BAKERSFIELD, CA - Roasted, glazed, sauteed, or raw, carrots are undeniably part of the Thanksgiving spread and beyond. Grimmway Farms’ Mike Anspach and Western Veg-Pro’s Dennis Slater took the time to share how the category is looking from multiple sides of the market.
“We’re finishing up our summer crop and heading to Bakersfield, California, for fall harvest. The crop looks beautiful with nice quality and we’ll have ample supply through the holiday season,” Grimmway’s Vice President of Sales tells me, adding that the season brings strong demand for carrots. “While baby carrots account for the most volume sales, we anticipate high demand for value-added items like shredded carrots and carrot chips, coins and sticks. We also expect strong demand for all of our organic carrot items, especially rainbow carrot products which include our ColorShred® carrots and rainbow cello, bunch, and baby carrots.”
Seeing excellent demand, good supply, and great quality for carrots overall as we head into the big eating holidays, Mike advises that secondary displays are key this season and provide great space to highlight rainbow carrots and other products newer to the market.
“We recommend promoting baby carrots as shoppers begin to prep for holiday cooking and we encourage retailers to plan promotions around value-added items as well, perhaps bundling 2 to 3 items to mix and match for additional discounts,” he advises the buy-side.
For jumbo carrots, Dennis said availability is out of Bakersfield, Ontario, Canada, and Mexico, crossing through McAllen, Texas.
“The market is strengthening in anticipation of good holiday demand,” he confirms. “The Canadians are now putting much of their carrot volume in storage and are trying to raise their market by a couple dollars per 50’s. Meanwhile, Mexican jumbos are arriving regularly in McAllen with variable quality, and we are seeing good quality Mexican jumbo prices strengthening.”
With Thanksgiving fast-approaching, and December holidays right behind it, AndNowUKnow will continue to keep you checked in on fresh produce.
UNITED STATES - Is Ahold Delhaize looking to make itself known as a major competitor to the likes of Amazon and Walmart on their own turf? Reports are saying yes. According to Reuters, CEO Frans Muller revealed the retailer’s potential strategy shift, which included plans of looking for acquisitions in the U.S.
“We have a strong market share in regions where we are active. That gives us a good starting point to join in the acquisition game,” Muller told news source Financieele Dagbald.
While Muller was forthcoming in divulging the strategy shift, no details were disclosed regarding possible targets or how much the company is looking to spend.
Earlier this year, Ahold Delhaize announced plans to expand its U.S. online business organically by honing in on its online grocery delivery business Peapod. This month, Peapod named Selma Postma as its new President, with Ahold Delhaize also announcing growth in its e-commerce business and a new partnership expanding its digital operations.
Where will Ahold Delhaize bite first and how will this new strategy fare in a tough retail market? AndNowUKnow will continue to keep an eye on the ever-changing retail landscape.
NEWARK, DE - Turning your talent crisis into a talent opportunity? Center for Growing Talent (CGT) has your back. How, you might ask? By focusing strategically on its people practices with CGT’s new assessment tool, HRvest. A simple and strategic management tool, HRvest was developed in partnership with the HR transformation experts at PwC and is now available through CGT as part of its mission to provide industry-specific solutions to attract, develop, and retain talent.
“Our industry is facing a massive talent challenge, worse than many other industries because we have the added problem that top young talent doesn’t know about our industry unless they grew up with us,” said CGT Board of Directors Chair Marty Craner and President of B&C Fresh Sales. “For our companies to become talent magnets, first we have to make talent a strategic priority.”
According to a press release, the HRvest assessment HRvest guides companies through identifying the gaps and opportunities in their HR programs and practices, and then helps them build action plans to increase retention.
“When you approach HR strategically, your company becomes a more attractive place to work, and your employees are more engaged and more likely to stay with you. With that talent advantage, you can better drive your business forward.” said Center for Growing Talent Executive Director Margi Prueitt.
Produce Marketing Association CEO Cathy Burns noted in the press release that strategic human resources to be an industry imperative.
“As younger workers enter the marketplace with a special passion to make a meaningful difference in the world, the produce and floral communities are primed for an infusion of fresh talent,” Burns said. “To keep pace, we need to be prepared for a diverse set of skills that can be delivered by a wide range of people, from those without degrees to those with PhDs. HRvest will provide industry with much-needed HR analysis to retain our best and brightest talent, and ultimately grow a healthier world.”
CGT also stated that HRvest is the boldest offering to date from Center for Growing Talent.
“Big corporations pay tens of thousands of dollars for this kind of strategic management evaluation,” said Craner. “The Center for Growing Talent Board of Directors decided to invest in developing this first ever, industry-specific tool so that our entire industry can benefit from it.
For more information and to enroll your company to take the HRvest assessment, click here and follow the HRvest link.
HOUSTON, TX - Sysco announced that its Board of Directors has elected Edward D. Shirley as Independent Lead Director, effective today. In his new role, Shirley will coordinate the activities of the independent directors, help facilitate the board’s oversight and shareholder responsiveness, and act as a liaison between the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, and the other independent directors.
Before joining the Sysco team, Shirley served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Bacardi Limited from 2012-2014 as well as served on the boards of Elizabeth Arden, Inc. and Time Warner Cable Inc. Prior to that, he was Vice Chairman of Procter & Gamble and held several senior executive positions during his 27 years with The Gillette Company (purchased by Procter & Gamble in 2005), according to a press release. Currently, Shirley serves as a Director on the Board of New York Life Insurance Company.
“Ed has provided exceptional leadership and valuable insights as a member of our board over the last two years,” said Tom Bené, Sysco’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are committed to good corporate governance practices and believe that the addition of an independent lead director will help to enhance corporate oversight. The board looks forward to working with Ed in his new role.”
Shirley’s appointment to his new role follows the retirement of Jackie M. Ward and the election of Tom Bené as Sysco’s Chairman of the Board.
Congratulations to Edward D. Shirley!
To stay in the loop on what’s moving and shaking in the produce industry, keep following AndNowUKnow.
ARLINGTON, VA - Lidl is expanding its presence in the U.S. market in a big way, for the retailer recently announced an agreement with Best Market to acquire 27 of its stores in New York and New Jersey. Notably, the deal will see Lidl expanding its regional presence and entering a new market in Long Island.
"Best Market has played an enormously positive role in the area, and we look forward to working closely with Best Market employees to build on that success," said Johannes Fieber, CEO of Lidl US. "We are excited to expand into many great communities on Long Island and across the New York City area and introduce more customers to our simple and efficient approach to grocery shopping, which will mean high quality and huge savings for more shoppers."
According to a press release, Lidl will begin the transition process next year. This step-by-step plan involves the remodeling, reinvestment, and reflagging of Best Market stores into Lidl stores. Lidl noted that all Best Market employees in New Jersey and New York will have guaranteed employment opportunities with Lidl once the stores have been converted.
"Today is a great day for Long Island, our Best Market team, and our valued customers in New Jersey and New York," said Aviv Raitses, Co-Owner of Best Market. "Partnering with Lidl on this deal offers our employees a secure future with a growing grocer and continues the great tradition we started more than twenty years ago. We are delighted to be part of such a win-win and Best Market customers have something great to look forward to with Lidl."
The terms of the acquisition agreement are not disclosed, and it is expected to close over the coming months.
For the latest in acquistions and shake-ups in the retail sector, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
NORTH CAROLINA - As the 2018 harvest winds down for North Carolina sweet potatoes, Nash Produce’s Director of Marketing and Business Development, Tami Long, tells me that the industry will begin working to estimate the impact of the reduced acreage and the two hurricanes had on this season.
“Many farmers decided to plant different crops this year due to the extremely low prices on sweet potatoes for the last few years. Then, North Carolina had two major hurricanes hit the area,” she says. Though she adds it will be several months before the industry knows the extent of how this will affect pricing and availability of sizes, Nash Produce is committed to shipping quality product to customers all year long.
As we know, Thanksgiving and sweet potatoes are practically synonymous. Despite the natural challenges Tami assures me that demand will be met.
“Nash Produce is receiving beautiful sweet potatoes from our farmers just in time for the holidays. Consumers will be able to create fabulous dishes with these sweet potatoes,” she assures me. “Sweet potatoes continue to be in high demand from consumers due to their health benefits and great taste! How can you not like a vegetable that has 'sweet' in its name? Consumers want new, exciting products.”
In response, Nash Produce now offers its white Bonita and purple Murasaki sweet potatoes in easy-carry 3 lb bags. These sweet potatoes are slightly different in texture, she explains, but maintain the same sweetness as the orange Covington sweet potato.
“Since these varieties are cooked exactly like the orange sweet potato, adding these to the retailer’s produce bin is a simple way to meet customer demand and need for new products,” Tami comments.
Additionally she shares that retailers who offer pre-cut sweet potatoes will definitely sell them. “Sweet potatoes can be tough to cut, so this is a great option. Also, retailers should showcase sweet potato recipes for something other than pies and casseroles. People want new options—sweet potatoes would be the perfect addition to any recipe as a natural sweetener. Nash Produce is here to help retailers maximize their in-store marketing programs,” she concludes.
Keep an eye on AndNowUKnow for the latest on all key fresh produce categories through the holidays and beyond.
VALENCIA, CA - It’s the holly jolly citrus season, a.k.a. the best time of the year. I don’t know if there’ll be snow, but there will be lots of citrus cheer! With citrus varieties of all shapes and sizes available throughout this holiday season and well into spring, Sunkist Growers is gearing up for another great season.
I spoke with Christina Ward, Director of Communications, to learn more about what Sunkist varieties retailers should have on their radar as we head further into the citrus season.
“Sunkist has more than 40 varieties of fresh quality citrus for the season,” Christina said to me. “And for us we always say, ‘you can’t spell citrus without us.’ The cornerstone of our co-op is our growers and that’s where that concept really came from. It’s citrus season, and it’s that time of year for California-grown Navel oranges. It’s an exciting time.”
Christina emphasized Sunkist Delight™ Mandarins, which are going to be available from November and May. Christina also noted a few of Sunkist’s specialty varieties, including blood oranges and Cara Cara Navels, which are trending off-the-charts with consumers these days.
“There’s continued growth with our specialty varieties, and you’ll see a lot of people gravitate towards our Cara Cara Navels and our blood oranges. And what we learned is the more people get exposed to and discover and experiment with our specialty varieities, they just fall in love,” Christina continued. “So, our goal is to really get our product and our citrus out there to the consumers, farm-to-table, so they really understand what they’re missing."
From there, Christina revealed that shoppers won’t be able to stop their citrus cravings and that they’ll only want more after just one bite of Sunkist citrus.
For the full details from Christina, watch our exclusive video above.
LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA - Since 2004, the Allen Lund Company (ALC) has participated in Navidad en el Barrio, a charity through which over 75,000 people are served annually.
"It is overwhelming to watch and read about the increasing homelessness in Southern California. The efforts of Navidad en el Barrio makes a small dent in the assistance to the most underserved families," said Nora Trueblood, Director of Marketing in a company press release.
Navidad accepts and utilizes donations to assemble food baskets containing chicken, cheese, canned goods, and various produce items for a hearty and healthy family holiday meal. According to its press release, the Allen Lund Company provides logistical support as well as produce donated by customers. ALC has already reached out to shippers in the western United States for items that could be used to complete a meal for these families, with meals expected to be delivered on Saturday, December 15. Donations are delivered via ALC to a warehouse location in Los Angeles and then delivered to agencies throughout Southern California for distribution to families. All donations must be usable beyond the date of distribution.
"My mom and dad instilled in us the value and importance of giving back, and we as a company completely embrace that concept,” said Kenny Lund, Vice President. “Navidad en el Barrio is such an important effort and one that we are able to actually see the impact, by participating in the distribution of the dinners and meeting the grateful families. We plan to continue our commitment to Navidad en el Barrio for years to come."
For more on how those in our industry give back, keep reading AndNowUKnow.
DALLAS, TX - Barely halfway into its first year, Collaborative for Fresh Produce™ (CFP) is a program rapidly gaining traction. Founded to ensure fresh produce gets to those who need it most no matter their proximity to a farm, CFP is growing from mostly a Texas-only operation to a multi-state movement feeding food banks in surrounding states.
“The Collaborative for Fresh Produce started May 1 of this year, after a successful two year pilot of the concept by Feeding Texas,” Simon Powell, President and CEO, shares with me.
He brought a background in supply chain management to the North Texas Food Bank when he joined the organization in 2014 with a mission to increase access to fresh produce for those in need. It wasn’t long, though, before he recognized that he needed help from somebody with more experience in the industry.
“I found out this industry is very relationship-based. Without much background I went to find someone who could help, and I was fortunate enough to meet Dale,” Simon continues.
Dale Long, Executive Vice President of CFP, currently leads the Dallas Fresh Foods Association as President and brings a well-versed portfolio of industry experience.
“I had been in the buy-side for three grocery chains for 27 years. I enjoyed my job purchasing and advertising produce, but after a while I just wanted something new to make a difference,” Dale tells me of how he made the leap.
Since partnering together to expand a state-wide initiative to a regional approach, Dale and Simon together have gained the support of a few movers and shakers in our industry, including Texas International Produce Association President and CEO Dante Galeazzi.
Dante shared that he always thought their mission to help feed those who might need the help was incredibly important.
“If I could help in anyway then I wanted to do that, and if I could do it while helping promote the importance of fresh produce for a healthy lifestyle, then even better,” he tells me. “From a business perspective, we’re hearing more about food waste every day. There’s even legislation now working to address that. Regardless of how someone might sit on that issue, what CFP offers is the opportunity to make use of product that might otherwise go unsold or end-up in a landfill. More so, it keeps the produce moving and the product fresh.”
The other benefit Dante lists to getting involved with such a project is when the marketplace faces a glut of product.
“Rather than use up cooler space or dedicate personnel to constantly rerunning the product—thus incurring additional expenses or utilizing valuable and costly personnel time—a company can donate product to CFP. This means no additional input and can provide a tax write-off for the value of the load. Additionally, it creates an outlet for otherwise unideal products that might be too small or too big, the wrong color or wrong shape, or too much wind-scarring. The CFP can pay a portion of the packing and material costs (PPO) and it means that the farmers are able to sell a larger portion of their crop, thus improving their yields and the throughput of the packers and handlers,” he concludes.
Simon and Dale both express excitement about what the CFP can do not just for helping those who need access to fresh produce, but also for those who are in the business of providing it.
“One thing that became apparent to us is that for food banks far away from major produce growing regions, it’s very hard to get access to fresh produce. Various retail stores donate, but it’s usually near expiration which makes it hard to collect and hand out. Many have little-to-no experience with who to go to in terms of obtaining product. We and several others had this exact same problem and thought it would be better to work together in a coordinated way,” Simon says.
Another supporter of the burgeoning CFP is Produce Marketing Association CEO Cathy Burns.
“We need everyone pulling together if we are to achieve our vision of a healthier world,” Cathy shares of getting involved. “This includes the many charitable efforts that get delicious, healthy fresh produce to underserved populations. This includes the amazing work of our members, including charitable organizations like the nonprofit Collaborative for Fresh Produce. Building demand for fresh produce is much broader than just the commercial marketplace. It includes support for groups like this that are broadening availability of fresh produce to those in need.”
A reliable outlet for products growers can’t sell, as well as a resource for a entire demographic of consumers, this is one program to keep an eye on. To learn more visit the collaborative’s website here.
GERMANY - Effective December 1, Aldi SOUTH will have a new CEO: Horst Leitner. Leitner will be stepping in for Günther Helm, who led the retailer as its CEO for the past eight years.
Leitner began his career with the company in 1992, after studying economics and commerce in Vienna, and working for IBM. He held the position of General Manager of the regional management of Weissenbach for three years, before he took over the leadership of the company’s central purchasing department in 2006. He took on the same role in 2011 for Aldi USA. In 2016, he joined the Aldi USA’s Board of Directors. As Aldi South’s CEO, he will look over the management of national and international activities.
According to news source Distribuzione Moderna, Helm has decided to leave the company after 15 years to pursue “new professional challenges.”
Congratulations to both Horst and Günther on these new positions and next steps! AndNowUKnow will keep you updated on the latest in all that is happening in the retail sector.