WESTBOROUGH, MA - With the grocery market continuing to expand in the direction of online ordering and curbside pickup, BJ’s Wholesale Club has unveiled new plans to continue building out its buy online, pick up in-club service to now include fresh and frozen items. As the service continues to grow, BJ’s members are now able to order groceries online or through the company’s app and pick them up curbside or in-club at any of the wholesaler’s 219 locations.
“We’re committed to helping our members save time and money on essentials, which is why we’re offering more convenient ways to help them get exactly what they need,” said Jeff Desroches, Executive Vice President, Club Operations Officer. “With the expansion of our buy online, pick up in-club service, BJ’s members can do their weekly grocery shopping—and check off anything else on their list—in an easy, one-stop-shop.”
The new expansion of BJ’s program will allow members to select from a wide variety of frozen and fresh items, including produce, in addition to general merchandise products that were available before. According to a press release, the service will be free for members and continues to build on the company’s growth of its online systems and convenient customer services.
Over the past few years, BJ’s has also made strides in these fields with the release of a new mobile app as well as the introduction of online ordering, curbside pickup, and same-day delivery.
How will BJ’s continue to build its online services and what part will fresh produce play in the expansion? ANUK will continue to report on the latest.
HOLLISTER, CA - Proving that almost anything is possible with the right people in your corner, Berry People announced that it recently secured partnerships with Peruvian growers to provide blueberries year-round, filling any third and fourth quarter supply gaps. With its new partnerships, Berry People will be able to continue providing promotable volumes of reasonably priced, flavorful berries throughout the year.
"Blueberries are now a top-10 fruit, with consistent consumer demand," said Jerald Downs, President. "Combined with our existing production in British Columbia, Chile, Mexico, and the Pacific Northwest, we are now assured excellent volumes and quality year-round, enabling our retail and foodservice customers to exceed consumer expectations while increasing sales."
Along with providing an ample year-round supply of blueberries, Berry People’s new partnerships are with some of the primary growers of organic berries in Peru, a region where organics are up-and-coming, according to a press release. With such pivotal partners, Berry People will be able to stay on track with industry movement toward improving varieties, flavors, and shelf-life across the category.
"We are now delivering promotable volumes and pricing of both organic and conventional blueberries throughout North America’s fall and winter seasons, allowing blueberries to gain further traction against other items in the produce department,” continued Downs.
As Berry People continues to form new partnerships and expand on those newly made, what role will it play in developing the future of the company and the berry market? Keep checking in with ANUK for answers.
CHARLOTTE, NC - Anyone can cook, that’s the message Pixar Animation Studios’ Ratatouille and Dole Food Company want consumers to know. Dole is continuing to give Disney fans the chance to create their own at-home version of Gusteau’s, the iconic Parisienne restaurant at the center of Disney and Pixar’s Ratatouille, as part of its three-month healthy-cooking alliance with the film.
“What better way to motivate chefs at all levels—and their families—to cook together than to bring the glorious food and culinary culture of Gusteau’s and Paris itself right into your kitchen and dining room?” said Rachel Young, Manager of Digital Marketing. “We had a lot of fun creating everything that would-be restaurateurs need to christen their own French café ranging from personalized menus, placemats, recipe cards, and even a traditional chef’s hat to healthier Dole versions of classic French dishes including several featured in Disney and Pixar’s Ratatouille.”
The produce leader released a series of free downloadable resources designed to motivate aspiring chefs to don an apron, become a restaurateur, and prepare and serve some of the 20 new French-inspired hors d’oeuvres (appetizer), le plat principal (entrée), accompagnement (side dish), le dessert (dessert), and boisson (beverage) recipes created by Dole for the campaign continuing through January 2021.
In addition to a selection of original recipes, Dole’s “Now We’re (All) Cooking” initiative kicked-off earlier this month with fresh digital downloads, family-friendly activities, social activations, and influencer partnerships inspired by Remy, Linguini, Collette, Anton, and others who frequented Chef Auguste Gusteau’s previously five-star culinary destination in the City of Lights.
“While your efforts may not result in official ‘stars’ like they did for Chef Gusteau and ultimately Linguini and Remy, you are bound to impress family and friends this fall and holiday season,” Young added.
According to the press release, Dole’s in-store, in-home collaboration with Disney and Pixar’s Ratatouille caps Dole’s year-long celebration of Pixar Animation Studios, which is part of a long-term nutritional alliance with The Walt Disney Company designed to make healthy eating and a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables more fun and attainable to busy parents.
Joining the first 10 recipes that debuted earlier this month are 10 more all new Dole dishes created by Melanie Marcus, MA, RD, Dole’s Health and Nutrition Communications Manager, that will surely drive a crowd of eager chefs to the produce aisle.
- Sweet Apple-touille Ramekins – DOLE® Banana, Green and Red Apples, a Bosc pear, Greek yogurt, and cinnamon are combined and baked in 8-ounce ramekins to create deliciously individual desserts that are low-fat, low-sodium, vegetarian and vegan
- Anyone Can Cook Coq Au Vin – The classic French dish cooked in a Dutch oven is made easy in this five-step recipe calling for boneless, skinless chicken breasts mixed with DOLE Carrots, Celery, White Onion, Mushrooms, and a wealth of spices
- Veggies Voila! Buckwheat Crepes – Dole’s healthier take on legendary French crepes are filled with a vegetarian mixture of DOLE Mushrooms, Red Onion, Celery, Asparagus, and Baby Spinach, topped with almond milk-based ricotta cheese
- Dutch Oven French Onion Turkey – This surprisingly easy-to-make French family meal features boneless, skinless turkey breast cooked with julienned DOLE Yellow Onions, chicken broth, and spices in a traditional enamel-coated Dutch oven
- French Onion Turkey Bistro Sandwich – Spread a whole-wheat bun with French Dijon mustard and top with chilled Dutch Oven French Onion Turkey, caramelized DOLE Yellow Onions, and DOLE® Arugula
- Plantain Chocolate Mousse – DOLE Plantains, tofu, and unsweetened cocoa powder serve as the foundation for this surprisingly rich and thick vegan dessert that is piped into champagne flutes and topped with DOLE® Pineapple, Raspberries, and kiwi
- Provincial Pineapple-Banana Bundt Cake – This vegetarian, low-fat version of everyone’s favorite special-occasion cake is made with DOLE Bananas and Pineapples and drizzled with a special pineapple glaze
- Parisienne Snapper in Parchment – Fresh Red Snapper fillets are folded into parchment packets with DOLE Carrots, Cauliflower florets, Mushrooms, capers, and spices and baked using a French technique that seals in the original flavors, colors, textures, and nutrients
- Ratatouille-Stuffed Mushrooms – A dozen DOLE Mushrooms are stuffed with a seasoned mixture of eggplant, bell peppers, Roma tomato, summer squash, and DOLE Red Onion in this improvised, handheld version of the favorite French recipe
- Veggie Linguini a la Linguini – Named after the fearless chef-in-training, this simple-but-hearty dish tosses whole-wheat linguine pasta with DOLE Sweet Potatoes, Red Onion, Brussels Sprouts, Arugula, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar
An assortment of DIY recipe videos will be posted on Dole’s Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages through the end of the year. Dole is also hosting a “Now We’re (All) Cooking Virtual Cooking Class” in November for bloggers and influencers to prove there can never be too many cooks in the kitchen (or on Zoom).
Keep checking back to ANUK for more creative ways to incorporate fresh produce into consumer baskets and the latest updates in the industry.
OXNARD, CA - A new leader has stepped up to the plate at Mission Produce. The avocado company recently promoted Brooke Becker as the newest Sales Director, where she will be responsible for managing outside purchases and utilization of Mission’s product.
“I am looking forward to stepping into this opportunity during an exciting era for Mission and the industry,” said Becker. “I will offer the knowledge I’ve gained throughout my decade of experience to advance the category and support our North American sales team.”
As stated in the release, Becker’s new responsibilities include analyzing volume trends that impact North American retail, wholesale, and foodservice businesses, and guiding domestic sales staff on price and market conditions.
In 2011, Becker joined Mission’s sales department as a Sales Representative. After growing its existing business and developing new retail and wholesale customers, Becker was promoted to Key Account Manager in 2017.
“Brooke is a strong sales professional and has become a leader at Mission,” said Stephen Fink, Vice President of North American Sales. “In her tenure, she has contributed to efforts that have resulted in the growth of retail and wholesale business. Brooke is dedicated to our company and customers, and we couldn’t have selected a more qualified candidate for this role.”
Becker graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Business.
Congratulations to Brooke Becker on the next step in her career!
BENTONVILLE, AR - As big-box stores continue to square off in this competitive market, Walmart is once again introducing new tactics to run ahead of the pack. This time, the retailer has announced plans that it will be turning four of its stores near its Bentonville, Arkansas, headquarters into laboratories to test the ways in which it can better streamline the relationships between brick-and-mortar stores and its online business to give it a competitive edge.
"We have an amazing set of assets that have us well prepared for this next era, but we can’t stop there," said John Crecelius, Senior Vice President of Associate Product and Next Generation Stores in the U.S., in a statement. "We’re moving quickly to use our physical retail stores to not only serve in-store shoppers, but to flex to meet the needs of online shoppers, too, in ways that only Walmart can."
Walmart has already seen results based on its new implementations. According to a press release, employees putting together online orders are picking up items 20 percent faster based on new in-store signage and devices installed earlier this year.
In this new project, Walmart employees will implement a series of digital tools, store design features, and a host of other strategies in an effort to get shelves restocked faster and fulfilling customers’ online orders.
According to an article from CNBC, the retailer will test an app that uses artificial intelligence to scan multiple boxes at once when stocking as well as continuing to roll out new store signage and handheld devices to minimize the time it takes to pick up digital orders. Throughout the process, product and technology teams will be placed in store to monitor the progress of the new implementations.
In addition to the new restocking and online order procedures, Walmart will be testing ways to better link its select departments as well as its checkout areas to make the shopping experience more seamless for consumers.
With over 4,700 stores with the majority of customers living within 10 miles of their nearest shopping center, implementing better online ordering and curb-side pickup could be a game changer for the retailer.
As Walmart continues to develop its new program, continue reading ANUK for all of the latest updates and outcomes.
DETROIT, MI - As new technology continues to hit the market, it becomes more efficient for growers to get their product from the farm to the shelf. Given the challenges that growers have seen this year in accessing labor for field, grove, and orchard work or in packing houses, maintaining the health of workers and much more, it’s no surprise that the interest in technology may have increased. Meeting this interest, LABELPAC has recently rolled out a new labelling technology line.
“The concern from growers we hear is around minimizing labor. Wherever they can do without manual labor is where they want to automate,” says Sam Sleiman, President and Owner of LABELPAC in Windsor, Ontario, in a press release. “They’re scrambling for better technology that’s affordable and that works.”
This December, the company is introducing new technologies to label fresh produce that the company designs and manufactures in-house. The new products include Smart in-Tray MOTOHEAD® Vision label applicators, a high-speed labeling system that can identify various tray patterns and sizes of produce and that can communicate with various PTI compliance lines; the MOTOHEAD® FX series, a fixed in-tray label applicator that takes up a small footprint in challenging spaces and can also be integrated into packing lines; and the MOTOHEAD® XL Large label applicator, designed to apply labels up to 3” x 2” at high speeds and is mainly used for large watermelon and other fruit as well as on a wide range of conveyor and grading lines.
“Typically, a lot of watermelon growers are applying these labels by hand but with this, they can do it automatically at high speeds on various conveyors, packing lines, or grading lines,” adds Sleiman.
Along with wanting to minimize the use of labor, Sleiman says there are other needs he hears about from growers such as robotic solutions used in packing lines.
“Capabilities with our team of LABEPAC engineers is unlimited. We can automate nearly any imaginable request our customers may have. With our new MOTOHEAD Vision systems, and our various PLU labeling solutions, we can provide all this in-house and locally,” Sleiman says. “We are looking for farms willing to work with us on solutions, which can benefit them substantially with very little to no capital investment.”
Contact LABELPAC to find out more about how you could benefit from this, especially during these difficult times.
This tech-driven world never stops evolving, so keep clicking back to AndNowUKnow to stay in the loop.
LANDOVER, MD - The first day of November signals many things—inching closer to winter, welcoming Thanksgiving, and, this year, seeing Irfan Badibanga step in as Giant Food's new Senior Vice President of Operations. Badibanga will be responsible for leading all operational aspects of Giant including regional operations, store support, strategic store planning, and execution and asset protection, as well as people, team, and culture development.
"I am thrilled to be joining Giant Food, which has over 84 years' experience serving the community, and am looking forward to the opportunity to work with Giant associates who are passionate about serving their customers and helping their community," said Badibanga. "Consumer preferences are shifting, and at Giant, product excellence, convenience, and value are key. I believe my work experience has prepared me well, and I am excited to join the Giant team as we continue to implement brand and operational strategies to serve our customers best."
Badibanga brings a strong track record of transforming corporate objectives into bottom-line growth for supermarket, small and big-box retailers, including Walmart, Family Dollar Stores, Winn Dixie Supermarkets, HEB Grocery Stores, and Price Chopper Supermarkets.
He began his grocery retail career as a bagger and by the age of 24, he was appointed to District Manager at Winn-Dixie. According to a press release, Badibanga moved through the ranks at a variety of supermarket chains, building his expertise in store management, merchandising, operations, omni-channel delivery, asset protection, HR, and general management.
"Irfan has been a successful, entrepreneurial leader, driving enormous growth at some of the largest retail organizations in this country," said Ira Kress, President. "We are confident that his deep management and operations expertise at both the regional and national level will bring tremendous value to our organization at a time when we are implementing a transformational brand strategy and evolving our culture."
Most recently, Badibanga served as Senior Vice President of Operations at Family Dollar Stores overseeing 8,000 U.S. stores in 44 states. Prior to joining Family Dollar, he was Vice President of Operations at Walmart, overseeing 33,000 associates across a 110-store region that produced $8 billion dollars in annual revenue.
Congratulations to Irfan Badibanga on this exciting appointment!
CORAL GABLES, FL - Fyffes North America is on a roll and probably needs to build a bigger trophy case. The tropical produce importer and distributor needs to make room for its newest honor as it has received the Gold 2020 Summit Creative Award in the Integrated Campaign, B2B category for its Easy to Eat, Easy to Pronounce advertising campaign. This is the second recognition the company has received from the Summit International Awards organization, having brought home the 2019 Platinum Award for Marketing Effectiveness last year.
“We’re delighted to be recognized by Summit International once more with the Summit Creative Award. With the Easy to Eat, Easy to Pronounce we wanted to break away from traditional produce advertising in a fun and clever way, and this award demonstrates the lasting impact of our disruptive campaign,” said Marion Tabard, Vice President of Marketing at Fyffes North America.
The Easy to Eat, Easy to Pronounce campaign launched in 2019 in North America and used the pronunciation of the company’s name to engage with the produce industry, according to a press release. The branding strategy included print, digital, and video methods to spread the message of Fyffes and its products.
With its creative approach and variety of mediums, a panel of judges featuring international experts in advertising selected the inventive campaign as the Gold Winner—the highest achievement following Best of Show. Fyffes’ Easy to Eat, Easy to Say strategy went head-to-head with 4,100 other submissions from 27 countries and pulled ahead, showing the success of the campaign as its brand presence grows larger.
“Winning a Summit Creative Award is a significant accomplishment,” said Jocelyn Luciano, Managing Director for the Summit International Awards. “With vetted judges, tough judging criteria, two-phase blind judging processes, and strict bylaws limiting winners, only deserving entries receive recognition.”
Started in 1994, the Summit Creative Awards have served as a way to distinguish outstanding performance of creativity.
We would like to congratulate Fyffes on this amazing honor and its successful campaign.
SANTA PAULA, CA - As the produce industry continues to have its sights set on the future, Limoneira Company is cementing its ongoing success in place with the announcement that it will be adding Jesus Loza and Amy Fukutomi to its Board of Directors.
“My experience, literally from the ground up, has been in agriculture, and I’m confident that I can provide guidance to Limoneira on startups and acquisitions, as well as operations,” said Loza. “The world is becoming increasingly complex, but I’m optimistic about the future.”
Coming full circle in his journey through fresh produce, Loza grew up on Limoneira’s main ranch with his family in the 1970s, and began his career working on the company’s lemon ranches.
According to a press release, after finishing his education he worked at a variety of produce companies across the industry and has started several of his own companies. In 2004, Loza founded Freska Produce which has grown to be a leader in mango distribution across the United States.
Joining Loza on the Board of Directors is Amy Fukutomi.
“I’m extremely excited and honored to have the unique opportunity to serve on our Board of Directors while continuing to work closely with our management team on compliance and special projects,” said Fukutomi. “Implicit in Limoneira’s philosophy is the importance of sound corporate governance.”
Fukutomi comes from a position as Principal Partner of Oxnard Lemon Company, a Sunkist-affiliated packing house. Before that, she was a Sunkist Director and Director of the Ventura County Agricultural Association. During her time at Oxnard Lemon Company, Limoneira acquired the company and Fukutomi became Director of Compliance and Special Projects at Limoneria, a position that she currently holds.
“We are thrilled to have these two very talented individuals join our board. Mr. Loza and Ms. Fukutomi are industry professionals with decades of experience in building successful businesses and both possess deep local knowledge,” Chairman of the Board, Gordon Kimball, stated.
With Jesus and Amy joining the Board of Directors at Limoneira, we wish them nothing but the best and look forward to seeing what future successes they bring to the company.
LAKELAND, FL - Expansion is inevitable when you are one of the industry’s leading regional grocers. Such is the case for Florida-based Publix as the company has announced its plans to expand its Greensboro, North Carolina-based distribution center, adding more than 1.2 million square feet of space. In February 2020, Publix broke ground on the distribution center’s first phase, a refrigerated warehouse, which is currently under construction.
“Publix is excited to be expanding our presence in the Greensboro community,” said Maria Brous, Director of Communications. “We have a strong 90-year history where company culture and commitment to our associates, customers, and communities come first. We look forward to growing our Publix family by offering associates competitive pay, including generous benefits, free lunch in our cafeteria, and the opportunity to become a company owner.”
The entire distribution center is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2022, three years ahead of schedule, as stated in a press release. Together, the refrigerated and dry grocery warehouses will support Publix’s growth in the Carolinas and Virginia with more efficient deliveries of products.
Gray, a fully integrated service provider specializing in engineering, design, construction, and smart manufacturing, is continuing to collaborate with Publix for the entire Greensboro facility, which will be the 10th distribution center for Publix, joining Florida locations in Boynton Beach, Deerfield Beach, Jacksonville, Lakeland, Miami, Orlando, and Sarasota, as well as facilities in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and McCalla, Alabama.
Does this expansion spell out market domination for Publix? Stay tuned as ANUK reports.