new warehouses planned for fiscal 2015, Galanti shared that the retailer does not just see expansion as a way to fend off rivals, but as a reflection of the company philosophy “that we are doing well and we want to ramp up expansion, which is a decision we made two or three years ago."
Eye on International Expansion
Costco has built a presence in several new countries over the recent past. As Basu noted, in fiscal 2014 it had 109 stores built in international locations, not counting Canada. The new store count by country that year was:
- Canada: 3
- Australia: 3
- Korea: 2
- Japan: 2
- U.K.: 1
- Mexico: 1
- Spain: 1
Costco has another 12 international stores planned in fiscal 2015 and it is also strongly considering entering the potent Chinese retail market.
"Costco sees tremendous growth opportunities in China, especially in light of Chinese consumers' increasing appetite for imported products," shared Jim Murphy, Vice President.
Smart Spending
Before fiscal 2013, Costco's capital spending routinely fell in between $1 million and $1.5 million. This changed in fiscal 2013 when the company increased capital expenditures to $2 billion, a number which it retained in fiscal 2014. This is currently projected to increase even more in fiscal 2015 to $2.5 billion to $2.7 billion.
With a 13% return on invested capital in fiscal 2014, compared to a 8.64% weighted average cost of capital, according to Basu, these investments have obviously paid off for Costco. A willingness to invest in itself allows Costco to stay ahead of the retail game, remodeling stores, expanding ancillary business operations, growing cross-stock depot operations and planning ahead for future store expansions.
Taken together, this cohesive retail strategy has been instrumental in generating the enviable revenue numbers Costco currently enjoys. Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for coverage of this exciting retailer's future operations.
AVONDALE, PA - Foraged Fresh is the latest innovation from To-Jo Mushrooms. This new program offers a wide selection of in-season specialty mushrooms, ranging from Morels to Chanterelles to Matsutake and Porcini. Throughout the year, To-Jo’s Foraged Fresh program ensures foodservice distributors and retailers access to the perfect complement of specialty items for their customers.
Every Wednesday afternoon, members of this program have access to To-Jo's weekly flier highlighting the current supply, quality, and pricing. One call to To-Jo and your order will be processed within 24 hours. To-Jo collaborates continuously with its customers to give the most up-to-date information pertaining to these offerings and the various preparation techniques that can be used.
If it's in-season and in good supply, To-Jo Mushrooms invites you to turn to Foraged Fresh for all your Specialty mushroom needs.