CANNING VALE, AUSTRALIA - In a milestone moment for Australian horticulture, WA Farm Direct is proud to announce the inaugural shipment of premium Soluna™ apples to the United States. This marks the first time the Australian-bred apple variety will be available to US consumers, bringing a new level of quality, taste, and innovation to American shelves.

Developed in Western Australia, the Soluna™ apple – known officially as ANABP 01 – is prized for its deep burgundy skin, exceptional crunch, and naturally sweet, refreshing flavour. Grown under strict quality protocols in Australia’s pristine apple-growing regions, Soluna™ has been celebrated for its consistent eating experience, extended shelf life, and visual appeal.

“This is a landmark export opportunity for Soluna™ and for premium Australian apples more broadly,” said Sean Engelbrecht, Commercialisation Manager of WA Farm Direct, in the recent release. “The US market has a sophisticated and competitive produce landscape, and we’re confident Soluna™ will stand out with its unique taste profile, premium branding, and eating quality.”

The expansion into the US follows successful campaigns in Asia and the Middle East, where the Soluna™ apple has built a loyal following among premium retailers and health-conscious consumers. The launch is supported by close collaboration with US-based importer Oppy and will be available in selected stores, looking to bring innovation and freshness to their apple category.

Initial volumes will be available through Oppy, which will provide to selected retailers from early August, with plans to scale distribution across key metropolitan areas in the 2026 season. The fruit will be packed in a loose format, with high-impact branding designed to attract discerning customers seeking premium snacking options.

“Soluna™ brings something refreshingly different to the apple set," shared Oppy's Executive Director of Apples, Pears, and Category Development, Piers Hanbury. "We're proud to partner with WA Farm Direct to bring our retail partners a standout offering — one that’s sure to excite shoppers, who will quickly discover it eats even better than it looks.”

“Soluna™ is more than just an apple – it’s the result of years of breeding, grower commitment, and a shared vision to deliver something special to the world,” Engelbrecht added. “We’re proud to bring the best of Australian produce to the US market and look forward to building strong partnerships in this exciting new chapter.”

DES MOINES & SALT LAKE CITY - Capital City Fruit, a leading grower, shipper, repacker, and supply chain manager for fresh fruits and vegetables, has selected the ReposiTrak Traceability Network® to power its food traceability program. This strategic move sets into motion traceability data intake from Capital City Fruit suppliers, and will add traceability data sharing for the company’s retail customers.

“As a distributor, we have two important responsibilities related to traceability: taking in accurate data from our suppliers and sharing the data out to our valued customers,” said Food & Occupational Safety Specialist James Barth of Capital City Fruit in the recent release. “Our partnership with ReposiTrak makes it easy to do both while also helping us to meet the requirements of FSMA 204.”

For over 75 years, Capital City Fruit has been a trusted source of fresh, consistent fruits and vegetables, with a strong focus on food safety and regulatory compliance. Today, the company supplies fresh produce and food boxes, as well as cross-docking and logistics services. Its customers include retail grocers, convenience stores, foodservice operators, and food manufacturers – and it also reaches consumers directly through gift basket delivery and workplace wellness subscriptions.

“Traceability recordkeeping is new, it’s time-consuming, and data integrity is at issue,” said ReposiTrak Chairman and CEO Randy Fields. “More than 40% of the tens of thousands of traceability data files we’ve received have contained some type of error. For that reason, we put every file through an error detection process upfront, and our team works directly with suppliers to make corrections. All this happens before the data reaches Capital City Fruit and its customers.”

The ReposiTrak Traceability Network is the largest and fastest-growing food traceability network in the industry. It is designed to simplify food traceability by enabling food suppliers and manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers, retailers, and foodservice operators to seamlessly exchange traceability data without the need for new hardware, software, or ongoing manual effort.

Through this partnership, Capital City Fruit will gain the ability to collect, store, share, and retrieve traceability records for thousands of products — improving visibility from source to shelf. Importantly, ReposiTrak puts all food traceability data through a rigorous, 500+ point error detection process and works with suppliers to make corrections so that the data is as complete and accurate as possible before it reaches Capital City Fruit and is passed along to its valued customers.

By joining the ReposiTrak Traceability Network, Capital City Fruit will be able to:

• Seamlessly ingest Key Data Elements from its diverse base of produce suppliers
• Provide required traceability data to downstream customers with ease
• Ensure continuous FSMA 204 compliance across the supply chain
• Minimize operational disruption with a scalable, cost-effective solution

For more information about Capital City Fruit, visit capitalcityfruit.com. To learn more about the ReposiTrak Traceability Network, visit repositrak.com.

QUINCY, MA - Stop & Shop, the neighborhood grocer, is rolling out a bold new brand campaign, Good Things Are in Store, developed in partnership with independent creative agency Curiosity. The integrated campaign marks Stop & Shop’s first major work with Curiosity since the agency won the business in May 2024.

At the heart of the campaign is Justin – a hyper-enthusiastic store associate who takes pride in sharing all the ways Stop & Shop is delivering more value to customers. Whether he’s filming the commercials during his break, singing about weekly deals and harmonizing with customers, or tallying the 10,000+ sale items in store (he counts them. Every Friday.), Justin is the embodiment of the brand’s commitment to being a go-to destination for savings, quality, and convenience.

The campaign is rooted in Stop & Shop’s longstanding brand ethos to “Feed the Moment” and represents a fresh chapter for the company—one focused on rebuilding trust and reinforcing its role in helping customers get more for their money, every time they shop. Good Things Are in Store will evolve over time to highlight Stop & Shop’s broader strategic pillars, including quality, assortment, and freshness. But Justin’s tireless energy and sincere dedication to customers are here to stay.

“When our customers walk into our stores, we want them to immediately feel that their feedback has been heard and that they are getting great deals by choosing to shop with us. Rebuilding this customer trust takes time, and we are committed to earning it one trip, one cart, and one conversation at a time,” said Karen Mitchell, Chief Marketing Officer at Stop & Shop., in the recent release “This campaign is a fresh, authentic way to show how we’re evolving – offering better value, quality products and a broad assortment, and a shopping experience that feels both reliable and welcoming. Justin brings this to life in a way that is fun, memorable, and unequivocally Stop & Shop.”

The campaign will run across the brand’s Northeast footprint of Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, across mixed media including TV, CTV, radio, digital media, online videos, and paid social. In-store extensions will connect the campaign to customers’ real-world shopping trips, supported by placements in Stop & Shop’s owned channels, including Savory magazine, and its weekly circular.

“Stop & Shop is making a lot of great changes to improve the shopping experience for its customers. Creating the character of the overly enthusiastic associate, Justin, allowed us to convey the genuine commitment of the brand in a welcoming way,” said Pam Fraser, Creative Director at Curiosity. “After an extensive search, we knew we made the right decision casting Stuart Hicar as Justin. He kept us laughing constantly, on and off camera, and we look forward to him being the face of the brand for years to come.”

View the campaign spots here: Attention Shoppers, Passion, Dusting, and Cardio.