EL SEGUNDO, CA – Beyond Meat®, the maker of the plant-based Beyond Burger® that looks, cooks, and tastes like beef, is experiencing explosive growth over the past several months. After announcing a partnership with Sysco’s Cutting Edge Solutions program, the company's burgers have been added to more than 2,000 menus spread across various foodservice outlets including restaurants, hotels, college campuses, and professional sports teams’ training camps.
In a recent press release, the company reported a number of new partners picking up the burger—restaurants like Delilah LA, The Moonlighter in Chicago, The Distillery NYC, and The Hamilton Inn in Jersey City, that seek to appeal to meat eaters and vegetarians alike. And, according to that press release, Beyond Meat’s existing partners have also seen impressive growth in Beyond Burger sales.
“In the first three months, we’ve sold more than 20,000 Beyond Burgers which equates to about 10% of burger/sandwich sales and is exceeding our sales expectations. Those numbers continue to grow each week,” said David Friedman, Founder & CEO of Epic Burger in meat-centric Chicago.
Altogether, the Beyond Burger is now available in more than 5,000 restaurants and grocery stores. And the company noted that it is proud to partner with several nationwide food and hospitality partners including:
- BurgerFi
- iPic Theaters
- Twin Peaks Restaurant
Additionally, the company is available at a number of large regional restaurant chains including Veggie Grill on the West Coast, Cody’s Original Roadhouse in Florida, and Chelo’s Hometown Bar & Grille in New England. For updates on distribution, interested parties are encouraged to visit the company's blog.
For more plant-based food stealing the spotlight and snapping up more center-plate real estate, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow.
SACRAMENTO, CA – Convenience is in high demand these days, and the latest addition to Raley’s commitment to providing customers with “Better for You” products doesn’t disappoint in either category. Initially launched in 2010, Raley’s announced today the expansion of its Ready-To-Go meal options with new sizes, flavors, packaging, and 32 different meal offerings, all made with fresh ingredients.
“Our customers are in for a real treat with Raley’s new Ready-To-Go meals,” said Keith Knopf, President & Chief Operating Officer, in a press release. “We understand the importance of convenient, healthy food options at a value and believe our customers will enjoy the new meals, made with quality ingredients that taste great!”
With an emphasis on trending, global flavors featured in meals like Chicken Fajitas, Moroccan Style Couscous, and Beef with Chimichurri Sauce, Raley’s Ready-To-Go meals have modern, functional packaging–easy to heat in aluminum trays in under 2 minutes–and come in three different convenient sizes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including mini size with 15 different offerings, entrée size with 12 different offerings, and large family size with 5 different offerings. The meals range from $3.99 for a single serving to $16.99 for the family size and can be found in easy grab-and-go displays.
The expansion also features Raley’s refocus on label transparency and tapping with its recently launched labeling system tag program. The Raley’s Shelf Guide helps customers find options that meet their personal dietary needs by presenting clear descriptions like “Nutrient Dense,” “Calorie Conscious,” “Vegan,” and “Vegetarian” directly on the Ready-To-Go packaging.
Raley’s Ready-To-Go meals are available in the fresh deli department and online! For more news on the latest and greatest in retail trends, stay up-to-date with AndNowUKnow.
WENATCHEE, WA - Conventional and organic new-crop opportunities are booming more than ever, with a record Kanzi® apple harvest. The projected increase as expressed by CMI Orchards, which is one of the two U.S. growers licensed to grow the variety, is reportedly 120 percent, including a 400 percent increase seen in organic.
News of the bountiful harvest is music to supermarkets’ ears, with scan data from Nielsen Supermarket showing a 66 percent dollar gain for the popular variety in the 9,000 U.S. grocers that are offering it to consumers.
“We’re so excited to be launching the 2017 Kanzi season,” said George Harter, Vice President of Marketing for CMI Orchards. “U.S. consumers are fast discovering why Kanzi is one of the hottest apples in Europe. With our big crop, we’ll be running aggressive promotions with retail partners throughout the season.”
This apple variety is the gift that keeps on giving to supermarkets, as it has proven to be an apple that consumers return to for more of its intense flavor. Harter also expressed that CMI’s Daisy Girl Organics program is also a huge opportunity to leverage the apple variety’s top-selling success for retailers.
“Retailers tell us that once consumers try it they come back to the store time and time again. These repeat purchases really drive category sales throughout the season,” said Harter.
The coveted apple is a driving force in the category for retailers. With so much growth for the apple’s sales, it’s a great thing that the harvest is keeping up with demand.
“Best in Class retailers are now driving up to 15% of category sales with branded apples like Kanzi by changing the varietal mix. The most successful retailers are very strategic in merchandising because they know the value of shifting consumer purchases up to high-flavor, higher-priced branded apples like Kanzi. The net result is they move their mix away from low cost commodity apples into higher cost premium apples. Even small shifts in volume drive strong increases in total dollars,” said Steve Lutz, Senior Strategist for CMI Orchards. “On average, Kanzi delivers a price premium for retailers that is 46% above the apple category average. Every time a consumer discovers Kanzi it drives incremental category dollars.”
CMI Orchards is not the only grower to see the spike in production. While CMI’s crunchy snacks are grown in Washington, Michigan is home to the second Kanzi apple grower, Applewood Orchards, Inc., which is reporting a 150 percent increase in conventional apples. And, U.S. supermarkets are in for a treat because, according to Scott Swindeman of Applewood Orchards, August’s and September’s great weather enhanced the fruit size. He is excited to bring his harvest to grocers.
“Beyond the unique flavor of Kanzi, retailers tell us they love how this apple stands out on supermarket shelves. What we’ve learned is the fire engine red and bright yellow background color of Kanzi really catches the eye of the consumer,” said Swindeman.
For grocers wondering how to market the tasty variety, CMI has done the work for you. To better showcase the popular snack, the company has created in-store merchandising support as a new retail tool for a stronger impact.
“For our 2017/2018 season we have our new “Ship ‘n’ Shop”™ Kanzi retail display bin. We developed this bin to give retailers a quick and easy tool to build powerful, off-shelf displays,” said Harter. “The Ship ‘n’ Shop™ display bin sets up in 10 minutes and ships with 16 euro cases of Kanzi. It eliminates a common problem for supermarket merchandisers by ensuring the fruit and the display materials arrive in the store at the same time. The strong graphics help retailers alert shoppers that new-crop Kanzi is finally back.”
With such a hearty harvest, Kanzi’s success story is just beginning this season. AndNowUKnow will continue to report on where it goes from here and all things fresh produce!
NEW YORK CITY, NY - Marathoners certainly gave the SnapDragon a run, as the Crunch Time team managed to get 50,000 apples into the hands of athletes during the event.
"SnapDragons are healthy, as well as a perfect fit for consumers with active lifestyles. And we thought marathon runners would especially enjoy this refreshing healthy snack at the end of the race. We were thrilled to be a part of the New York City Marathon," Mark Russell, SnapDragon Grower and Head of Crunch Time’s marketing committee, said in a press release.
The New York City Marathon is an annual activity coursing through the five boroughs of the Big Apple. Among largest marathons in the world, with 51,394 finishers in 2016 and 98,247 applicants for the 2017 race, the SnapDragon’s “monster crunch” was there to help runners replenish their nutrients and boost awareness of the up-and-coming apple variety. It was all its debut appearance as a New York Apple in the world-renowned race.
Having launched officially in 2015, SnapDragon is a descendent of the Honeycrisp variety. Crunch Time Apple Growers reported that it realized a 60% increase in harvest this year, noting its flavor profile, size, and extra crunch ‘snap’ proved to be a winning combination among millennials and baby boomers.
SnapDragon is available at national retail chains like Costco, HEB, Aldi, and Whole Foods, as well as Crunch Time Apple Growers farm stands across New York State.
SALINAS, CA - The numbers for Q3 2017 are in, and the word is organics are growing in a big way. In partnership with Nielsen, the Organic Produce Network (OPN) has shared news that organic fresh produce sales reached $1.16 billion for the third quarter of 2017, an eight percent increase in dollars and 10 percent rise in volume from 2016’s numbers.
“As the demand for convenient, fresh organic options increases, availability should follow suit,” said Matt Seeley, OPN’s CEO. “We expect, once this happens, to see pricing stabilize, which will further fuel the consumer’s interest in all things organic.”
Delving into organic fresh produce sales at retail stores across the country, Nielsen and OPN found that dollar sales of organic fresh vegetables reached $576 million, while organic fresh fruit sales hit $408 million. That remaining $173 million in organic fresh sales account for “other produce items,” including organic herbs and seasonings, beverages, and dressings. In total, organic fresh fruits and vegetables represented 10.2 percent of all produce dollars for the third quarter. Compared to a year ago, sales of organic fruit were up 8.3 percent, while sales of organic vegetables rose 6.2 percent, according to a press release.
“The dollar gains we are seeing across the board can be directly attributed to the growing demand for transparent products across the store,” says Matt Lally, Client Manager for Nielsen Fresh. “Beyond this, the increasing availability and supply are also positively impacting sales.”
As reported by OPN and Nielsen, the following are some highlights from the Q3 data:
- Organic packaged salad category held the #1 slot in terms of dollar share at 19.5 percent, holding a value of $226 million
- The $151 million-dollar organic berry category, including strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, were in 2nd, representing 13.1 percent of organic produce sales in Q3, with 11.5 percent increase in dollars and a 9.4 percent jump in volume compared to a year ago
- The $71 million-dollars fresh organic herbs/spices/seasonings category, accounting for 6.2 percent of total organic dollars, was up 17 percent in dollars and 18 percent in volume vs. a year ago
- The $56 million-dollar organic banana category saw an 18 percent dollar growth compared to a year ago, making it the 2nd largest fruit segment
- The $22.3 million-dollar stone fruit category was down 3.5 percent in dollars and nearly 14 percent in volume compared to a year ago
- Organic peaches were 62 percent more expensive than conventional peaches in the third quarter
- The grape category, the 3rd largest fruit category at $54.8 million, saw a 3.1 percent increase in dollars and a 3.2 percent decrease in volume compared to a year ago
- The $45 million-dollar organic value-added fresh produce category saw a 2.8 percent increase in dollars for Q3 and a 2.2 percent gain in volume
- The value-added organic vegetable segment, at $41 million, showed organic carrots, French/green beans, and cooking greens as three most popular segments
- With $4 million in sales, value-added fruit–led by apples, mixed fruit and cantaloupe–was up 11.4 percent in dollars and 9.6 percent in volume during Q3
“Successful retailers are using organic produce as a point of differentiation,” added Lally, noting the most successful retailers are able to generate some 16 percent of produce dollars from organic varieties. Lally said one of the biggest keys for organic success is the price relative to the conventional item. “Historically, organic categories with more than a 50 percent premium over conventional produce pricing have struggled to achieve the same success.”
Are you interested in even more insights about the ever-growing organic sector and we head into the end of 2017? Visit the OPN’s website at www.organicproducenetwork.com.
CINCINNATI, OH – The Kroger Co is adding an impressive number of employees to its ranks this holiday season; the retailer announced that it is hiring for an estimated 14,000 part-time and seasonal roles throughout the next months.
"We are delighted to welcome new associates to our team this holiday season," said Lanell Ohlinger, Vice President of Talent Development. "At Kroger, we have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of more than nine million customers who shop with us every day. If you love people and you love food, our stores are a wonderful place to help make customers' lives and celebrations easier and a little bit brighter."
Kroger noted in a press release that Talent Development is a core driver of the company’s recently-announced Restock Kroger Plan. As part of the plan, the company will reportedly invest an incremental $500 million in human capital over the next three years. In addition to Kroger's continued efforts to rebalance pay and benefits, the company noted that it is also focusing on certifications and performance incentives, career opportunities, and training.
"Now more than ever, Kroger is a great place to come for a job and stay for a great career," continued Ohlinger.
Kroger also noted that the company remains committed to hiring veterans, military service members, and their families. Kroger has hired more than 43,000 veterans since 2009 and more than 9,600 veterans in 2017.
Kroger encourages interested parties to visit the company’s website and apply at https://jobs.kroger.com.
BAKERSFIELD, CA – It is with heavy hearts that we announce that Jeff Thomson, Founder of Thomson International Inc. in Bakersfield, California, passed away on Tuesday October 10, 2017. Jeff was a 5th Generation California Farmer, and his career in agribusiness spanned over 40 years.
"A great man, friend, peer, person,” said Tommy Mendoza, Produce Sales at Greenfield Fresh. “I looked forward to the California watermelon deal every year because I got to work with this amazing guy and his family. I will forever cherish the years I was privileged to represent his label in the SF Bay Area and other Northern California locations. He will be missed."
Jeff was a pioneer in the Garlic Industry in the 1970s–1990s. In the early 2000s, he, along with his children Karen and Jack, transitioned the focus of Thomson International from farming and sales to other commodities, including watermelons, onions, and bell peppers. Jeff was the Head of Sales for Thomson International’s conventional watermelon program for almost 20 years. He, along with his daughter Annie, marketed and sold watermelons for several growers in Mexico, California, Oregon, and Washington. Jeff also worked alongside his wife Elaine and youngest daughter Nancy, who both handle accounting for Thomson International. Jeff’s children will continue the legacy their father started and have plans for further expansion at Thomson International in the future.
Jeff found passion and purpose in several produce and ag-related organizations. He was the youngest member of Ag Leadership Class 3. He was President of the Kern County Farm Bureau 1979-1981. He, along with his wife Elaine, served as Chairman of the Outstanding Farmers of America. Jeff remained active in several other produce organizations throughout his career. A highlight of Jeff’s career was receiving the 2017 California Leopold Conservation Award for land stewardship and conservation efforts. His family will accept the award on his behalf at the California Farm Bureau Annual Meeting this December.
Jeff will be remembered not only for his innovative farming and business practices, but also as a well-loved and respected man by his employees, customers, and colleagues.
The Thomson International family will carry forward Jeff’s commitment to providing excellent customer service and high-quality produce for several generations to come.
The team at AndNowUKnow would like to extend our deepest condolences to all those affected by this loss.
TORONTO, CANADA - Loblaw is the name and helping customers save is the game. Consumers of Loblaw’s stores will be excited to hear about a new loyalty program, which is a product of the merging of the company’s previous Shoppers Optimum and PC Plus programs. The new program is called PC Optimum and is the stuff of dreams.
To make it easy, the company’s new program will allow consumers to earn and redeem loyalty points through a single card or app system, and they can earn points at the nearly 2,500 stores or e-commerce sites. After redeeming points every two seconds of the day last year to save themselves money and make the most of their shopping trips, 8 million and 11 million Loblaw’s customers are currently enrolled in the loyalty systems.
“Retail is increasingly about customer relationships, and loyalty will be central to the future of personalized value and experiences,” said Galen G. Weston, Executive Chairman and CEO, in a recent press release. “Keeping customers at the heart of our thinking, we created the single PC Optimum loyalty program to give Canadians the value they have come to trust, with the ability to earn more points and redeem them in more stores than ever before.”
The program starts February 1, 2018, but customers will be able to rack up points until the new roll-out, and at that time, the points accumulated will transfer to the new PC Optimum system.
Quebec’s laws about loyalty programs require a different approach, though, and customers will have until May 2, 2018, to transfer their Pharmaprix Optimum points.
“We know how much Canadians care about their loyalty points, so we created the PC Optimum program by listening to our customers,” said Jim Noteboom, Senior Vice President, Loyalty and Consumer Insights. “They want a single, easy-to-understand program, covering our entire assortment of food, health, beauty, and apparel. Most of all, the PC Optimum program will deliver on their expectation of equal value when the programs come together, with additional options to save even more.”
For more details on what is entailed in the new PC Optimum point system, check out the company's press release by clicking here.
AndNowUKnow will continue to report on the success of the program's roll-out as it hits the stores in the early months of next year.
HOUSTON, TX - Sysco has spoken, and the word is, Love Beets is among the best of the best. At its annual Supplier Excellence Awards event in Houston, Texas, Sysco selected Love Beets as its Cutting Edge Solution award honoree, paying homage to the company’s strong ability in product development.
“Love Beets strives for new and innovative ways to appeal to customers. A team of creative minds constantly pushes the envelope with improvements ranging from new packaging to new products,” said Chris Horrell, Director of Sales. “Our customers are the root of our success, and we continuously make a large effort to make sure they are happy with the products.”
According to a press release, this focus on product development and innovation were key factors in being selected by Sysco. The foodservice giant noted that Love Beet’s 500 gram vacuum-sealed beet offering both appealed to its vision and exceeded its expectations.
“At Love Beets two of our core values are quality and convenience,” explained stated George Shropshire, General Manager. “We are always looking for inimitable and unmatched ways to distinguish our products and supply our customers with the best beets, presented in the most inventive ways. We are honored to accept this Cutting Edge Solution Award from Sysco, who we hold in a high regard.”
Leaving the event with both honor and inspiration, the Love Beets team assured that this high-level of originality will continue for the company into 2018. Noting new products on the horizon, as well as more opportunities of all types, Love Beets is a company dedicated to keeping beet lovers happy, especially key, produce-centric players such as Sysco, through quality, convenience, taste, and health.
Want to learn more about Love Beets and do your part to spread the beet love? Visit them on social media via Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
FOWLER, CA - Just in time for those Thanksgiving promotions and boosted consumer demand, Bee Sweet announced the arrival of promotable volumes for two unique citrus varieties.
“This season, Bee Sweet has large volume of Pummelos and Satsuma mandarins,” said Sales Representative Jason Sadoian. “We have ample volume for Thanksgiving store promotions and are excited to market these varieties as household staples for the upcoming holiday.”
Satsumas will be available through November and Pummelos will be available through January, according to a press release. As for how you can push them, Citrus Director of Communications Monique Bienvenue gave some insight.
“With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s helpful for families to know that Pummelos and Satsumas can act as tasty additions to their holiday meals,” she said. “Pummelo segments are a delicious addition to any salad and Satsuma segments can be dipped in chocolate and sea salt for a delicious dessert. Both varieties can also be used in spreads to accompany pastries.”
Bee Sweet emphasized that Satsuma mandarins, known as one of the more popular citrus varieties, are easy-to-peel and incredibly sweet. Pummelos, on the other hand, offer tangy notes and a crisp texture.
To find out how both varieties can stand alone as a snack or as an ingredient in numerous meals, specific recipes are available at www.beesweetcitrus.com. To find out more about product availability, Bee Sweet Citrus offers sales representatives, which can be reached at (559) 834-200.