CORONA, CA - Satisfying the consumer begins with understanding what they want. With over a century of experience backing its expertise in the category, Index Fresh is harnessing in-demand formats and limited-time programs to help its partners maximize avocado sales.

“In the last one to two years, retailers have pushed hard for avocado programs that feel differentiated, dependable, and easy to execute at store level. Consumers, in turn, are rewarding convenience, sustainability, and value,” explains Kellen Stailey Martin, Vice President of Marketing. “For Index Fresh, that has meant leaning into formats that fit real shopper missions.”

In 2026 alone, Index Fresh introduced its new Avoettes Mini Bags, Jumbo Bags, and Organic Cellulose Bags, catering to demands from small‑basket snacking to large‑basket stock‑up and eco‑conscious purchasing.

In addition to bringing innovative formats to market, the avocado maven has also leaned into limited‑time offers (LTO) as one of its most effective tools for driving category excitement and incremental volume. The brand’s California Crema GEM avocados are a key marker of the strength of this strategy.

“Our California Crema GEMs program completed its second year in early July and has grown into our biggest and strongest GEM LTO season to date, with program sales doubling year over year,” Kellen tells me. “It is a proven branded limited‑time offer that brings a premium ‘discovery’ feel to the category and has delivered our strongest GEM performance to date in engagement and volume. We’ve increased our customer base by over 55 percent in the last five years, and it is rewarding to serve as California’s largest GEM shipper, supplying this unique variety to retailers from coast to coast.”

At the center of its growth blueprint is the most important element of Index Fresh’s operations—the avocado.

“We stay ahead by being radically focused on one thing: avocados,” John Dmytriw, Vice President of Business Development, adds. “We’re grower‑rooted, 112 years in the category, with no outside agendas, no acquisitions to integrate, and no shareholder value targets resetting our priorities every 90 days. Our goals are measured in seasons, not quarters, and that changes how we show up for both growers and retailers.”

This level of focus allows Index Fresh to innovate quickly and responsibly—with Avoettes Mini Bags, Jumbo Bags, and Organic Cellulose Bags serving as prime examples of how the company is responding directly to retailer and shopper needs while keeping its commitments to ripening, global social responsibility, and 52-week supply intact.

Attendees of this year’s Southern Innovations will get a closer look at Index Fresh’s portfolio and values, as the supplier gears up to showcase its retail and foodservice avocado programs at booth #549 this September.

For more exclusive category insights and updates, leave a tab open to AndNowUKnow.

CINCINNATI, OH - The Kroger Co. announced that Mark Ibbotson will join the company as Executive Vice President and Chief Store Operations Officer, effective September 14.

Ibbotson brings decades of experience leading large-scale retail operations through periods of significant transformation. Through senior leadership roles at Walmart and its former U.K. subsidiary Asda, Ibbotson built a reputation as an operations specialist and innovator in omnichannel retail.

"Mark has done this work at scale, and he has done it exceptionally well," said Greg Foran, CEO of Kroger, in the recent release. "He knows what it takes to simplify complex operations, bring out the best in frontline teams, and build the digital and physical capabilities that win with customers. That is what we need as we accelerate our momentum and build America's Best Grocer."

Ibbotson began his retail career in the United Kingdom, including roles at Sainsbury's before joining Asda in 2004. There, he rose through a series of operational and leadership positions, including Loss Prevention Director, Productivity Director and Retail Director, before becoming Chief Operating Officer. In that role, Ibbotson oversaw the performance of hundreds of stores, drove meaningful improvements in efficiency and cost, and expanded the company's eCommerce capabilities and introduced pickup and drive-through.

In 2015, Ibbotson joined Walmart U.S. as Senior Vice President of Innovation, with a mandate to simplify store operations and introduce new technologies to improve the customer experience and associate productivity. His responsibilities expanded significantly over time, and he became Executive Vice President of Central Operations and Realty. This broad portfolio encompassed store operations, real estate, asset protection, and key elements of Walmart's digital transformation, including the architecture and launch of the grocery eCommerce business.

During his tenure, Ibbotson helped lead the rollout of the company's eCommerce platform, including pickup and delivery services that became a cornerstone of Walmart's omnichannel strategy. He also supported the development of Walmart Academies for associate training.

Since leaving Walmart in 2020, Ibbotson has worked as a strategic advisor to retail and technology companies and has served as a Senior Advisor for McKinsey & Company for the last four years.

"Kroger has the assets, the customer relationships and the associates to be an outstanding grocer," said Ibbotson. "The team is building on a foundation of fresh, value, and digital growth that is truly exciting. I am looking forward to contributing to that work and the talented teams I will have the privilege of working alongside."

LEAMINGTON, ON - Following the USDA’s recently announced revisions to the U.S. Standards for Grades of Mushrooms, Highline Mushrooms is reaffirming its commitment to the quality expectations it has established with its retail and foodservice customers. The revised federal standards, which take effect September 24, modernize mushroom grading requirements for the first time in nearly 60 years, including changes to defect tolerances, sizing, terminology, and the treatment of open veils.

While the updated standards provide the mushroom industry with greater flexibility, Highline does not intend to use that flexibility to lower the quality specifications its customers and consumers have come to expect. “Our customers have built their mushroom programs around specific expectations for quality, appearance, freshness and shelf performance,” said Sabrina Pokomandy, Director of Business Development & Marketing, in the recent release. “A change in an allowable industry tolerance should not automatically mean a change in what arrives at our partner’s stores.”

For Highline, USDA grade standards represent an important industry benchmark. Customer specifications, however, remain central to how Highline grows, packs, and supplies mushrooms. Simply put, if the standard changes, the customer experience shouldn’t have to. Highline will continue to work directly with its customers to maintain agreed-upon product specifications and evaluate any potential changes based on what is right for the customer, the category, and ultimately the consumer.

“Retailers work hard to build shopper confidence in fresh produce, and consistency at shelf matters,” added Sabrina. “At a time when mushroom consumption is already under pressure, we should be focused on giving consumers more reasons to buy mushrooms and not potentially compromising the quality experience that brings them back. Protecting quality and consistency at shelf is part of protecting the category and helping return mushrooms to growth.”

The USDA revisions represent an important modernization of standards originally established in 1966. Highline supports efforts that bring industry standards in line with modern production and marketing practices while remaining committed to delivering the quality and consistency its customers expect.

SALINAS, CA - Flexibility in a grower partner is essential. A solutions provider that anticipates the needs and palates of consumers brings an added toolkit of value to today's retail partners. Enza Zaden finds itself in such a category, bringing both R&D and production agriculture into the fold for its partners. As the Southeast Produce Council's Southern Innovations event approaches, the team is preparing for in-depth conversations about its Tribelli® Seedless program and the opportunity to build new relationships, more flavor, and more value in the category.

"Our Tribelli Seedless platform was developed to address growing demand for healthy, convenient snacking options while helping retailers differentiate their pepper category," Eli Collins, Marketing Generalist, U.S. and Canada, shares with me. "As we continue to expand the program in North America, we're working closely with our grower and marketing partners to bring a complete Tribelli Seedless offering to the market, supported by strong branding, quality standards, and year-round availability."

As Eli explains to me, Tribelli Seedless represents the next evolution of mini sweet peppers for the company, combining the sweetness, crunch, and vibrant colors consumers already love with the convenience of being completely seedless.

The program made a splash at the 2026 CPMA trade show this spring, and the market response since has only grown across the broader Tribelli portfolio. Eli points to the seedless benefit itself as the draw, paired with the premium taste and quality the Tribelli name already carries, and to retailers hunting for differentiated, convenience-focused options.

Tribelli Seedless is designed as a flexible branded program that adapts to different retail formats and packaging strategies.

Current commercial availability in North America includes red, orange, and yellow seedless mini peppers. That partnership extends into the produce department itself, where the team provides branding assets, packaging guidelines, POS materials, and marketing support that communicate the key consumer benefits of the line.

Curious about what a seedless pepper can do for the category? Visit Enza Zaden at booth #239 and learn more from the team themselves.