Latest News From Retail

Pear Bureau Northwest has awarded the two winners of its display contest with the Defense Commissary Agency a trip to the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit.

The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council’s new strategic positioning and call-to-action, Grab a Boost of Blue, officially kicks off this month with a comprehensive marketing campaign.

The Pear Bureau Northwest is asking retailers to show their love of red pears with a display contest.

New year, same great Rushing Rivers® d’Anjou pears from Stemilt and exactly what the retailer needs to take their pear category from good to World Famous.

Pummelos, oranges and strawberries maintained the top three spots on PMG the week of Jan. 11, but mandarins rose from No. 11 the previous week to No. 4, and cabbage, previously No. 12, moved up to the No. 5 spot.

Valentine’s Day promotions are on the radar and Stemilt’s Pink Lady apples should be a top promotion contender for the loveliest day of the year.

Avocados from Mexico has created The Virtual Guac Bowl Stadium for its annual Super Bowl promotion, with prize packages that include avocado gear, weekly $1,000 giveaways and the chance to win $1 million.

Dallas-based DMA Solutions has set discussion topics and dates for the company’s Marketing Matters web seminars in January and February. 

Coming off a 2020 characterized by national demand and record sales, Edible Garden, Belvidere, N.J., announced today that it has signed a Letter of Intent to purchase a facility in Piqua, OH.  

Winter is here, and given the social restrictions necessitated by the global pandemic, some would say it is the winter of all winters.

Stemilt’s marketing director Brianna Shales and communications manager, Katie Harmon, start 2021 by analyzing the last 12 weeks of Nielsen retail scan data during Stemilt’s Fast Facts: The Cast video analysis.

Pummelos and oranges maintained the top two spots on PMG the first week of January, but strawberries rejoined the list at No. 3.

Taking a new approach in engaging with retailers, North Shore Living Herbs & Greens released an animated video that takes you on a journey through their hydroponic growing process from seed to store.

Retail fresh potato sales saw record growth of 12% in dollar sales and 8.2% in volume during the October-December quarter, according to Potatoes USA.

The new vice president of fresh for St. Louis-based Schnuck Markets is Ted Schnuck, great-grandson of company founder Anna Donovan Schnuck.

This year, BrandStorm — the industry’s signature brand marketing event — will deliver marketing education straight to your desk, March 9-11.

Potato sales at retail have been strong since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and a Potato Expo panel of suppliers and retailers agreed that momentum will likely continue through 2021.

Nominations for the United Fresh Produce Association’s Retail Produce Manager Awards Program need to be turned in by the end of this week — Friday, Jan. 8.

Citrus surged in interest during the last few days of December, taking six of the top 20 spots.

Bronx, N.Y.-based online grocer FreshDirect has closed its sale to food retail group Ahold Delhaize and investment firm Centerbridge Partners.

If there is something most can agree on, it is that we all are ready for a new year.

Oklahoma City-based HAC Inc., which operates 80 stores under eight banners, has selected Price Mabry as its new director of produce and floral.

One of the chief initiatives at Yakima, Wash.-based Sage Fruit Co. in 2020 pertained to sustainability, said Chuck Sinks, president of sales and marketing.

Though COVID-19 has taken away the opportunities for in-person sampling and other strategies, retailers have plenty of apple promotion options, marketers say.

Trend forecasts abound as the calendar turns from 2020 to 2021, and among the most frequent topics have been e-commerce, family meals, packaging and the function of food.

The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council has launched Grab a Boost of Blue, a strategic positioning and call to action backed by new tools and consumer research for retailers.

The Hass Avocado Board reports that the weeks of the Father’s Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day holidays accounted for $180 million in avocado retail sales this year.

Whether red, pink or green, apples are popular across all income levels, age groups and ethnicities.

The COVID-19 pandemic reduced big gatherings for the Thanksgiving holiday, but retail produce sales data showed fresh produce continued to show strong gains compared with year-ago levels.

Episode 28 of Tip of the Iceberg Podcast features an interview with Chris Romano, vice president of produce merchandising for The Fresh Market, about trends for 2021 and merchandising produce in this most unusual time.

Autumn Glory apple shipments were up the month of November, and recent Nielsen data confirms stellar November sales.

New takes on classic comfort food may be the norm in the coming year, according to the 2021 trends predictions from Los Alamitos, Calif.-based Frieda’s Specialty Produce.

Two of Kroger’s seven food trend predictions for 2021 put a focus on fresh produce: Mushroom Mania and Fresh Innovation.

Dole Food Co. is providing a little healthy, bluesy inspiration to Joe Gardner and others trying to reclaim their passions as part of the fresh produce leader’s year-long collaboration with Pixar Animation Studios.  

Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. inc. is updating fruit stickers, offering giveaways and highlighting sustainability as part of its holiday campaign.

The United Fresh Produce Association has scheduled a web seminar on its latest FreshFacts on Retail report Dec. 15.

Avocados bounced from No. 7 the week of Nov. 30 to take the lead spot on PMG the week of Nov. 7.

AFM's Super Bowl campaign has a new centerpiece this year, with the organization opting for a $1 million sweepstakes and point-of-sale material featuring popular NFL broadcasters Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews.

Catch up with the notable news of the week in this conversation between The Packer's editors Tom Karst, Chris Koger, Ashley Nickle and Amy Sowder.

After securing a $1 million co-investment from the Digital Technology Supercluster, Wisebox Solutions’ DirectFood.store is expanding with its first location outside Canada to provide Charleston, S.C.

USA Pears is excited to announce a new partnership with Cabot Cheese and California Walnuts.

PMG highlighted work from more than four dozen merchandisers and produce managers in the Produce Artist Award Series Fall 2020 Results Webinar, which featured top-notch seasonal display photos and expert commentary.

PMG recognized more than four dozen merchandisers and produce managers in its Produce Artist Award Series fall results webinar Dec. 9.

Organic pears maintained the top spot on PMG the week of Nov. 30, but citrus showed strong interest overall, taking six of the top 20 spots.

The newest FreshFacts on Retail report from United Fresh shows that value-added fruits and vegetables saw gains in the third quarter of 2020, reversing a trend of recent declines for value-added fruit.

NatureSweet® is the single source solution for greenhouse grown vegetables. With the holiday season in full swing, NatureSweet® is excited to share its favorite holiday recipes with its fellow tomato lovers. 

The Bard Valley Natural Delights® new 8-count Dark Chocolate Covered Medjool Dates item had a strong start with over 100,000 units sold since September.

Giorgio Foods Inc., Temple, Pa., has two additions to its mushroom jerky line: Smokehouse Bacon and Hot & Spicy Cajun Style.

The Idaho Potato Commission’s annual retail display contest will pamper a participant with a trip to a spa.

Chiquita has a new collection of limited-edition stickers that feature familiar works of art — reimagined.