UNITED STATES - With the polar vortex remaining in a weakened, elongated state, a new pulse of Arctic air is expected to spill south from central Canada and push through the Midwest and East starting Monday. That means another week defined by sharp temperature drops, wind-driven chills, and abrupt overnight freezes just as commuters ease back into their post-holiday rhythms.

This incoming blast follows last week’s cold spell. Forecasters at AccuWeather expect the new pattern to behave much the same—quick-moving waves of cold air pulsing south, each capable of dipping lower than the one before. Meteorologists are already watching for temperatures in the Midwest to plunge well below zero with readings running 15 to 25 degrees below seasonal norms. Even regions farther south, including parts of Florida, could see a frost potential by late week.

Snow will accompany several of these waves, generating rounds of flurries, passing snow showers, and the occasional squall. Roads that appeared merely wet at sundown may freeze slick by nightfall, and the brief windows of accumulating snow, especially around December 12th, could still prove disruptive for dense coastal corridors if one system taps extra Atlantic moisture.

Forecasters are eyeing another concern: a possible ice or wintry mix event around December 13–14 stretching from the Great Lakes through the Ohio Valley and into higher Appalachian terrain. Quick shifts between snow, sleet, and freezing rain could make that window particularly tricky for travelers.

By the final stretch into Christmas week, some moderation may appear. Whether that arrives depends on another anticipated wobble in the polar vortex around mid-month. If that weakening holds, the West could turn stormier under La Niña influence while the central and eastern U.S. briefly thaw after two weeks of back-to-back cold surges.

Wherever the pattern lands next, the coming days will demand layers, patience, and careful travel planning—and as always, you can track the latest updates by checking in with ANUK.

LEAMINGTON, ONTARIO, CANADA - The meals that line the dinner table are often the stars of the holiday season, and this year is no different. As shoppers look to impress and excite their guests with a few seasonal favorites, the mushroom category is gearing up for a strong sales boost.

“Mushrooms are a holiday star. They define flavor in classic dishes like stuffed mushrooms, gravies, festive roasts, and elevated brunch spreads. As consumers plan more premium and plant-forward holiday meals at home, mushrooms become the hero across occasions,” says Sabrina Pokomandy, Director of Business Development and Marketing, Highline Mushrooms. “Holiday baskets that include mushrooms are higher value, as shoppers pair them with premium proteins, herbs, spreads, and entertaining essentials. Our newest retailer-focused data investments clearly show that mushrooms build basket size and drive premium meal missions during this critical window.”

Sabrina suggests retailers capture this growth by:

• Featuring mushrooms as the centerpiece ingredient in holiday planning and building meal displays around them
• Using clear, consistent blocking of White/Brown/Organic for faster decision-making
• Cross-merchandising with proteins and plant-based mains
• Leaning into digital recipe and inspiration that drives trial and repeat purchases

“This is a critical moment where strong merchandising can convert everyday shoppers into premium holiday cooks, and Highline Mushrooms drives that upgrade,” Sabrina adds. “This is where Highline leads, bringing innovation, insights, and execution together to grow the category profitably. Our newest data investments help us support retailers with shopper-specific seasonal insights, ensuring the right SKUs and promotions hit the right households at the right time.”

From the appetizer spread to plant-forward entrées, mushrooms add rich umami to the gravies, sides, and comfort dishes everyone expects at the table, giving fan-favorite holiday classics a boost in flavor. With mushrooms serving a wide range of uses, retailers have the opportunity to tap into heightened demand.

“To inspire these moments, Highline has created classic holiday recipes that meet consumers where they plan—from social feeds to retailer e-commerce. We also partner with influencers who showcase both beloved classics and bold new ways to make mushrooms the star of the season,” Sabrina explains. “From planning to plating, Highline is helping shoppers celebrate with elevated flavor, creativity, and confidence.”

Highline is committed to leading the mushroom category forward. The company delivers this leadership through:

• Innovation — premium products such as Mini Bellas that elevate every meal
• Quality — industry-leading freshness and clarity in packaging
• Category Management Expertise — robust retail data, insights, and tailored activation strategies that help retailers grow both volume and value
• Supply Confidence — our new farm expansion and technology stacking ensure retailers are supported with consistent availability and reliable forecasting, even during peak demand periods like the holidays

“As consumers move from holiday entertaining into winter comfort and then New Year wellness, mushrooms have a starring role in every one of those moments. Highline is here to keep excitement high, keep baskets strong, and keep the category growing, all year long,” Sabrina concludes. “Our goal is simple: make mushrooms the hero of the holiday basket today, and the centerpiece of flavorful, inspired meals tomorrow.”

ANUK will continue to report on the holiday opportunities popping up in the produce department, so stay tuned!

MILLEN, GA - The Southeast Produce Council is excited to embark on the fourth year of the SEPC Next Generation Leadership Academy (NGLA).

Designed specifically for the next generation of produce-industry leaders, this immersive year-long program blends conscious-leadership methodologies with practical skill-building. Participants sharpen their leadership competencies, expand their capacity to navigate complexity, and cultivate a growth-oriented mindset essential for the evolving demands of our industry. With a tailored mix of in-person gatherings and virtual learning, the Academy delivers timely, relevant development that prepares each participant for the leadership roles ahead. The program encompasses the buy side and the sell side of the industry.

“The success of our first three classes has exceeded every expectation. We’ve seen leaders deepen their self-awareness, strengthen their confidence, and cultivate lasting connections that elevate the entire produce supply chain. NGLA has proven its value as a transformative experience for emerging leaders. As we open nominations for Class 4, now is the time to empower the next wave of talent to step forward," said SEPC Past Chairman Raina Nelson of Westfalia Fruit USA in the recent release.

“Participating in the SEPC Next Generation Leadership Academy challenged me to grow both personally and professionally and strengthened the way I show up as a leader. It broadened my understanding of our industry and connected me with a trusted group of peers I can lean on, learn from, and grow with — that kind of support stays with you," said Courtney Carlton, Sunkist Growers.

“Programs like NGLA strengthen the future of our industry by developing leaders who understand both the responsibility and the opportunity of feeding people. Graduates return with a broader perspective and a commitment to leading with purpose — that benefits their organizations and the produce community as a whole," said Christian Harris, Sunkist Growers.

“Participating in SEPC’s Next Generation Leadership Academy was truly transformative. Over the course of the year-long program, I had the privilege of learning alongside 12 incredible produce professionals from across the industry. Together, we built lifelong connections that continue to support me both personally and professionally. The program helped me better understand my leadership style, identify areas for growth, and gave me the confidence to step forward as a young leader. SEPC's leaders have become like family to me, and their support has extended well beyond graduation. I strongly recommend this program to the next generation of leaders—come ready to be engaged, open, and excited to grow, because the experience will shape your career and future in ways you can’t imagine," said Victoria Pacheco, Albertsons Companies.

“I applaud the SEPC for investing in the future leaders with the NGLA program, establishing a clear path of growth for these amazing leaders in the Produce Industry," said Shawn Perry, Albertsons Companies.

Nominate the next class of leaders for the fourth class of the Next Generation Leadership Academy. Nominations are now open and will close for this class on January 12th at 5:00 pm EST.

Applicants should have organizational level support to participate. The incoming class will be announced during the Keynote Brunch at Southern Exposure 2026 and will graduate at Southern Exposure 2027.

Applicant Eligibility Requirements

• Emerging leader in produce, mid-level manager or above
• Employed in the produce industry for at least 4 years
• Member in “Good Standing” of the SEPC*
• Must possess a vision for leadership, a strong drive for industry contribution, and a compelling 2-minute video as to why they believe they would be a good candidate

*To be in “Good Standing”, a member must actively participate in the SEPC by their attendance, contributions, or both and must be included in SEPC’s membership roll.

Please contact the Southeast Produce Council at [email protected] or (877)720-SEPC if you have any questions.

CLEMENTON, NJ - Zallie Family Markets, the family-owned and operated South Jersey-based company, is thrilled to announce the grand opening of the brand-new ShopRite of Cherrywood Plaza – a state-of-the-art, 85,000-square-foot supermarket designed to deliver a modern shopping experience while also honoring decades of family tradition and commitment to the community. The new store, located at 1468 Blackwood Clementon Road in Clementon, NJ, will officially open its doors on Sunday, December 7, replacing the longtime ShopRite of Laurel Hill, which proudly served guests at 1224 Blackwood-Clementon Road for 52 years.

To mark the opening of the ShopRite of Cherrywood Plaza, Zallie Family Markets will host a full day of festive, family-friendly activities for the community. Guests will enjoy live entertainment including magicians, balloon artists, juggling stilt walkers, a live DJ and face painting, along with complimentary caricature portraits and food samplings throughout the store. The celebration will also feature special seasonal surprises, highlighted by a holiday visit from Santa.

The celebration starts with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8:45 a.m. followed by the store opening at 9:00 a.m., where local leaders, store team members and members of the Zallie family will gather to officially welcome guests to the new supermarket. All are invited to attend, enjoy the festivities, and help celebrate the store’s new home in Cherrywood Plaza.

“Our family is proud to open the doors to the new ShopRite of Cherrywood Plaza,” said David Zallie, Chairman & CEO of Zallie Family Markets, in the recent release. “This store reflects our ongoing pursuit of innovation and excellence, and we are excited to offer our guests a top shopping experience supported by the amenities and fresh food offerings and recipes that define Zallie Family Markets. We have been part of the community for more than 50 years and we are so grateful for the support as we look forward to welcoming both longtime and new guests.”

The new store offers:

• Zallie’s Fresh Kitchen Catering – Expertly prepared dishes and custom menus designed for gatherings of any size.
• Authentic Asian Wokery & Sushi Bar – Freshly prepared sushi rolls, sashimi and made-to-order wok entrées.
• Indoor Café – A comfortable space to relax and enjoy fresh coffee, pastries and prepared meals.
• Grilled Selections & Full Hot Food Bar – Daily rotating hot entrées, comfort classics and flame-grilled favorites.
• International Cheese Department – A curated selection of specialty, imported and artisanal cheeses.
• Floral & Gift Department – Custom floral arrangements, seasonal décor and thoughtful gifts for any occasion.
• ShopRite Pharmacy – Comprehensive pharmacy services with personalized care and convenient prescription management.
• Order. Pickup. Deliver. (OPD) – Convenient online shopping with fast, flexible pickup or home delivery options.

The opening marks the latest major investment for Zallie Family Markets as the company continues to build on its legacy of quality, service, and innovation. In 2023, the Zallie family proudly celebrated 50 years in the supermarket business, honoring a half-century of growth, guest services, and community commitment.

NEW ZEALAND - Zespri continues to build consumer excitement and retail momentum as the brand leans into character-driven marketing, expanded category visibility, and a growing portfolio that now includes its upcoming RubyRed™ variety. Trade Marketing Director for North America Bianca Fiedler shared insights on how these initiatives are shaping the year ahead.

“It’s the second season that we’ve had the Kiwi Brothers and it’s been amazing,” Fiedler explained. “They have gotten great attention in all the right ways and they have been an amazing vehicle for us to communicate our key messages, spreading that obsession of kiwifruit through North America, but also globally.”

As Zespri collaborates with select U.S. retailers, the goal is clear: elevate kiwifruit from an impulse buy to a true destination category.

“We’re partnering with certain retailers across the US to make kiwifruit a destination within the store,” she said. “And so what we’re really trying to do is transform kiwifruit to be on that shopping list for our shoppers and make it a destination in stores.”

Looking ahead, Fiedler spotlighted a major development within Zespri’s varietal lineup. While Green and SunGold remain staples, RubyRed is positioned to bring new energy and flavor exploration to the category.

“Zespri, its portfolio—we have the green kiwifruit and the SunGold kiwifruit, but RubyRed is very different,” she noted. “It is a smaller profile that has a red flesh. It’s got that berry sweetness.”

Watch the full video to hear Bianca share more on shopper engagement and the road to RubyRed.

NEW KENSINGTON, PA - Yerecic Label is proud to announce the successful pre-qualification of four label constructions through the How2Recycle® program, reinforcing the company’s commitment to simplifying sustainability for brand and retail partners.

By obtaining Pre-Qualification Letters for their SustainLabel!® Preferred and SustainLabel!® BOPP materials for PET packaging, Yerecic Label helps brands streamline their own How2Recycle label applications. When customers apply for a How2Recycle label for their final packaging, they can now include these pre-qualified letters, expediting review for the label components already verified by Yerecic Label.

“Pre-qualifying our label constructions through How2Recycle adds real value for our customers,” said Elizabeth Yerecic, EVP of Sales & Sustainability at Yerecic Label, in the recent release. “It’s one more way we help simplify designing for recyclability – by doing the groundwork that helps brands move faster toward their packaging goals.”

It is important to note that obtaining a How2Recycle label does not automatically mean that packaging is recyclable. Instead, the label communicates to consumers whether and how a package should be recycled, including the appropriate stream for collection, or if it is not recyclable at all. Yerecic Label’s pre-qualified letters apply specifically to its label constructions; customers are still required to submit their entire package for How2Recycle review to receive a final label assignment.

“Submitting our first label constructions for pre-qualification gave our team valuable insight into How2Recycle’s process,” said Deanna Welsh, Product Development Cross-Functional Team Lead. “Now we have a clear, repeatable procedure in place to continue expanding our library of pre-qualified materials, and we’re ready to help customers navigate their own How2Recycle submissions.”

In addition to their established SustainLabel!® constructions, Yerecic Label continues to strengthen its role as a trusted sustainability partner by helping customers navigate evolving labeling standards. As the How2Recycle Pro Label system rolls out in 2026, the company is promoting awareness and encouraging faster adoption by incorporating a stop sign notice on all customer proofs that include a How2Recycle icon. This visual cue serves as a reminder for brands to review their packaging artwork against the new Pro Label design.

Yerecic Label also provides customers with the label specifications needed for their own How2Recycle pre-qualification submissions that fall outside of Yerecic Label’s established pre-qualified constructions, bridging the gap between innovation, compliance, and real-world recyclability.

BOISE, ID -Albertsons Companies, Inc. announced a major milestone in its digital transformation journey – the launch of the Albertsons AI shopping assistant, an industry-leading web browser experience designed to make grocery shopping faster, smarter and more personalized. As the industry leans into agentic commerce, the Albertsons AI shopping assistant moves beyond search to execute complex end‑to‑end grocery tasks helping customers complete shopping, from recipe to cart, in minutes. Building on the success of the company’s Ask AI tool introduced earlier this year, the agentic shopping assistant is a customer-friendly conversational experience powered by many collaborative agents, now available on all Albertsons Cos. banner websites as Albertsons AI, Safeway AI, Vons AI, Jewel-Osco AI and more.

“Our goal at Albertsons Companies is to make our customers’ lives easier, and by implementing AI-powered features across the customer journey from discovery to purchase, we are delivering an experience that’s faster, easier and more enjoyable,” said Jill Pavlovich, SVP, Digital Customer Experience for Albertsons Cos., in the recent release. “We are laser-focused on using AI as part of our strategy to meet customers when and how they choose to shop, ultimately driving customer growth and engagement through digital connection. The Albertsons AI shopping assistant is an exciting step in this journey, with much more innovation to come.”

Smarter Shopping in Minutes

Powered by Open AI models, the Albertsons AI shopping assistant aims to reduce grocery shopping time from an average of 46 minutes* to as little as four minutes by helping customers plan meals, restock essentials, discover new products and shop smarter. The assistant can be accessed on banner web browsers in the Meals Hub and exemplifies agentic commerce, meaning it doesn’t just answer questions, it actively completes shopping tasks for customers, such as:

• Rapid Restock: Quickly reorder weekly essentials and frequent purchases.
• Plan Meals: Generate a practical weekly meal plan and shopping list with de-duplicated ingredients added to cart.
  Shop Lists: Type or upload an image of a written grocery list, and the assistant will find personalized products for everything on the list.
• Fridge Cleaner: Discover recipes using what’s already in the fridge and pantry, saving money and reducing food waste.
• Shop Recipe: Instantly import an online recipe or image and add ingredients to cart.
• Event-Ready: Choose a theme, or let the assistant use the next upcoming holiday, and see curated product ideas with offers.

“With the Albertsons AI shopping assistant, we can understand our customers’ needs on a deeper level, allowing us to serve them in the best way possible. Our current meal-planning capabilities are exceptional, and now, through dynamic two-way conversations with our shoppers, they can give us further context such as the customer is cooking a meal for six people but wants leftovers and one person is a vegetarian. We can provide tailored recommendations in the moment with all of these considerations and enhance future interactions with personalized product and recipe recommendations featuring our latest deals and coupons,” added Pavlovich.

Future Enhancements

Expanding into the Albertsons Cos. banner mobile apps in early 2026, the Albertsons AI shopping assistant will launch additional agentic commerce capabilities including budget optimization, in-store aisle location to find a specific product, and voice integration. Additionally, the assistant’s multi‑agent architecture sets the stage for compatibility with off‑platform agents, opening doors for future integrations with experiences like apps in the chat feature.

With the launch of the Albertsons AI agentic shopping assistant, Albertsons Cos. is underscoring its commitment to innovation and customer-centric solutions, harnessing cutting-edge AI to deliver a smarter, more connected grocery experience. This innovation sets the foundation for future capabilities that will redefine convenience and personalization.

To experience Albertsons AI, visit albertsons.com/assistant. Media assets are available for download here.

MARLBOROUGH, MA - BJ’s Wholesale Club announced that it will open three new clubs in December. Clubs in Springfield, Massachusetts, and Sumter, South Carolina, will open on December 12. The Casselberry, Florida, location will open on December 17.

All three locations will feature on-site BJ’s Gas stations offering everyday low fuel prices and potential extra savings through BJ’s Fuel Savers Program. The Springfield and Sumter gas stations opened in November. The Casselberry gas station will open on December 3.

BJ’s Wholesale Club in Casselberry is the 42nd club in Florida and is located at the Casselberry Exchange at 108 State Road 436.

The Springfield club, located at 1655 Boston Road, marks the 26th club in Massachusetts and the first new location in the company’s home state in thirteen years.

The club in Sumter, South Carolina, located at 1475 Alice Drive, is the third in the state.

“BJ’s continues to grow in communities where unbeatable value resonates,” said Bill Werner, Executive Vice President, Strategy and Development, BJ’s Wholesale Club, in the recent release. “We’ll bring savings of up to 25% off grocery store prices every day, and we look forward to taking care of the families who depend on us.”

BJ’s has a long-standing commitment to nourishing its communities. For over 15 years, it has worked with Feeding America and its network of food banks, providing more than 155 million meals for those in need. Each new club will support a local food bank with regular donations of produce, meat, dairy products and more.

BJ’s offers unbeatable value on everyday essentials in a convenient one-stop shop. Members save on fresh foods, produce, full-service deli items, fresh bakery goods, household essentials, home décor, pet supplies, toys, consumer electronics and more. BJ’s members love the true treasure-hunt shopping experience, discovering new and exciting items with each visit.

BJ’s members can choose from several time-saving options, whether shopping online or in-club. Curbside pickup, in-club pickup, same-day delivery* and shipping are available on BJs.com. Members shopping in-club can use ExpressPay** through the BJ’s mobile app to scan products as they shop and skip the checkout line.

Additional member perks include:

• Unbeatable grocery prices: Members can save up to 25% off grocery store prices every day
• A risk-free membership: Shoppers can try BJ’s risk-free with the company’s 100% money-back guarantee
• BJ’s coupons + manufacturers’ coupons: Members can combine BJ’s coupons with many manufacturers’ coupons to maximize savings

Local shoppers can learn more about becoming BJ’s members and limited-time exclusive offers by visiting BJs.com/Springfield, BJs.com/Sumter or BJs.com/Casselberry.