YUMA, AZ - For premium Medjool date brand Natural Delights®, this year’s theme is momentum. A strong crop, continued category growth, and integrated programs continue to fuel the brand’s growth. A recent conversation with Bridgette Weber, Sales and Marketing Manager, uncovered several key points of success for the brand.

“This past season was all about gaining momentum,” shares Bridgette. “We saw strong year-over-year gains in key retailers, particularly where we focused on in-store merchandising and shopper marketing. Our Ramadan push was the most expansive yet, helping drive a 93 percent weekly volume lift compared to non-Ramadan weeks.”

As Bridgette explains, Natural Delights also reached several milestones in innovation distribution, with its new Organic Coconut Mini Medjools gaining placement at a dozen retailers and continuing to expand. This launch caters to rising demand, allowing the brand to continue accelerating its momentum.

“We’re seeing the organic segment continue to gain share of the overall date category—and that growth is even stronger at the brand level for Natural Delights, where our organic items are outpacing the category in both velocity and dollar growth,” Bridgette states.

To support its growth, Natural Delights has leveraged integrated programs to help connect the dots between consumer awareness and in-store conversion.

“Our influencer and registered dietitian partnerships drove millions of impressions and helped us tap into key health and wellness conversations,” adds Bridgette. “Cross-merchandising, like our programs with California Walnuts, brought relevance to new snacking and charcuterie occasions. Similarly, holiday merchandising displays were more than just eye-catching—they gave retailers a full-turnkey solution that delivered results.”

Providing the foundation for this growth, the August 2024–July 2025 Medjool season has been abundant, delivering strong yields and excellent fruit.

“This is a notable shift from the previous season (August 2023–July 2024), which saw lighter volume due to weather challenges,” Bridgette notes. “This year’s crop provided the quality and supply needed to support everyday distribution, seasonal merchandising, and continued growth. Looking ahead to the upcoming Medjool harvest in fall 2025, we’re not anticipating any supply concerns.”

This upcoming harvest sets the stage for another strong year for Natural Delights, especially as the supplier focuses on increasing household penetration.

“We’re focused on getting dates merchandised where shoppers can find them—whether that’s integrated in the produce department, cross-merchandised near complementary items like nuts, or included in seasonal displays,” Bridgette continues. “As more consumers discover dates as a delicious whole-food snack, especially for energy and fiber, we see huge potential to bring new shoppers into the category and increase frequency among existing buyers.”

According to Circana data through June 15, 2025, the date category has grown 2.6 points to reach 11.9 percent household penetration, though Bridgette notes there is still room to grow.

“We’ve helped drive that growth by making dates more approachable and accessible, especially through snacking innovations like our Mini Medjool Date Rolls,” she says. These clean, simple, and convenient snacks resonate with both first-time buyers and loyal customers, making it easier for more people to discover and enjoy dates. At the same time, broader consumer trends are fueling interest in the category. Shoppers are increasingly drawn to whole-food snacking, fiber-rich diets, and low-ingredient, naturally sweet options—all areas where Medjool dates naturally shine.”

As it continues to fuel its brand momentum, Natural Delights’ growth is fully attributed to the hard work of its team and network of partners.

“None of this is possible without the work of our growers, retail partners, and the team behind the scenes,” Bridgette concludes. “We’re proud of how far the category has come, and we’re excited to keep pushing the boundaries for what’s next.”

Keep reading ANUK for more industry news.

EMERYVILLE, CA - Grocery Outlet Holding Corp., a high-growth, extreme value retailer of quality, name-brand consumables and fresh products, announced the publication of its Impact Report covering fiscal year 2024.

“Throughout 2024, we advanced our mission of Touching Lives for the Better by promoting affordable food access, reducing waste, and encouraging entrepreneurship,” said Jason Potter, President and CEO of Grocery Outlet, in the recent release. “I am excited to guide our company forward in service of our mission. My goal is to create greater value for all our stakeholders and strengthen our unique business model—one that blends national buying power and extreme value with the entrepreneurial spirit of our Independent Operators. Together, we will continue to build a brighter, more sustainable future.”

Key impact areas highlighted in the report are:

• Saving Customers Money: Through its opportunistic buying model and strategic partnerships with suppliers, Grocery Outlet consistently delivered products at significant savings compared to conventional retailers, enabling customers to maintain access to quality food and essential items, while effectively managing their budgets.
• Providing Affordable, Quality Food: Grocery Outlet continued to serve as an important resource for customers across income levels, providing accessible, nutritious food options that support community well-being. In 2024, the Company made a major leap forward with the launch of its private label program, introducing over 180 innovative new SKUs across grocery and deli categories, strengthening its market presence and delivering more value.
• Giving Back to Communities: Grocery Outlet’s long-standing legacy of community engagement deepened in 2024 through expanded initiatives and stronger community connections. The Company’s annual Independence from Hunger® Campaign, raised nearly $4.9 million in 2024, and its inaugural GO Volunteer Day provided 34,000 meals to local community members.
• Creating Opportunities for Independent Operators: The entrepreneurial spirit of Grocery Outlet’s business model resonated strongly throughout 2024, attracting over 40,000 inquiries to join the Company’s network of Independent Operators (“IOs”). Grocery Outlet welcomed 49 new IOs, growing its network to 481, including a small group of IOs who now operate multiple stores. The Company continued to invest in the success of its IOs, including offering a “Good to Great” program and launching a new mobile app with offers to local customers.
• Driving Engagement with Employees: Grocery Outlet’s employees are the foundation of its success, bringing unmatched dedication and enthusiasm to supporting the needs of all stakeholders. The Company remains committed to providing competitive pay and benefits to attract and retain the talent crucial for advancing its mission and long-term progress. It has also expanded its learning and development initiatives and introduced new programs, while enhancing existing offerings, to support career advancement across all levels of its organization.
• Reducing Food Waste: Grocery Outlet’s opportunistic sourcing model supports food waste reduction by focusing on excess inventory and offering surplus food to its customers. In 2024, Grocery Outlet contributed to avoiding more than 762 million pounds of food waste. Additionally, the Company’s Regional Fulfillment Centers donated an estimated 3.3 million pounds of groceries to food banks and charitable organizations in 2024, a more than 60% increase over the estimated 2 million pounds donated in 2023.
• Improving Operational Efficiency: Grocery Outlet remains dedicated to minimizing its environmental footprint across critical areas, including energy consumption, food waste, and carbon emissions. The Company achieved a 73% increase in the number of its stores utilizing more efficient CO2 refrigeration, 100% of its stores now use an energy management system and timed heating and lighting controls, and 63% of its third-party carrier partners are SmartWay certified.

To learn more, download Grocery Outlet’s 2024 Impact Report at: https://www.groceryoutlet.com/impact-report.

SOLEDAD, CA - On July 1, 2025, Braga Fresh welcomed California Department of Food & Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross to its home ranch in Soledad for a field tour highlighting the company’s regenerative farming trials. The visit marked a milestone in Braga Fresh’s fifth year of Carbon Capture Farming, showcasing progress, sharing learnings, and inviting continued support to expand regenerative practices throughout the Salinas Valley.

For the past five years, Braga Fresh has been committed to farming in ways that reduce emissions, rebuild soil health, and capture carbon directly in the soil. CEO Rod Braga and his team demonstrated how evolving their approach to tillage and implementing permanent plantings within crop beds is yielding measurable results.

Tour Highlights Shared with Secretary Ross:

• 100 acres of Braga’s organic fields in Soledad, CA, are now farmed regeneratively
• 78% fewer tractor passes through minimum tillage practices
• Carbon emissions reduced by up to 1,000 lbs. per acre
• Permanent roots have helped cultivate 49 new microbial species

Braga's goal: “What if the answer to climate change lies in the soil?” said CEO Rod Braga in a recent press release. “If carbon capture farming works, then large-scale farming becomes a force for good, for people and the planet.”

This visit underscores Braga Fresh’s leadership in sustainable agriculture and its open-source approach to sharing progress, encouraging more Salinas Valley growers to explore regenerative farming.

For more information about the company, visit https://bragafresh.com/regenerative-farming-trials/ .