ORLANDO, FL - Staying on top of food trends can be hard work. Fads come and go, and there’s always the latest and greatest thing just on the horizon, and a new year means new trends. Luckily, FullTilt Marketing has, for the second year in a row, surveyed a selection of food bloggers the nation over for their unique insight on new and continuing food trends, and the how those trends impact consumers.
“When it comes to consumer trends, food bloggers offer a unique perspective,” stated Managing Partner Heidi McIntyre. “They are constantly monitoring the responses to their recipe posts, engaging with their followers, and keeping tabs on other food bloggers, which gives them an edge in understanding consumer preferences.”
From the continuing popularity of organics to street food, specialty diets, and locally-sourced foods, the bloggers ranked the most popular and prevalent food trends that pop up, or continue into the new year
Fresh, Whole, and Natural is the Name of the Game
As an overarching theme, demand this year was high for whole, fresh, non-processed foods, and the trend shows no sign of stopping. Bloggers commented on the sense of nostalgia leading cooks to get back to basics and make their dishes from scratch. This year, bloggers epressed nearly double the concerns over added ingredients and increased concern over GMOs, last year's number one concern. Bloggers reverted to concerns over sustainability, food waste, hormones, gluten, and social responsibility to guide their food decisions.
“It’s not surprising to see growing consumer awareness about the food they eat, especially related to where it’s from, who grew it/made it, and what’s in it,” commented Managing Partner Melinda Goodman in a press release. “Today’s consumer has access to more information than ever before and we are entering a new era of consciousness that has consumers considering a holistic view of health, wellness and even community and economic impact.”
Keep it Local
In the same vein, conversations about ‘how and where our food is grown’ still dominates among bloggers, trend makers, and consumers. Locally grown translates into sales, according to food industry research firm Packaged Facts. Packaged Facts sees local food sales increasing to $20 billion in 2019, set to outpace the country’s total food and beverage sales growth.
Diets Aren’t Just for the New Year
Coming in at second and third among blogger trends are specialty diets and healthy meals. 45 million Americans start a diet each year, reports Health & Science, and in most households at least one member sticks to a specialty diet. As a result, specialty diets like keto, paleo, and Whole 30 continue to hold mass appeal.
Ditch the Bowls, Bring on the Comfort Food
While 2018 saw smoothie, food, and poke bowls blowing up on social media feeds, 2019 is poised to bring in a new wave of basic comfort foods. DIY food projects like pickling and fermenting and homemade condiments are gaining popularity. Don’t expect the boring old staples, though, as global, international flavors like ramen, tikka masala, and curries are on the rise.
Bloggers Get Crafty With Their Foods
In a new category introduced this year, bloggers were asked about changes in their shopping habits, including not only what they buy, but where they shop. The majority reported more online shopping, with over a third shopping at more stores and more value formats. Moving away from larger national brands, 70 percent of the bloggers focused on purchasing an increased number of local, specialty, and craft brands, with half purchasing more private label products.
“Consumers of every type are fickle; including bloggers and their readers. As marketers it’s our job to continue to make educated guesses about what’s next, while also wooing consumers to choose what we tell them to,” remarked Goodman. “What is clear from the survey is consumers have an expectation to be better informed. 72 percent of bloggers told us that they felt brands were doing a better job of being more transparent, but those results came with a healthy dose of skepticism where bloggers shared comments that they also felt that transparency was cloaked in telling them what they wanted to hear, and they weren’t sure what information they could trust.”
Keeping up with trends may be intimidating, but this year’s fads aren’t hard to decipher. Consumers in increasing numbers are looking for safe, healthy foods that can come from anywhere, provided that source aligns with their values and offers value. Click here to read the full report.
ISSAQUAH, WA - Costco reported the results of its first quarter 2019, beginning its fiscal year with mixed results. Though the company managed to achieve robust sales growth—with strong U.S. market performance boosting the company’s net sales to $34.31 billion—it missed revenue expectations.
Highlights from the company’s quarterly report include:
- Net sales for the first quarter were $34.31 billion, an increase of 10.3 percent from $31.12 billion during the first quarter last year
- Net income for the quarter was $767 million, or $1.73 per diluted share, compared to $640 million, or $1.45 per diluted share, last year
Despite posting positive results, the company fell short of analysts expectations, sending Costco's stock tumbling down from $226.51 a share at the end of Thursday to $206.68 by Monday morning.
The company noted in its earnings statement that the company’s 2019 Q1 results benefited from a $59 million ($0.13 per diluted share) tax benefit related to stock-based compensation and a $27 million ($0.06 per diluted share) tax benefit related to implementation of the 2017 Tax Act. And the quarter also included a charge of $43 million ($31 million after-tax, $0.07 per diluted share) for an adjustment to Costco’s estimate of breakage on rewards earned prior to Fiscal Year 2019 for the Citi/Visa co-branded credit card program.
For more on important retail news as it relates to fresh produce, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
GREENSBORO, NC - Publix distribution center construction was delayed after it was discovered more money would be needed to widen U.S. Highway 70 to accommodate for increased traffic.
The Greensboro-area Metropolitan Planning Organization had originally invested $4 million for an expansion of the highway in accommodation of the new Publix facility, according to local source News and Record.
In a recent vote, the organization nearly unanimously increased the budget by over 50 percent, bringing the total cost of the 1.2 mile highway expansion to a staggering $8.3 million. This money will be used to widen the area between Mount Hope Church and Birch Creek roads, near the site of the $300 million Publix distribution center.
While the expansion of the highway has been planned for completion in 2022, the same target completion date as the distribution center, more money may yet be necessary to complete the project.
According to Mike Mills, a division engineer with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, estimates sometimes change as planners finalize their designs. However, Mills claims that the $8.3 million is “a more refined estimate.”
According to the News and Record, Publix new distribution center is estimated to bring 1,000 new jobs to Greensboro, with salaries averaging about $44,000 per year, so it is easy to see why the community voted to support the distribution center with more funding for the highway project.
AndNowUKnow hopes that Publix sees no further delays to the construction of its distribution center, and will continue to report on industry expansion efforts.
ST. LOUIS, MO - They say that success starts within, and the Allen Lund Company seems to agree with its latest news from inside its operations. The company announced that one of its rising stars, Zach Anderson, has been promoted to Assistant Manager of ALC’s St. Louis, Missouri, office.
"When I was hired here at the Allen Lund Company, I knew right away that this was a company I wanted to grow with. Since day one I've challenged myself to be the very best at what I do,” Zach commented. “I started as a broker and most recently was a business development specialist. Now that I'm stepping into a management role, I look forward to using the knowledge and skills I've developed to help grow the St. Louis office into one of the top offices in the company."
He has been with Allen Lund Company for four years, according to the press release. Prior to that he attended Western Illinois University and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Management, minoring in Supply Chain Management.
"I'm very excited that Zach is our Assistant Manager. He has proven over time to be a great leader in our office. With his leadership skills, I look forward to big things to come in the St. Louis office in 2019," Dawn Davenport, St. Louis Manager, said.
Congratulations to Zach Anderson and his team on this new chapter in the company’s growth.
BRAWLEY, CA - I love artichokes. Let me put it this way; there are more days of the year when I have my fridge stocked with the edible flower then days I don’t. With growing regions shifting to provide the category year-round, this writer is a happy camper, and Sahara Packing Co. has a little piece of my heart.
CFO Kate Elmore joins me to talk about the company’s latest and to share the 411 on Sahara’s popular and unique Imperial Star variety.
“From the first glance, you can tell our artichokes are a meaty and premium quality artichoke. Grown along the coast just south of Ensenada, Mexico, our artichokes will very rarely, if at all, see frost damage,” Kate tells me, adding that the company is offering a limited supply this year and are very excited to be bringing this beautiful globe artichoke to the market this season. “While the Imperial Star variety is known as being thornless, our artichokes have the appearance of a thorned variety and offer chefs and restaurants the benefits of substantial leaves and a delicious heart.”
Sahara hopes to be harvesting through April, at which point the company will kick off its summer routine of delivering premium asparagus from first of June through the end of October.
When I ask Kate how she sees this artichoke and Sahara impacting the category and the marketplace in valuable and diversifying ways, she tells me that the artichoke space is dominated by some key players. And while she is happy to see her fellow growers and shippers advance their market share for delivering a continual product, Kate feels Sahara’s artichokes can offer a unique alternative this winter season.
“Our artichokes truly showcase this delicious superfood with their shape and vibrant green appearance,” she says. “They will be enticing to customers who may be unsure of how to tackle cooking an artichoke. Finally, with the end consumer more concerned over where their food is coming from, Sahara offers buyers the opportunity to work directly with the grower and a family that has been in produce for over sixty years.”
There is passion in all the details that Kate provides, and the industry is in her blood. Growing up in a produce family, Kate found herself out in the fields picking lettuce or digging potatoes and would sell leftover watermelons from the field at her lemonade stand.
“Produce and farming have been an integral part of me, and always knew I wanted to continue our family business and sell Sahara produce for another fifty years,” Kate reflects. “With consolidation in the produce industry and the need to be able to supply year-round product, my family had to step back from the sales-end of the business. However, with the next generation joining the business, we are eager and excited to be selling our own produce and to be able to work with our buyers directly to deliver them a premium quality product, whether that be our artichokes, asparagus, or any future product grown by Sahara!”
Sahara is a family-run operation that was founded in the late 60s, and was a staple of the produce industry through the early 2000s. Kate is the granddaughter of the one of the founders of the original Sahara, John Elmore, and is very excited to be a part of restarting the sales company that she grew up around.
AUSTIN, TX and SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Though breaking up is hard to do, it is sometimes necessary for the benefit of both parties. In a recent announcement, Instacart revealed its plan to break from its partnership with Whole Foods, a partnership which had been in place since 2014.
Instacart founder and Chief Executive Officer Apoorva Mehta uploaded a blog post late this week outlining the split.
“The first phase of this transition starts today, which means that we have to start scaling back our in-store shopper operations within Whole Foods locations. Today, we have 1,415 in-store shoppers across 76 Whole Foods locations,” wrote Mehta. “Out of this community of in-store shoppers at Whole Foods, 243 will be impacted beginning February 10, 2019. In the months that follow, we expect to ramp down all remaining Whole Foods in-store shopping operations in preparation for Whole Foods to fully exit our marketplace in the coming months.”
Instacart will offer transfer bonuses to the more than 75 percent of in-store Whole Foods shoppers as they transition to new stores. For the unfortunate few laid off, Instacart will provide a minimum of 3-months separation package based on maximum monthly pay from 2018.
Whole Foods is expected to leave the Instacart market entirely by mid-2019, though those in-store shoppers working across multiple retail partners will be minimally affected. This split comes roughly a year after Amazon acquired Whole Foods in 2017. With Amazon bringing with them Amazon Fresh, their own grocery delivery service, it was bad news for Instacart from the beginning.
The future of Instacart may not be all doom and gloom, however, as TechCrunch reports that at a valuation in October the company raised $600 million at a $7.6 billion valuation. This comes only six months after bringing in a $150 million round and eight months after a $200 million financing valuing the business at $4.2 billion.
To stay updated on further developments, check back in with AndNowUKnow.
OXNARD, CA - We all have our beloved holiday dishes—ones we can’t imagine going without at our respective holiday feasts, but this year, collard greens fans are in for a rough season. Over the past year, major weather events affected growers across the country, including San Miguel Produce, Inc., resulting in a nationwide scarcity of the cherished greens.
“This is only the second time in two decades we have seen a major national shortage like this. Most times shortages are regional and there are options to work with colleagues around the country to help fill gaps,” said Jan Berk, Owner and COO. “Unfortunately, we have called other growers the past few weeks hoping someone might have extra or recovered sooner than expected…only to hear they are short too and looking to source collards.”
During this busy season, retailers are encouraged to educate consumers about the possible shortage of collard greens in stores and about the various alternative dark leafy greens varieties such as kale, chard, mustard greens, and turnip greens.
Across the country, regions faced different, detrimental conditions, all of which resulted in reduced crop yields, according to the press release. The Southeast, including South Carolina and some of Georgia suffered persistent rain and little sun due to Hurricane Florence. The West endured strong Santa Ana winds and wildfires, leading to lower yields due to the winds scarring and taring leaves. Significant rains in Texas has also reduced crop yields in the region.
To meet the Thanksgiving holiday demands, growers were forced to enter fields earlier than usual to harvest due to these weather challenges. Now, to meet the Christmas demand, growers have been pushing crops with additional fertilizer to enhance growth. Many growers have invested in plantings/crops for several months to prepare for harvest in this, the peak season for dark leafy greens.
Despite these mitigating efforts, weather conditions remain unfavorable nationwide, even as the seasonal rush begins, sparking concern about availability to meet demand.
For more information on produce shortages that may affect your holiday recipes, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
BAKERSFIELD, CA - Sun World International celebrates success with growth in export volume due to strong brand presence overseas and strengthened partnerships is receivers.
“Despite a difficult grape season, we continue to achieve our strategic export goals,” Vice President of International Sales and Marketing Julie Escobar said in a recent press release. “Our partnerships with receivers and new customers have helped us achieve record shipping numbers, and retail penetration continues to be strengthened.”
The company has grown their export volume by 40% year over year for the last three years, and strengthened receiver partnerships have guaranteed product movement in record volumes. In turn, the receivers have supported the company brand, and Sun World to strengthen their brand execution in Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Korea. Efforts in brand strengthening overseas has provided stronger consumer recognition of Sun World grapes through both below-the-line marketing in the form of store events, demos and sampling, and social media.
Investment in new packing line infrastructure has allowed the company to provide innovative packaging models that drive sales in its Asian markets. Additionally, these packing innovations help to offset the high labor costs associated with re-packing product in-country. Due to the increase of business, the company will soon be hiring new personnel in Asia to oversee the growth of the Sun World brand and sales abroad.
Escobar is excited to see where company growth and fruit quality will go in the new year, stating “We expect to see a significant increase in our business, as well as improve[ment to] our overall supply chain and quality control of our fruit to a much stronger level in 2019.”
Sun World’s proprietary black Midnight Beauty® and green Autumncrisp® brand grapes continue to be the most well-received varieties overseas. Autumncrisp brand grapes specifically achieved phenomenal success in the majority of Asian markets this year. The company will also continue its efforts to introduce black Adora Seedless® brand grapes as a late season black variety in 2019.
Looks like there are plenty of good harvests ahead for Sun World in the new year! AndNowUKnow will continue to provide coverage, and looks forward to seeing where the new year takes our industry.
CARLISLE, PA - Giant Food Stores has made headlines over the course of the past several months—after growing through the acquisition of erstwhile SuperValu-owned Shop ’n Save stores in October. And this month, the banner is once again turning heads; this week, Giant Food Stores announced the promotion of Sepideh Burkett to Vice President, Store Support.
“A knowledgeable and passionate leader, Sepideh has made significant contributions to the success of our company, and we look forward to benefitting from her deep knowledge in her new role,” said John Ponnett, Senior Vice President of Retail Operations, in a press release. “Her team and customers always come first, and she truly leads by example with her ‘can do attitude,’ inspiring those around her.”
In this new role, Burkett will be responsible for bringing the company’s strategic plans and customer-centric strategy to fruition, driving store performance, and ensuring consistent communication between stores and support functions. She will report directly to Ponnett.
Burkett brings approximately 25 years of experience in the supermarket and drugstore business to her new role. Burkett first joined Giant in 2016 as Director of Special Projects and, most recently, served as District Director overseeing Giant stores in north-central Pennsylvania.
Priorly, Burkett held several leadership roles with Walmart including Market Manager, Regional Health and Wellness Director, Market Health and Wellness Director and Pharmacy Manager.
Additionally, Burkett is a licensed pharmacist. She received a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from University of Connecticut and resides in State College, PA, with her family.
We at AndNowUKnow congratulate Sepideh on her new role.
BOISE, ID - Spuds are singing their potato praises today, as the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) announced industry veteran Alan Kahn as its new Vice President of Foodservice.
With over 25 years of experience in foodservice, including time with Ore-Ida Foods, McCain Foods USA, and J.R. Simplot Company in sales and marketing roles surrounding potatoes, Kahn is certainly ready to take on his new role.
His resume also boasts the Director of Sales position at Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, Vice President of Marketing at Clear Spring Foods, and most recently Bureau Chief of Communications & Marketing for the Department of Fish and Game.
As IPC President & CEO Frank Muir explained in a recent press release, “Alan’s impressive experience in the food industry, years spent working at three of Idaho’s biggest frozen French fry manufacturers, and deep knowledge of Idaho make him the ideal person to run the foodservice division at the Idaho Potato Commission.”
Muir continues, “As more and more consumers are seeking healthy out-of-home dining options, getting Idaho® potatoes—fresh, frozen, and dehydrated— on the menu is becoming increasingly more important. I’m confident that Alan’s knowledge and expertise can help us lift foodservice to the next level.”
In his new role with the IPC, Kahn will:
- Supervise three Promotions Directors who are calling on foodservice distributors, produce houses, and terminal markets
- Develop foodservice promotions
- Launch incentive contests for operators
- Create training programs, videos, and educational materials
- Coordinate the commission’s presence at food/restaurant shows
- Work with restaurant chain operators on new menu ideas
AndNowUKnow congratulates Alan Kahn on his new position, and looks forward to seeing the growth his efforts will provide to the Idaho Potato Commission in the coming year. For more of the latest industry news, keep reading us here at ANUK.