Latest News From Produce Retail

The natural and organic grocer’s impact report is showcasing achievements in reducing carbon footprint, agriculture, responsible sourcing and supporting employees.

Taking steps to minimizing food waste not only helps reduce shrink, but it also means fresher produce with a longer shelf life at the consumer’s home, says columnist Armand Lobato.

When it comes to moving the needle on fresh produce consumption through foodservice, personalization and convenience are key, as is a healthy dose of wow factor.

In their first year of collaboration, the Landover, Md.-based grocer and West Concord, Mass.-based impact tech company have mitigated nearly 1,400 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

Food prices also are expected to continue to decelerate but not decline in 2024, according to a new USDA report.

Dole Food Co. is calling upon its top banana and pineapple to help families jump back into the back-to-school routine in the most fun way ever.

Flexing its branded produce power, Driscoll's has secured a spot among the top 10 retail grocery brands based on data from Circana Integrated Fresh Market Advantage, Food, for the 52 weeks ending May 21, 2023.

Growers of Rave apples are readying for the upcoming season and encouraging retailers to do the same to take advantage of the apple’s flavors and campaign to aid students heading back to class.

Many of the shoppers retail dietitian April Sins speaks with don’t realize what a great source bell peppers are for vitamin C.

The Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice’s proposed update to its merger-enforcement guidelines scrutinizes buyer power.

In the event of a recession, consumers say they would cut back most on steak, pork and dining out, a survey reports.

Overnight produce receiving isn’t for everyone, but it can solve many problems for stores with once particular issue in their layout, says columnist Armand Lobato.

From Massachusetts to Georgia, Bowery’s vertically grown produce is now available through a newly expanded partnership with Amazon Fresh.

Bakersfield, Calif.-based Bako Sweet has announced a collaboration with DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight.

SpartanNash's largest-ever Food Solutions Expo showcases supply chain and merchandising transformations, enhanced independent customer support services and ongoing focus on customer success.

We know companies provide recipes for the products they sell. So, let's spotlight some good ones we see from produce retailers.

Oftentimes, evening shoppers get the leftovers, the picked-over product. The wet wall is drowned, the mango pyramid collapsed and the salad Picasso looks like mud now.

Nominate someone for our annual Produce Retailer of the Year award — because they're awesome and deserve celebration.

The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2023 survey showed that watermelon remains popular among shoppers. See how that looks across various consumer segments.

The Foundation For Fresh Produce is making participation in its September campaign easy for the industry by creating a 2023 National Fruits and Vegetables Month Toolkit.

Roath's promotion comes as mass retailers such as Target and Walmart are already gaining on traditional grocery retailers for the consumer’s share of food shopping.

Pennsylvania agriculture officials and Carlisle, Pa.-based The Giant Co. leaders toured nonprofit, community-based York Fresh Food Farm, which helps some of the million-plus Pennsylvanians experiencing food insecurity.

The summer promotion will offer shoppers a chance to win prizes and feature a variety of content and campaigns to boost South African citrus.

Boosting optimism in the economy, June retail prices showed year-over-year inflation slowed to 3%.

The final elimination of extra Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits nationwide in March cut U.S. food and beverage aid by $23 billion annually, data shows.

That hodgepodge of fixtures collecting dust in storage can be a merchandising vault that can help reset a produce department, says columnist Armand Lobato.

The ​​​​​​​Soledad, Calif.-based company will debut five SKUs under the Josie’s Organics brand at the 2023 OPS in Monterey, Calif.

The Packer's Fresh Trends 2023 survey showed that 17% of all consumers reported specialty pepper purchases in the past year.

Fabbri Group, an international specialist in automatic food packaging systems, is partnering with Bizerba to provide a comprehensive solution for weighing, pricing, packaging and labeling processes.

This year the asparagus trade organization created opportunities to connect with consumers through digital, in-store and collaborative marketing campaigns.

A new 57-page report from the USDA looks at concentration and competition in U.S. agribusiness, including food retailing.

Avocado volume during St. Patrick’s Day promotions grew by 20% and added more than 7.4 million units to the category compared with a year ago, the Hass Avocado Board reports.

While a brix measurement offers a detail about sweetness, going beyond the numbers can keep a customer coming back all summer long, says columnist Armand Lobato.

Almost 2,000 employees of The Giant Co., based in Carlisle, Pa., met to celebrate the retailer’s 100th anniversary — and two produce managers, a store manager and 18 others won awards.

For every O Organics private-label brand product purchased in July, the company says it will donate a nutritious meal to a child in need.

As the vast majority of meals were consumed at home during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers learned how to enliven mealtime and snacks — with dips, dressings and marinades often playing an important role.

The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2023 found that 38% of consumers indicated they purchased fresh pineapple last year.

CEA, or controlled environment agriculture, is not a consumer term, so panelists at the conference gave tips on what to focus on instead to sell more CEA produce at retail and restaurants.

The specialty food retailer is also offering a gift card promotion and sharing the stories behind products that make its brand special.

Local is king at the newest Whole Foods Market in Washington, D.C.’s historic Walter Reed development, where certified organic, conventional and Sourced for Good produce, plus offerings from local farms, abound.

Chandler, Ariz.-based Bashas’ new president, Steve Mayer, talks about his career, the supermarket and its banners, prioritizing produce, differentiation, foodservice at retail and other goals he has in store.

In-person events in the relationship-based produce business help keep conversations and creativity flowing among professionals who work throughout the industry, says columnist Armand Lobato.

Healthy Family Project’s 21st Publix Produce for Kids campaign helps secure 775,000 meals for families in Publix communities.

Cashmere, Wash.-based Crunch Pak is collaborating with Minecraft and Kellogg’s to create a mini-meal snacking solution.

The grocer says it's “serving up a welcome reprieve” for shoppers cooking out this summer — beating the national average cost of an Independence Day cookout and paying shoppers the difference.

The USDA reports retail per capita availability of fresh pears has declined slightly in the past decade.

The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2023 found that 43% of all consumers reported purchases of bell peppers in the previous year.

To take advantage of the bounty of produce available in July, dietitians from The Giant Co., Carlisle, Pa., created a bevy of free virtual classes to give shoppers related buying and cooking tips.

Learn these tips to avoid a crushed ankle or bloody thumb in the supermarket backroom, warehouse or produce aisle.

The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2023 survey showed 33% of consumers said they purchased mushrooms in the past year.