MARLBOROUGH, MA - BJ’s Wholesale Club seems to be growing in popularity with shoppers. In the retailer’s first quarter fiscal 2024 results for the 13 weeks ended May 4, 2024, it reported that membership fee income has increased by 8.6 percent year-over-year to $111.4 million.

“During the first quarter, we delivered strong increases in membership, traffic, and unit volumes. This resulted in revenue growth and market share gains in our clubs and at our gas stations. Our merchandising improvements and digital conveniences, grounded in delivering compelling value, are resonating with our members. We are also growing our footprint and remain on track for 12 new club openings this year,” said Bob Eddy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “I am proud of our team members for their continued dedication to our purpose of ‘taking care of the families who depend on us’. We remain confident in the long-term growth prospects of our company.”

According to a press release, other highlights from the report include:

• Comparable club sales increased by 1.6 percent year-over-year
• Comparable club sales, excluding gasoline sales, increased by 0.6 percent year-over-year led by strong traffic and unit growth
• Digitally enabled comparable sales growth was 21 percent year-over-year
• The company opened one new club and one new gas station

Laura Felice, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, shared some forward-looking statements.

“As we look ahead to the rest of the year, we remain confident in our ability to maintain our strength in traffic, unit volumes, and market share led by our continued focus on delivering value to our members and executing on our strategic priorities,” said Felice. “Our outlook remains unchanged for fiscal 2024.”

For more from the report, click here. And keep reading ANUK to stay up to date on the industry’s latest.

RIDGE SPRING, SC - One decade of peach perfection is surely worth celebrating! Titan Farms is cueing the confetti as the peach and veg supplier honors the 10^th anniversary of Lori Anne Peaches, its premium peach brand.

"Our journey with Lori Anne Peaches has been nothing short of incredible," says Lori Anne Carr, Co-Owner of Titan Farms and the namesake of Lori Anne Peaches. "We're honored to share this milestone with our customers and look forward to many more years of providing them with the best peaches the market has to offer."

This milestone is marked by an array of exciting initiatives. According to a press release, Titan Farms is gearing up for a season of celebration unlike any other, with a Lori Anne Peach season countdown timer now live on its website and a 10-Weeks of Giving social media giveaway campaign underway. In addition, the grower is offering fun incentives for display contests and a peach week celebration, encouraging its partners to showcase Lori Anne Peaches in creative and enticing ways.

Lori Anne peaches are recognized for their exceptional taste, which is achieved through meticulous care and attention to detail that goes into every step of Titan Farms’ growing process. Only the top 20 percent of peaches grown are selected for Lori Anne Peaches, as the release stated, ensuring each peach meets the rigorous standards of quality and flavor.

"Our 10^th anniversary is a testament to our commitment to quality and innovation, and it's been an honor to watch Lori Anne Peaches become a household name," says Chalmers Carr, President and Chief Executive Officer of Titan Farms. "Lori Anne Peaches have become synonymous with excellence in the peach industry, and we're proud to continue delivering exceptional fruit year after year.”

Standing out in terms of flavor, ripeness, and quality, these peaches are sure to capture increased register rings in the stonefruit arena.

Follow along with ANUK as we bring you more category updates.

NEW ZEALAND - A strategic leadership appointment has been announced by Zespri. The kiwifruit maven revealed that its current Chief Operating Officer Jason Te Brake will be stepping up as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer. Te Brake will succeed outgoing CEO Daniel Mathieson, who is leaving Zespri to join Driscoll’s, effective July 1.

“I am hugely passionate and energized about the opportunities for the industry and it’s a real honor and privilege to be able to lead Zespri,” Te Brake commented. “The kiwifruit industry has an outstanding track record of success, off the back of quality people, a world-class product, and strategy and a commitment to innovating and tackling challenges together. It is one of New Zealand’s great success stories and I am incredibly fortunate to be following in the footsteps of, and working alongside, some of the industry’s outstanding leaders.”

Te Brake was appointed COO in April 2023 and is responsible for managing Zespri’s end-to-end supply chain, from growers to markets globally. In this role, he led the industry’s response to the recent quality challenges and the planning and execution to deliver the industry’s largest-ever crop in 2024.

“My focus will be on leading the Zespri team to capture the significant demand opportunities in market, on strengthening our supply chain and operational performance to maximize value in market, and on ensuring we return as much of that value back to growers as possible,” Te Brake continued.

Chairman Nathan Flowerday commented on the leadership appointment in a press release.

“Jason is an outstanding executive with the strong commercial and stakeholder management experience we were looking for,” said Flowerday. “He has a clear strategic vision to help Zespri and the industry achieve its immense potential and the operational expertise to ensure we do so. He has done an outstanding job of leading our global supply chain and the New Zealand supply business as our Chief Operating Officer. He has also delivered exceptional results based off detailed planning and execution as the industry responded to the recent quality challenges and then reset to deliver a record crop this year.”

For more from the press release, click here.

Congratulations to these industry leaders on their new roles!

KINGSVILLE, ONTARIO - A seasoned retail supermarket exec is stepping up as Mucci Farms’ newest Senior Director of Business and Product Development. Backed by the expertise gained over a 38-year tenure with Loblaw Companies, Ltd., Guy Cameron’s addition to the supplier's leadership team is set to increase its knowledge base and allow it to support its retail partners more effectively.

“Over my career, I have had the opportunity to work with many internal teams as well as external partners and have always operated under the same principles of honesty and integrity,” Cameron stated. “With internal teams, I may have provided strategy and objectives but empowered colleagues to make the decisions necessary to get the results. With external partners, I worked toward win-win relationships and always remember the advice of one of my earlier mentors, ‘be FIRM but be FAIR’.”

Guy Cameron is a results-driven retail leader with extensive experience in procurement, merchandising, and operations, having demonstrated exceptional critical thinking skills and a superior ability to analyze, plan, problem-solve, and provide expert feedback and business solutions throughout his career.

As a press release explained, Cameron excels at motivating, mentoring, and developing productive teams, and his insights and integrity have earned him a respected reputation within the produce industry.

"We have known Guy for several years, and he has consistently shown a keen interest in our sector of the business,” Joe Spano, Managing Partner and Vice President of Sales and Marketing, expressed. “His extensive experience will greatly enhance our understanding of our partners, and his mentoring skills will undoubtedly be a tremendous asset to our organization."

Cameron joins the Mucci Farms leadership team at a pivotal time, as the company is poised for significant expansions across the continent.

For more updates on the company’s growth strategy, stick around.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Meijer is expanding the presence of its grocery format, introducing its newest store in Noblesville, Indiana, which is set to open on July 11.

"Meijer has been providing an exceptional shopping experience to customers across Indiana for 30 years, and the Meijer Grocery in Noblesville will further solidify our commitment to the Hoosier State," said Travis Bernath, Noblesville Meijer Grocery Store Director. "We prioritize our customers' time, and ultimately developed this new streamlined grocery store format with convenience at the forefront. We're eager to deliver that experience and great value to area customers later this summer."

The new location complements Meijer’s 42 other supercenters throughout the state. The retailer debuted its first grocery format in 2023 when it opened two grocery stores in Southeast Michigan. According to a press release, the Noblesville location is the third Meijer Grocery store opened by the retailer, with an aim to simplify the customer shopping experience across all grocery categories.

The 90,000-square-foot location features departments such as:

• Produce and grocery
• Fresh meat cut daily
• Full-service deli

The Noblesville Meijer Grocery store will also offer the same savings and shopping technology customers expect from a Meijer supercenter, including mPerks, Shop and Scan, Meijer Home Delivery and Pickup, the release stated. To read more, click here.

More retail news is on the way, so keep reading ANUK.