BALTIMORE, MD – Baltimore-area businesses are joining the PMA ‘eat brighter!’ campaign to inspire young children and their families to eat more fresh produce.
Fresh produce supplier East Coast Fresh and Baltimore-headquartered Mars Super Markets are putting an emphasis on produce marketing by using Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Elmo and several other furry faces on packages of fresh fruits and vegetables, according to a press release. Mars is the first retailer to partner with a supplier like East Coast Fresh to offer the ‘eat brighter!’ product in stores.
East Coast Fresh serves 2,500 retail stores east of the Mississippi, and it will be including 20 of its 130+ products in its ‘eat brighter!’ marketing program, according to a press release. Ross Foca, President of East Coast Fresh says that his company will measure success by how many of the company’s retail partners join and by monitoring sales numbers.
“For sales, we truly expect them to go up, and I feel OK about that because we’re helping customers to become healthier,” Foca said. “We’re excited about increasing sales and targeting a younger generation of families with a program that’s coming with no additional costs to them.”
Mars Super Markets has 17 grocery stores in Baltimore, Harford, Howard and Anne Arundel counties. The retailer hosted an event to kick off the Sesame Street produce promotions in its Wise Avenue store on September 24.
“We are excited to take part in this program,” Chris D’Anna, Chairman and CEO of Mars Super Markets says. “The Sesame Street partnership will be a great way to engage and educate children about good nutrition and making good choices.”
The PMA ‘eat brighter!’ program offers royalty-free access to Sesame Street characters and is supported by grocery retailers and fresh produce companies across the United States and Canada. To learn more, click here.
KINGSVILLE, ON – SUNSET® has been named as a finalist for the 2014 PMA Impact Award: Excellence in Packaging for its new Eco Flavor System™, a new sustainable packaging program that uses top seal Eco Flavor Bowls packed in specially branded eco-friendly boxes that double as in-store displays.
Families who are interested in leading a healthy, economical lifestyle will love the Eco Flavor Bowl™. It is an easy and attractive solution for entertaining or family snacking. Consumers can quickly and easily rinse product right in the bowl and set out for snacking or entertaining. It is also designed for retailers and consumers who value sustainability. Retailers are able to show off as much of the product as possible without compromising looks or food safety. These stackable packages brighten up produce categories for retailers and promote consumption for consumers.
SUNSET® will be at booth 4228 at PMA Fresh Summit.
Congratulations on the nomination, SUNSET®!
COMMERCE, CA - Smart & Final Stores Inc. is about $161.4 million richer today after a successful IPO launch which saw over 3 million shares change hands during Wednesday trading. According to Reuters, Smart & Final fixed the price for its offering at $12/share. This was the low end of the $12-$14 expected price range for the retailer's stock.
Smart & Final shares opened at $13.10, rising to a high of $13.39 during a session in which it was the most heavily traded stock on the New York Stock Exchange. According to Reuters, this pricing level placed the valuation for the company at $951.4 million. The stock closed at $12.01/share, according to the New York Times.
Smart & Final has announced that it plans to use the funds raised during its IPO to finance general corporate costs and to pay down debts, which ballooned to $703.3 million as of June 15, 2014, up from $304.1 million in November 2012.
Doing this will strengthen Smart & Final's market position, according to Moody's Investor Services. According to the New York Times, Moody's main criticism of the company stemmed from Smart & Final's poor credit standing. Apart from this, Moody complemented the retailer for its continued “ability to compete effectively and maintain margins in a tough economic and competitive business environment.”
Smart and Final is owned by Ares Management. Reuters reports that in the wake of the IPO, Ares Management's ownership stake in Smart & Final could drop to about 74.7% from 95.6% if the underwriters exercise their full option to buy additional shares.
The retailer runs 250 stores in the western United States, between its Smart & Final and Cash & Carry lines.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for future updates on Smart & Final and the North American retail industry.
MCFARLAND, CA - Sunlight International is greeting the Fall season with excellent quality for its melt-in-your-mouth Green and Red Emerald, Scarlet Royal, Autumn Royal, Autumn King, Luisco, Crimson, Vintage and Red Globe grape varieties. All of these varieties are currently being picked and packed in Sunlight International's vineyards.
“Overall, the grape eating quality is at premium status,” says Nick Dulcich, President of Sunlight International. “If weather permits, the season will go all the way into January, increasing the availability of green, red and black grapes for the year.”
Because of the hot summer, the brix are up for these grapes, leading to a sweeter taste the company is sure customers are going to love.
In terms of varieties, the Autumn Royals are seedless grapes with a black, crunchy flesh that the company says makes a perfect complement to a Halloween dish. Red Globes are seeded berries, notable for their outstanding size and easy incorporation to popular snack dishes. Finally, Green Emerald and Red Emerald grapes are extra-large, crunchy, and very flavorful.
To complement these Fall varieties, Sunlight International is launching its Harvest Hobgoblin promotion. As part of the promotion, all grapes will come packaged in festive Harvest Hobgoblin bags. Eye-catching Grab-N-Go pouch bags, colorful display bins, presentation shipping cartons, and posters are also available for retailers to make use of during the Fall holiday season.
According to a press release, each Harvest Hobgoblin bag will be marked with a special QR code, linking the buyer to a Halloween recipe video they can use to brew up spooky sweet treats centered around Sunlight International's produce.
Check out all of Sunlight International's offerings this year in Anaheim at PMA Fresh Summit at booth #1950 from October 17-19. All of Sunlight International's three marketing campaigns and its famous Pretty Lady brand items will be on display there.
OXNARD, VENTURA COUNTY, CA - San Miguel Produce is significantly expanding its operations in Georgia and California to triple its current growing and production capacity.
The recently announced two-part expansion begins with a new state-of-the-art facility in Georgia as part of a partnership between San Miguel Produce and Herndon Farms in Lyons, GA. Construction on the new plant is expected to reach completion by November 2014. The location will service the company’s current customer base in the Midwest/Eastern regions of North America and will open new business in this region, according to a press release.
During the second phase of the expansion, the company will add 40,000 square feet to its current plant in Oxnard, CA. Upon completion sometime in 2016, the new addition will help service the company’s customer growth in the Western Region and expand its product line and volume.
These expansion plans come at a time when the company’s cornerstone brand Cut ‘N Clean Greens turns 20 years old. Other San Miguel brands include Jade, authentic Asian greens, and San Miguel Produce, conventional and organic bunch greens.
DELANO, CA – Welcome to What's In Store. Columbine Vineyards is gearing up for this year’s harvest of its proprietary Holiday® grapes. This late season variety, presents retailers with an extra large berry with bright red, cherry coloring, as well as a uniquely sweet flavor profile. With a commitment to quality since 1926, the company will be offering promotable volumes of Holiday® grapes beginning in October and running into mid-December.
To make it easier for Columbine customers, the company has launched a G.P.S. or “Grape Positioning System” application for iPhones and Android devices that makes it easier for grape lovers to locate Columbine’s classically beautiful and delicious grapes at their nearest grocery store.
This year, the company is offering retail merchandising support that includes festive and eye-catching POS material which can also be found on the company’s newly redesigned website columbinevineyards.com. Columbine’s new, high graphic stand-up bag is also creating a draw for the customer and is designed to save 6.5% plastic waste by removing the tear-off on top of the bag.
This sweet and crunchy berry is great for entertaining and adds a delicious splash of flavor to appetizers, meals, and cocktails. To help inspire foodies and chefs, the company is sharing palate-pleasing recipes like its Holiday® Grapetini, which can be found on the company’s website as well.
Columbine Vineyards is once again raising the bar in the California grape category as consumer demand for distinctive and flavorful varieties continues to grow. Thank you for joining us for this episode of What's In Store.
VERO BEACH, FL – Seald Sweet is continuing its partnership with the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) and Military Produce Group to help military families through the Fisher House Foundation with its South African Summer Citrus promotions in DeCA commissary stores across the Eastern U.S.
“We are very excited to continue growing and building this program,” said Kim Flores, Seald Sweet’s Director of Marketing. “Our close relationships with our South African citrus growers have enabled us to continue building the category and programs in the commissaries while simultaneously giving back to our service members. Fisher House is an outstanding organization and we are honored to have a continued opportunity to contribute to their programs.”
To promote the partnership, in-store promotions and grower-attended demonstrations were held at military base commissaries in the Florida Panhandle region where customers were able to sample fresh South African Navels and Clementines. The grower involvement helped to educate consumers on products and growing operations.
During one of the events, a ceremony was held where representatives from Seald Sweet, DeCA, Military Produce Group and the (South African) Western Cape Citrus Producers Forum came together as a $10,000 check from Seald Sweet was given to the Eglin Air Force Base Fisher House manager, who was representing Fisher House Foundation, according to a press release.
“We are thrilled with the ongoing commitment of Seald Sweet to improve the quality of life for members of the Armed Forces and their families through its annual donation to Fisher House Foundation,” said Fisher House Foundation Vice President Jim Weiskopf. “By designating the donation to the Foundation’s scholarship program, Seald Sweet is helping military families faced with the increasing costs of education for their children.”
That donation came from Seald Sweet’s fundraising programs through purchases of summer citrus in specially marked packaging. It will be used to provide funding through Fisher House’s programs for unmet needs like short-term housing during medical treatment for wounded service members and scholarship programs for military children.
The promotions will continue to run through the end of September in the Eastern U.S. commissaries. For more information about South African Summer Citrus, the Fisher House Foundation, Military Produce Group, or the Defense Commissary Agency see www.summercitrus.com , www.fisherhouse.org , www.militaryproduce.com , www.commissaries.com .
ST. LOUIS, MO - Schnucks Market will be welcoming Steve Mayer as its new Vice President of Produce and Floral after the retirement of former Schnucks executive, Mike O'Brien. O'Brien is set to retire at the end of October. With his experience as President of Flavor 1st, Senior Vice President for Fresh at AUSA Retail, and Group Vice President for Fresh at BI-LO LLC, Steve brings a considerable skillset to his new position.
Steve began his career with Meijer as Vice President of Deli and Bakery. He worked there for over 7 years, learning the ins-and-outs of the business and honing the skills he would bring to his later positions. Altogether, he brings over 18 years of invaluable experience in fresh produce, deli, and retail with him to Schnucks.
Before signing on with Meijer, Steve received his Master of Arts in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix. He would go on to receive a Doctorate in Business Administration from California Coast University and attend a valuable certificate program at the Harvard Business School.
Congratulations on the new position, Steve!
HOUSTON, TX - Sysco has announced the sale of $5 billion in bonds in order to fund its proposed merger with US Foods. According to Bloomberg, the money raised from this deal would also go towards refinancing the debt of US Foods.
Bloomberg is reporting that the $5 billion sale, the largest in the company's history, is actually made up of 6 smaller transactions, the largest of which is a $1.25 billion sale of 3.5%, 10-year notes which yielded 102 basis points more than similar-maturity Treasury notes.
This sale showcases Sysco's confidence that its merger will be approved by regulatory officials, something which came into question after the FTC announced that it would be considering filing an antitrust lawsuit in order to block the transaction. As AndNowUKnow previously reported, the FTC will make a decision on whether or not to file this lawsuit within the next few weeks.
Moody's Investor Service reduced Sysco’s senior unsecured debt grade to A2 from A1 in the wake of the sale. Moody's cited an expected rise in leverage as a result of the US Foods merger as the reason for this move.
As of the time of writing this piece, Sysco’s Vice President for Corporate Communications Charley Wilson has so far declined to issue any comment on the transaction.
As of 1:20pm ET on Wednesday, September 24th, Sysco's stock is up $1.24/share, a 3.37% increase since the market's open.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for any future updates on Sysco and its impending merger with US Foods.
FIREBAUGH, CA – Ruby Fresh's new JEWELS Grab-N-Go Pomegranate Aril cups have been named among the 20 finalists for the 2014 PMA Impact Award: Excellence in Packaging.
“Not only are we honored to be one of 20 finalists in the Excellence in Packaging program, but this makes us that much more excited to show off our new JEWELS product line at this year’s PMA,” says David Anthony, Domestic Sales for Ruby Fresh. “Convenience was such an important factor when we began designing our newest product line.”
The new Ruby Fresh JEWELS Pomegranate Aril come in convenient 4 and 5.3 oz. Grab-N-Go snack cups and are now available in 2-packs and 4-packs. Display-ready, these snack cups were designed in stand-up packaging to be displayed in refrigeration units. The eye-catching sleeve allows for product information to be readily available while still letting the consumer view the pomegranate arils in the snack cups.
Processed pomegranate arils have been gaining popularity with consumers everywhere, not only as an ingredient for exciting recipes, but also as a healthy snack rich in antioxidants. Ruby Fresh has taken this trend one step further by offering its quality pomegranate arils in a convenient Grab-N-Go snack cup perfect for on-the-go-moms, kids and health-oriented consumers. Its unique re-sealable lid adds to its versatility, while maintaining its freshness. Additional improvements to sleeve design, including its snap-lock enclosure and finger-grabs, further add to the packaging’s uniqueness.
Ruby Fresh will be at Fresh Summit in Booth #602.
Congratulations on the nomination, Ruby Fresh!