SACRAMENTO, CA - Don’t quote me, but I think this round of the Find the Apple Logo was our fastest round to date. Our winners are either Where’s Waldo geniuses or they did in fact recruit elves to work some holiday magic to get their images to the top of ANUK’s inbox—either way, this round's winners are no strangers to this game!
On the supply-side, Dustin White, Procurement Manager for Fresh Concepts, slid into our inbox faster than I’ve ever seen before, making him the winner of a cool $100 cash prize.
“I’m obviously beyond blessed because I read The Snack every month!” Dustin said to me. “From the WTF recipes to the interesting articles pertaining to the industry, I always look forward to my monthly Snack!”
And, with too many wins to list at this point, Danny Ortiz, Sysco’s Quality Insurance Inspector, was once again our buy-side winner, proving he might just be one with the apple when it comes to our Snack contest.
"Thanks again to ANUK, I need to slow down or not participate next time so that my competitors can have a chance to claim the big WIN. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years to all," Danny said following his win.
If you didn’t win this time, don’t fret! This isn’t the last you’ll see the Find the Apple contest. Be sure to subscribe to The Snack Magazine here (subscription is valued at $129 per year), and keep an eye out for future contest announcements on ANUK.
December 2018 Snack Magazine-Volume 37
Remember that contest rules require that submissions include a person pointing out the logo on the cover of The Snack Magazine, and the countdown only begins once we announce the contest in AndNowUKnow’s newsletter.
Congratulations to our December winners! We’ll be back in February with Volume 38, so get those smiles ready (we want to be wooed) and those fingers going (we want to be wowed) and you just might find yourself walking away with some extra Valentine’s cash! Until next time!
PARSIPPANY, NJ - This week, Kings Food Markets and Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market is welcoming four company leaders to new positions. Joseph Parisi was named Chief Operating Officer; Allen Merken was appointed Vice President, Engineering, Real Estate and Construction; Kathe Benjamin was named Vice President, Human Resources and Labor Relations; and Sharon Bastianelli will take on Vice President, Information Technology.
“At Kings and Balducci’s, we are proud to foster and reward professional growth within the company. Joe, Allen, Kathe, and Sharon will continue to lead these two brands into new territory and we look forward to incorporating their strategic input and direction,” said Judy Spires, Chairman and CEO of Kings and Balducci’s.
Parisi began his career Kings Food Markets as Store Manager and now leads the Operations, Engineering, and Maintenance teams. In his new position, he will oversee all new store build-outs as the company continues to expand, a recent press release noted. He was named 2017 Person of the Year by the New Jersey Weights & Measures Association.
Merken, in his new position, will support the company’s growth plans through direct involvement in real estate opportunities, as well as manage all current real estate relationships with landlords, real estate brokers, and various community and civic organizations.
Benjamin has held positions as Executive Secretary, HR Administrator, HR Manager for Home Office, HR Manager for Stores, and Manager of Employee and Labor Relations. She most recently held the position of Director of Human Resources and Labor Relations.
In her new VP position, Bastianelli will drive the collaboration between merchandising, operations, and all support departments to ensure that information systems support the strategic needs of the business. Bastianelli will also oversee the Retail, Network, and Programming teams.
Congratulations to Parisi, Merken, Benjamin, and Bastianelli on these new positions!
NEW YORK, NY - The last year and a half of Blue Apron’s saga could be characterized as a slow decline. Since launching its less-than-stellar IPO in June of last year, the meal kit provider has been closely observed by critics—fairly or unfairly—as a bellwether for the entire meal kit business model.
And this week, the company arrived at another benchmark—unwanted though it may be. Blue Apron’s stock fell below a dollar—marking the first time in its history that the company could be considered a “penny stock.”
According to a Business Insider report, shares of the meal kit company first dropped below a dollar at approximately 10:00am EST on Tuesday, November 18, 2018, hitting a nadir of $0.88 that day, touching down at less than a tenth of the company’s desired $10 IPO price. As of 12:15am EST the following day, the stock continued to vacillate in a similar range.
News of the stock’s drop comes hot off the heels of an eventful November in which Blue Apron announced that it had suspended its meal kit partnership with Costco, reported a Q3 2018 that saw net revenue decrease 29 percent and net losses of $33.9 million accumulate, and outlined new plans to right the company on its course to profitability.
Though, throughout the last year, Blue Apron’s stock has surged amidst acquisition rumors—in April and May of this year—the company’s trajectory has largely trended downward since its disappointing IPO failed to fetch a $10 per share value.
For more on Blue Apron, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
UNITED KINGDOM - Staying at the front of the pack is the name of the game in this biz, and perhaps none know this as well as Kroger. As the retailer continues to battle with e-commerce giants like Amazon and Walmart, it has formed solid partnerships along the way. One such partnership is UK-based online grocer Ocado, whose Customer Fulfillment Centers (CFCs) are already making their way across the pond.
PCMag had the opportunity to visit one of these centers in the United Kingdom, during which it spoke to Ocado’s Chief Technical Officer, Paul Clarke, who shared some insight into Ocado's tech and how it helps grocers.
“At Ocado Technology, we're now putting some of the world's largest grocery retailers online using the cloud, robotics, AI, and IoT with our Ocado Smart Platform,” Paul Clarke shared with PCMag. “We've now become a managed services business—SaaS—but with hardware/RaaS (robotics as a service) bundled in. The grocery partner tells us the dimensions of a brownfield site/warehouse. We simulate what it would take to run their online grocery business from there."
He continued, stating that, "then we provide everything from robotics to supply chain forecasting, real-time warehouse control systems, telemetry for the delivery van fleets, simulation, and big data. We've signed deals with companies in the UK, Spain, France, Canada, Sweden—and now Kroger in the US. Our stock price doubled overnight when we announced the partnership with Kroger.”
As we’ve previously reported, Kroger and UK-based online grocer Ocado have announced plans to build those CFCs here in the United States, a surefire way to boost Kroger’s delivery business. These centers may have as many as 3,500 robots picking and packing online deliveries, if PCMag’s inside look at a center in Erith is anything to go by.
To read the interview in its entirety, please click here.
Will Ocado’s tech edge Kroger to the top of the e-commerce list? AndNowUKnow will continue to report.
FOLSOM, CA - The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) has announced a new celebrity spokesperson partnership with Tia Mowry-Hardrict. She will support the council’s new “Positively Bluetiful” campaign by inspiring moderate consumers to enjoy blueberries in fun and easy ways and helping solidify the blueberry’s standing as a shopping list staple.
“Tia Mowry-Hardrict fits seamlessly into the Positively Bluetiful campaign, drawing on her experiences as a mom, actress, host, and author. She’s already known and loved for her relatable charm and no-fuss approach to balancing a hectic schedule,” explained Victoria De Bruin, Marketing Manager at USHBC, in a recent press release. “Now, we’re excited to share Tia’s expertise with a wide range of blueberry lovers everywhere, offering easy recipes, ideas, and tips that bring the taste and convenience they crave.”
A recent nationwide USHBC study on blueberry consumption revealed the target audience for the new campaign: moderate users, who eat around 8 cups of blueberries per year. This audience has a great potential for growth, as they named blueberries as one of their favorite fruits when asked their preferences during the study.
“Our moderate users already love blueberries, which offer so many small, simple ways to bring healthful benefits into their diet. Through our marketing initiatives, we’re helping them explore and expand their uses for blueberries, adding delicious flavor into their busy lives,” added De Bruin.
Tia will promote blueberries on Instagram and other social media sites using simple and on-trend blueberry recipes, fresh photography, and engaging video content. She will also promote the produce through national media appearances and interviews. Keep reading us here at AndNowUKnow for more reports on unique produce marketing partnerships.
SACRAMENTO, CA - It’s that time of the year—and for once I’m not talking about the holidays! This month’s round of our Find the Apple contest is finally here! So, grab December’s issue of The Snack Magazine, recruit as many holiday elves as possible, and get to scouring that cover for the hidden logo so that you can join the running to be the winner of a $100 cash prize—the perfect amount to buy approximately 1,000 mini candy canes.
If you haven’t received a hard copy of this month’s issue, click here for the digital cover and try your luck. But before you snap that merry and bright selfie, be sure you meet the following requirements:
We want to see your face!
Whether you have that holiday glow or are just making your way through another Wednesday, show us a smile and your beautiful produce-loving faces! It brightens up our day!
Your finger must be pointing to the AndNowUKnow apple logo!
Pictured below is what our logo looks like, and if you capture the perfect pic that features your finger pointing to the exact spot of the logo, it could be you doing a prize-winner dance in your office later today.
If you can answer yes to both of those requirements, email your photo to [email protected] to qualify; the race starts now! Remember that we choose two winners, one from the buy-side and one from the supply-side.
Past winners have included:
- Brett Burdsal
- Danny Ortiz of Sysco
- Mike Mendez of NatureFresh Farms
- Brandi McGuire-Sisco of Topco Associates
- Irene Jamarillo of Beachside Produce
- Laura Bartlett, Beachside Produce’s Sales and Marketing Administrator
- Two-Time victor Danny Ortiz of Sysco
- Sobey’s Produce Sourcing Specialist, Organic Dry & Wet Veg Lead, Monina Knox
- Sherry Harper of Beachside Produce
- Francesca Fordice of J. Marchini Farms
Interested in receiving a copy of The Snack so that you’ll be rearing and ready to go for our next challenge? Subscriptions are valued at $129 per year, so click here to subscribe.
OVIEDO, FL - Just in time for football season, Duda Farm Fresh Foods launches its third annual Dandy® Celery contest, and it’s no fumble. The ‘Dip It 2 Win It’ Sweepstakes runs through January 23 and encourages consumers to seek out healthier snacking alternatives, in turn driving in-store sales throughout football season—a peak season for celery consumption next to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now is the perfect time to snap into a crunchy treat, whether or not you’re a fan of the ol’ pigskin.
“Football season continues to be one of the most popular times of the year for celery,” said Dan Duda, President. “We want to inspire people who may only have ever had it as a side with buffalo wings to think differently about incorporating Dandy Celery and other vegetables into traditional game day favorites to create healthier options and bring more nutrition to tailgating parties as a whole.”
The company has teamed up with popular grill maker, Weber Grill in an effort to drive demand of the Dandy branded celery and improve upon consumers’ football watch parties. Five lucky contest runners-up will receive a Samsung 55-inch LED Smart TV and the extra lucky grand prize winner will win a Weber Genesis II 435 LP Gas Grill and Samsung 75-inch Class LED Smart TV.
It’s no surprise that social media and national television segments have jumped all over the promotion, with television spots encouraging healthy tailgating recipes using Dandy Celery. Through these efforts, the brand has earned over 3 million media impressions resulting in over 30,000 submissions since the contest launched—more than double the total submissions the contest saw last year.
Aside from the contest, Dandy Celery had a very good 2018, contributing to 67% of overall national fresh-cut celery sales, up 15% from 2017. Duda’s overall market share counted for 76% of retail fresh-cut celery sales, up 16% from 2017, according to IRI data, last 52 weeks, ending September 30, 2018. Not one to lose momentum, Duda continues to work with retailers to maximize opportunities and profit during their busy season.
To bone up on your gameday recipes or to enter the contest, visit the Dip It 2 Win It! Sweepstakes page.
WEST COAST, U.S. - As storms begin to buffet the Pacific Northwest, with stronger cells forecasted next week, closures and dangerous road conditions may challenge trucks looking to shuttle ingredients for consumers' holiday meals.
"It looks as though the storm track will shift southward during next week," said AccuWeather Long-Range Meteorologist Max Vido in a recent report. "A storm on Sunday may focus on Oregon, while another storm that follows Monday night to Christmas Day may have more impact on California."
The current storm cell, which has headed through the heart of Washington towards Idaho, has already caused tremendous damage to roadways. A mudslide brought on by the torrential rains soaking the state on Tuesday closed a section of State Route 109, according to Accuweather.
The forecasters warned that the slide was not an isolated incident, and that more mudslides and flash flooding should be expected throughout the states of Washington, Oregon, and California. There is also a potential for avalanches throughout the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges over the next week.
“As the storm track shifts southward, freezing levels will tend to fall as the pattern progresses,” according to Accuweather. “This means that while episodes of snow at the passes in the Cascades will be brief in the short term, longer-duration snow may occur at these passes and others farther south in the Sierra Nevada as colder air forces the storm track to shift.”
Along I-5, road conditions will be wet with low visibility increasing the possibility of accidents and delays. As Perry Como croons, “gee, the traffic is terrific,” or at least it will be once we all head home for the holidays. Delays in shipping produce and presents alike should be expected due to the slick roads that will be lined with cars until the Christmas bells are ringing.
AndNowUKnow will continue to report on how the industry weathers these conditions, and reminds everyone to drive safely in this stormy weather.
ST. LOUIS, MO - Schnuck Markets has been ordered to pay $4.56 million to the company’s former President Anthony Hucker after losing a breach-of-contract lawsuit, according to a St. Louis Business Journal Report.
Hucker, the former President and COO of Schnuck Markets and current President and CEO of Southeastern Grocers, first filed suit against his former employer in 2016 after he was fired from Schnuck Markets—allegedly for asking to be released from a non-compete agreement to take a position as CEO of Save-A-Lot.
After Hucker told CEO Todd Schnuck that he would decline Save-A-Lot’s offer and stay with Schnuck Markets should he not be released from the company’s non-compete agreement, Hucker was placed on administrative leave and eventually terminated.
Schnuck Markets stated that it had terminated Hucker after he shared confidential information to a third-party consultant without having a non-disclosure agreement in place. The company alleged, too, that Hucker’s expenses were “far in excess of other senior leaders.”
Last week, a circuit court in St. Louis County ruled that Schnuck Markets did not have legal grounds for termination, calling Schnuck Markets’ reasonings “sophistry” and “heresy.”
Both Schnuck Markets' attorneys and Hucker’s declined to comment to the St. Louis Business Journal.
MONTEREY, CA - You might have heard rumors that organics is one of the fastest growing industries around, but I’m here to tell you, it isn’t a rumor anymore; it’s cold hard facts. If you had the chance to attend the second annual Organic Grower Summit, then you know what I’m talking about. Featuring two days of information and education in all shapes and sizes, including exclusive tours, a crowded show floor, and mornings full of educational sessions, OGS 2018 was more than a learning opportunity—it was a chance to get a peek behind the curtain at where the industry is headed.
One education session in particular gave attendees the tools and data they needed to continue fueling the organic industry’s growth. Moderated by AndNowUKnow’s own Robert Lambert, “Organic Data Dive – A Look at the Numbers Driving Decisions on the Farm” took a closer look at the fine print, hinting at categories, innovations, and marketing strategies that could be the key to keeping organics at the top.
The education session featured Nielsen’s Vice President Brian Lechner and the Organic Trade Association’s CEO/Executive Director Laura Batcha—two experts from different sides of the industry willing to lend their knowledge and data to the greater good of ensuring both seasoned and new growers, buyers, and shippers know that organics is where “it’s” at—and where “it’s” going to be for years to come.
Organics are mainstream now, but what does that exactly mean? Lechner guided attendees to take a closer look at consumers’ awareness of organics and the categories that they are flocking to, and in turn, the buying habits that have driven organics’ growth thus far. He even divulged the primary consumers that are drawn to organics, encouraging many in the audience to rethink ways of reaching a wider audience.
Rather than numbers, Batcha uses chaos analytics and military intelligence via trend forecaster Suzy Badaracco to examine what appeals to the consumers purchasing organics. She noted key words like “nutritious” and “delicious” as well as other savvy marketing strategies that could be bolstering organics’ growth, overall lending a hand to growers and shippers in ensuring organic produce continues to end up in consumers’ carts—and hearts.
There is no denying that organics are an increasing part of the future, further solidified in everyone’s minds after another successful OGS. And with the numbers on its side, I am one of many who can’t wait to see what innovations and strategies the organic industry continues to create and implement to keep driving organics forward.