VALENCIA, CA – Sunkist has made a number of organizational changes to welcome the upcoming citrus season.
Terri Mouton, former Director of Marketing at Frieda’s, is now joining Sunkist as its new Director of Varietal Sales, focusing on the mandarin, tangerine, and tangelo categories, according to a press release.
Heralded for her expertise in brand development, the cooperative felt confident that Mouton would be well equipped to oversee and grow the easy peel category.
“Terri understands the challenges of the produce market and has a proven track record in business development, sales, and marketing strategy,” said Kevin Fiori, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “We are excited to have her onboard to help take Sunkist to the next level as we move forward with our mandarin business.”
The cooperative has also promoted two company veterans, Ray Mizutani and Jeff Gaston.
Mizutani, a four-year Sunkist employee, will assume the Director of Export Sales position that is currently being held by Dave Pott. Pott has announced his intention to retire by the end of the year after more than 30 years in the citrus industry and nearly 11 years at Sunkist.
“Dave has been a key contributor to Sunkist’s export sales division, managing relationships with importers and exporters,” Fiori said. “Working closely with Dave during his time at Sunkist, Ray has gained the respect of customers, the shipper community and his colleagues within our organization. We feel fortunate to have him leading the export team moving forward.”
Last, but not least, Jeff Gaston, a 16-year Sunkist employee, has been promoted to Director of Western Sales to oversee accounts in the Western region from the cooperative’s headquarters.
“Jeff has been an integral part of our sales team for many years, and we are pleased to be promoting him to a leadership position to focus on growth in the Western region,” said Fiori.
With these changes, Sunkist believes it is more than ready to tackle the upcoming citrus season.
BENTONVILLE, AR - Wal-Mart is reportedly looking to trim spending by cutting hundreds of headquarter positions.
Reuters reports that those close to the matter stated that fewer than 500 employees are expected to lose their jobs and an announcement could be made as early as tomorrow. Currently, there are more than 18,000 people employed at Wal-Mart’s headquarters. Due to this news not having yet been made public, Reuters' source requested to remain anonymous.
Local publication The City Wire has speculated about job cuts in recent weeks, according to the report, including a recent followup in which Vice President of Corporate Communications for Wal-Mart, Greg Hitt, said, “For any company of our size and scope it’s a natural course for us to review our management structure from time to time as we work toward better efficiencies and getting closer to our customers.”
Hitt did not comment on any scheduled cuts, nor did the retail chain comment on the situation to Reuters. There have also been an influx of Wal-Mart employee resumes to recruiting firms, according to the report, indicating some internal concern from employees.
Chief Executive Doug McMillon, as well as other top executives with the company, have an annual meeting scheduled later this month to discuss the current strategy with investors and analysts alike, so stay tuned.
DELTA, BC - Windset Farms® has announced the company will yet again be partnering with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, being an active member in both fundraising and supporting the race for the cure. Over the last 3 years, Windset has helped raise over $100,000 to the CBCF and says it hopes to continue its fundraising efforts.
“We want to do what we can to give back to our community,” says John Newell, COO of Windset Farms®. “As a produce company, we support proper nutrition and healthy lifestyles that can help reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases.”
Starting its fourth year of its partnership with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Windset Farms® will again be actively present with a company team at the CIBC Run for the Cure, held on Sunday, October 4th. The company will also be donating over 2500kg of its Concerto® Grape Tomatoes and Fresco® Mini Cucumbers for participants and supporters at every Run for the Cure site across British Columbia, according to a press release.
In addition to these important contributions, 10% of net proceeds from select Concerto® Grape Tomatoes packages will be donated to the CBCF for the entire month of October. Look for the Pink Ribbon labelled packages at participating local BC grocery outlets.
BENTONVILLE, AR - As of late, retailers are pushing further and further to tap into the consumer craze of online shopping on behalf of produce. From AmazonFresh to Instacart, strategies continue to search for the niche that will provide a faster, more efficient shopping experience to fresh, and Wal-Mart is the latest to join.
InvestorPlace reports that the retail giant has expanded its curbside pickup offerings to more than double its five pilot locations.
Eight more cities will now have curbside pickup available when grocery shopping online with Wal-Mart, including:
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Charlotte and Fayetteville, North Carolina
- Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Tucson, Arizona
- Colorado Springs
These new avenues in shopping that help promote on-demand grocery delivery are growing on the buy-side, but are they peaking on the consumer end?
“We’ve tested online grocery options – both pickup and delivery – in a handful of markets across the USA, and each time we’ve added a new city, our customers begin using the service faster than they did in the previous one,” Wal-Mart said on its blog, published Tuesday.
Available on the same day if the orders are placed by 10:00 a.m. local, the service is free for consumers who select a pickup time when placing their order online.
WENATCHEE, WA - The final results for the 2014 apple crop are in, and survey says… Consumer preferences are shifting from commodity apples to premium varietals.
According to Nielsen data provided by CMI, total apple volume sold at retail showed only a slight increase despite the record apple harvest last year. Only three apple varieties (Honeycrisp, Jazz Apples, and Ambrosia) in the top 10 generated year-over-year sales increases, all of which are premium varieties with an average retail over $2.00 per pound.
Honeycrisp and branded apples in particular showed strong dollar and volume growth, but Katherine Grove, CMI’s Marketing Specialist, explained that category sales have actually declined.
“Retailers that identified the opportunity to maximize performance of Honeycrisp, Ambrosia™, and some of the key emerging branded apples like Kanzi® and KIKU® probably had a pretty good year while their competitors lost market share,” she said.
For the completed apple season from September 1, 2014 to August 28, 2015, Nielsen data shows that total apple volume sold at retail increased by 1.9 percent. A decline of 3.9 percent in the average retail price caused overall apple category dollars to drop for the year by -2.0 percent, according to a press release.
Among the top five apples, only Honeycrisp showed an increase in dollar performance for the year, jumping 25 percent. A shift in consumer preference may explain the decline in performance for Red Delicious.
This data includes actual sales performance from approximately 19,000 supermarkets representing 67 percent of total U.S. supermarket sales.
Grove added that 2 lb. premium pouch bags had the strongest growth rate of all of the major packaged apple segments.
Overall, the top 5 apple varieties (Gala, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Red Delicious, and Granny Smith) drove 75 percent of total category sales for the year.
LEAMINGTON, ON - Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG) is launching a new media campaign utilizing print and online channels to educate retailers, produce merchandisers and produce managers on proper merchandising and storage techniques for seedless cucumber.
Through a new website, goseedless.com, OGVG is providing tips and strategies to aid retailers in reducing shrink, increasing sales, and free up valuable cooler space. Tips are also available online for retailers and merchandisers for Ontario greenhouse grown tomatoes and peppers.
Fresh Tip #617 Fresh Tip #618 Fresh Tip # 619
“In a number of retailers in the United States, seedless cucumbers are often kept in the refrigerated sections of the produce department, often times under misters and in temperatures of 32 to 36°F,” Jacquie Trombley, Marketer Liaison Officer, for OGVG, tells me. “In Ontario, seedless cucumbers are kept at ambient temperature, typically next to or near tomatoes and peppers. If a store moves enough inventory, refrigeration on the floor is not necessary.”
Jacquie informs me that seedless cucumbers that are displayed within refrigerated sections should be kept between 50 and 60°F, without exposure to mist.
“Lower temperatures and exposure to moisture can create chill damage, early decay, and pitting, increasing overall shrink and decreasing overall sales potential,” she adds.
According to OGVG, the greenhouse vegetable sector is a power economic force contributing $1.4 billion to the Ontario economy. Over 70% of Ontario greenhouse produce is exported to the United States annually. In fact, OGVG growers and marketers are less than a one day drive to the majority of markets they serve in Canada and the United States. Ontario retailers report that across all banners seedless cucumbers are one of the top items in the produce department. Retailers also report huge incremental growth in mini and cocktail seedless cucumbers as a healthy snack alternative.
When it comes to trends, Jacquie has seen a strong push toward snacking and packaged products. Specialty produce like cocktail cucumbers, baby tomatoes, mini peppers have all been showing up on grocery store shelves.
“With consumers trending toward healthy snack alternatives, the smaller, ready-to-eat varieties are seeing a definite increase in the marketplace,” she notes.
The OGVG represents over 200 growers of greenhouse tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, on over 2500 acres spanning from Windsor to Niagara and as far north as Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The majority of Ontario greenhouses are family-owned and have been in existence for several generations.
“OGVG growers are real farm families – they are committed to, and passionate about, the quality of their produce,” Jacquie adds.
In 2015, OGVG licensed 35 marketers who are responsible for the selling and distribution of Ontario greenhouse products throughout North America. All OGVG marketers are FDA registered and bonded, ensuring on-time delivery of fresh produce to the U.S. with no unnecessary border delays and inspection problems.
The greenhouse vegetable sector is a powerful economic force in Ontario. The latest StatsCan numbers revealed farm gate sales for Ontario tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers were $783 million in 2013, a 15% increase from 2012.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA - Grab your umbrellas, California! This Wednesday brought both cloudy skies and moderate showers to Northern California, with even more of the wet stuff predicted for today. Most of the moisture will be south of Sacramento in the Stockton, Modesto, foothills, and the higher country, but some will venture into the bay area and beyond into San Jose as well.
The National Weather Service (NWS) predicts that the approaching weather system will combine with moisture moving from the Southwest to generate showers Wednesday afternoon and into today.
The NWS expects rainfall amounts of a half-inch or more in the northern Sierra Nevada, while Sacramento could get a tenth to two-tenths of an inch of rain.
This won't be the end of Northern California’s wet weather either. Forecasters are predicting another weather system will drop down from the north on Saturday as well.
Even if your area of Northern California sees quite a bit of rain this week, don’t expect the drought to be behind us. This storm is not expected to put a substantial dent into the state’s water supply.
Reporting from our rainy Sacramento office, stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to cover California’s weather and beyond.
YAKIMA, WA – Suzanne Wolter, the former Director of Marketing for Rainier Fruit, has announced the foundation of FreshFit Solutions, a new business venture designed to assist the produce industry with sales, marketing, and strategic planning goals.
Wolter was inspired to establish FreshFit Solutions after her colleagues had encouraged her to utilize her sales and marketing expertise to assist other producers, receivers, and industry suppliers.
Over the past two decades, Wolter has helped various produce companies significantly increase their brand recognition and execute various successful go-to market strategies.
Doug Pauly, Northern Fruit’s General Manager, said in a press release that Wolter’s industry experience adds “perspective and expertise” the company doesn’t have internally. That experience, he said, is “invaluable in evaluating Northern’s current marketing program and generating ideas for new directions.”
“As a competitor, we admired Suzanne’s marketing leadership at Rainier over the past decade,” he said. “Suzanne also serves as a valuable mentor for newer members of our sales team.”
Wilcox Fresh CEO Jim Richter echoed this sentiment, saying the Wolter has a “proven track record of innovation, leadership, and results.”
“She has the unique perspective from working at top companies that will help you differentiate your business from the competition,” said Richter.
Wolter will continue her volunteer association with the US Apple Association, fulfilling the role of Education Committee Chair. She will attend the PMA Fresh Summit expo in October and looks forward to reconnecting with industry friends and colleagues.
PELION, SC – WP Rawl welcomed Disney Channel to its headquarters this past summer to film a segment for the Emmy award-winning series, “Make Your Mark,” featuring Katie Stagliano, Founder of Katie’s Krops.
Joined by her fellow young gardeners, Stagliano gave Disney Channel a brief insider’s look into her inspiration behind Katie’s Krops Camp and her desire to feed the underserved. You can see the 90 second segment below.
Ashley Rawl, Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Product Development, said that the company thoroughly enjoyed hosting Disney Channel at this year's camp and that he looks forward to seeing "Make Your Mark" come to life.
“Over the past three years, we have had the pleasure of hosting over 40 Katie’s Krops growers. Katie is just as much an inspiration to these growers as she is to us and we feel so proud to be able to support her,” Rawl added.
As Stagliano explains in the segment, she got her start in produce in 2008 by growing a 40 pound cabbage in her backyard, which she later donated to a soup kitchen. That cabbage ultimately helped feed 275 people. That experience helped shape the foundation of Katie’s Krops, which currently funds 83 youth-run gardens in 30 states from which the fresh harvest is donated to the underserved, according to a press release.
The segment began airing Friday, September 25 on Disney Channel.
VANCOUVER, BC - Following Canada’s opening up to the Andean-grown market blues, Peruvian grower-exporter Camposol became the first to provide the country with Peruvian blueberries.
The milestone took place last week, according to the company, having dispatched on September 22 to Western Canada.
“We are proud to be the first exporters of Peruvian blueberries to Canada,” Javier Morales, Camposol’s General Manager for fruits and vegetables, said in a press release. “This achievement, which is not only Camposol’s—but indeed our entire country’s—is extremely gratifying.”
The shipment, which originated in Chao, Peru, was attended by National Service of Agrarian Sanitation (Senasa) authorities. Both Camposol and its marketing partner The Oppenheimer Group attended the marked occasion, stating that they are enthusiastic about the opportunity it represents.
“It’s an honor to be part of this achievement,” John Anderson, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Oppy, said in the release. “As one of Canada’s oldest companies, we appreciate the significance of historic moments like this one can have on growers, retailers, and families throughout the supply chain. We are glad our partner Camposol was able to serve the market so readily with high quality berries, and are looking forward to the successful future of this program.”
Morales added that the future for Peruvian blueberries is very bright, with the anticipation of having 3,000 acres in production by 2018. ”Camposol is prepared for this great challenge, which means an increase in job opportunities and a better quality of life for as many as 10,000 Peruvian people.”
Oppy markets in season blueberries grown in several different countries, including Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, and now Peru.