CHICAGO - Yellow Banana, the retail grocery platform operating Save A Lot locations, recently announced the refreshed look of six of these stores across Chicago. Extensive interior and exterior renovations underscore both Save A Lot and Yellow Banana’s commitment to bringing fresh and affordable groceries to its communities.

“We are proud to take steps to re-introduce the Save A Lot brand to Chicago by reopening our stores,” said Joe Canfield, Chief Executive Officer of Yellow Banana. “I’m confident that the investment made to remodel and upgrade these stores will pay off for shoppers, providing a significantly improved customer experience. We’re grateful to the City of Chicago, to the communities around these stores, and to Save A Lot for their patience and support throughout this process. We look forward to serving these neighborhoods with pride.”

According to a press release, the completion of the project is expected to reinvigorate the Save A Lot brand in Chicago.

The renovations include new flooring, lighting, equipment, HVAC systems, dairy and meat cases, paint, décor, fixtures, and signage. These improvements reflect Save A Lot’s dedication to enhancing the shopping experience, the release added.

Will these new stores be renovated enough to attract new and old shoppers? We’ll be here to check out the latest in retail.

WASHINGTON, DC - Remember those posters in classrooms and doctor’s offices when you were younger? How colorful and eye-catching they were? Though we may have grown out of them, these posters still draw a lot of younger eyes, as well as the eyes of parents. The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) and The Foundation for Fresh Produce (FFP) have announced a partnership with Kids Eat in Color® to distribute produce-focused educational posters to pediatric-facing healthcare providers across the country.

“It’s well-known that establishing healthful eating patterns at an early age defines consumers’ habits into their adulthoods,” said Cathy Burns, Chief Executive Officer, IFPA and FFP. “While we are faced with mounting economic and human costs of diet-related disease, it’s also known that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is one of the simplest ways to ensure physical well-being. We are committed to supporting the many pathways to grow produce consumption and are thrilled to partner with Jennifer’s team at Kids Eat in Color, who are doing incredible work helping families establish healthy habits around eating fresh fruits and vegetables.”

With over two million Instagram followers, Kids Eat in Color Founder and Registered Dietitian, Jennifer Anderson, is an authoritative resource in helping families through elementary-aged nutrition needs. Kids Eat in Color provides evidence-based strategies and information on child nutrition and feeding, explained a press release. In addition to courses and community resources, they also have a popular social media community to amplify their efforts.

“I am thrilled to be partnering with the International Fresh Produce Association to make the 'How to talk about Fruits and Veggies' poster available in pediatrician offices across the country,” said Jennifer Anderson. “By providing information about what fruits and veggies do in our bodies, we can help kids learn about their health in a way that protects their relationship with food and their body!"

The poster features age-appropriate ways to talk with children about fruits and vegetables and is co-branded with Kids Eat in Color and The Foundation for Fresh Produce’s Have A Plant® logo. This directs pediatric-facing providers and families to fruitsandveggies.org recipes and resources.

Since the posting, more than 3,500 posters were requested from over 570 different providers in 45 U.S. states and eight countries. As part of its White House Conference commitments, IFPA has also created educational materials on Produce Prescriptions for medical students, practitioners, and patients, and with The Foundation, has created a K-12 school breakfast resource that features fruit- and veggie-forward recipes to help school foodservice operators implement USDA’s proposed meal pattern updates.

Click back to ANUK for more updates like this.

CORAL GABLES, FL - Danny Dumas is a well-known industry name, having cut his teeth at several big-time companies throughout his career. His latest role is with Fresh Del Monte Produce as the company’s new Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Product Management for North America.

With over 35 years of industry expertise and leadership, Dumas will help drive Fresh Del Monte’s continued growth and innovation across one of the company’s largest and most competitive markets—North America. In his new role, Dumas will oversee North American sales, marketing, product management, technical services, and quality assurance for port operations, all key components of Fresh Del Monte’s extensive operations in the region.

According to a press release, his appointment underscores Fresh Del Monte’s commitment to sustainable growth, innovation, and operational excellence across its North American footprint, which includes a vast network of distribution centers, production facilities, and retail partnerships.

Throughout his career in fresh produce, Dumas has held several senior leadership roles, including times spent as Senior Vice President at Calavo Growers. During his previous tenure at Fresh Del Monte, he led major business initiatives across North America and Europe, gaining a deep understanding of the company’s operations and market dynamics.

“We are pleased to welcome Danny back to Fresh Del Monte,” said Mohammad Abu-Ghazaleh, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “His return comes at a pivotal time as we continue to evolve our North American operations to meet growing market demands. His proven leadership and deep expertise in produce sales, global logistics, and product management will be invaluable as we focus on expanding value-added product offerings, driving continuous improvement, and maintaining the highest standards of quality and customer service excellence.”

Dumas shows his strategic vision and leadership in everything he does, the release went on to note, adding that he has successfully launched a new business venture, overhauled a private company’s administrative operations to enhance efficiency, and played a pivotal role as Chair of United Fresh. He was also a pivotal figure in driving the merger with Produce Marketing Association (PMA), resulting in the formation of the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA).

Congratulations to Danny Dumas on this new role!

VALENCIA, CA - Southern Innovations is almost here, and there’s no better time to start planning your route on the always exhilarating show floor. Sunkist Growers is ready to hit the ground running in Nashville, Tennessee, bringing its portfolio of in-season citrus varieties and spotlighting some key offerings to prepare for the kickoff of the California citrus season.

“Citrus continues to be top of mind for shoppers, as volume increased 8 percent, outpacing all produce according to Circana data through mid-August,” Cassie Howard, Senior Director of Category Management and Marketing, explained. “Southern Innovations is a great time of year, with the California citrus season right around the corner and our shopper-marketing planning underway. We always find it to be an engaging and important way to spend valuable face time with our customers, provide real-time crop updates, and show why they should continue choosing Sunkist for innovative ways of bringing citrus to the table.”

As the supplier gears up for the Southern Innovations show, Sunkist is celebrating the return of the California orange season with its new limited-edition Power with the Pink Orange™ Cara program and holiday movie-themed cartons for Christmas on display. With a close look at this suite of merchandising tools, attendees can explore how Sunkist’s innovative shopper-marketing programs and category management solutions can engage shoppers and grow the citrus category.

“As part of our commitment to supporting health and wellness initiatives, Sunkist is partnering with National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) this upcoming season with limited-edition pink ribbon packaging and matching merchandising for its Cara program,” Cassie noted. “After the successful launch of the Meet the Pink Orange all-pink revamp last season, this new partnership is a natural next step to keep growing the Cara category. Sunkist is the largest Cara supplier, and Sunkist branded Cara volume was up 35 percent last year, outpacing private label and nearly all other brands. Sunkist is the most preferred Cara brand, driving brand preference four times more than any other brand.”

To learn more about the Power with the Pink Orange campaign and all the other exciting opportunities provided by Sunkist’s robust citrus portfolio, be sure to stop by booth #315.

As always, keep reading ANUK for the latest trade show insights and industry updates.