Latest News From Retail

Retailers care about sustainability because consumers care, but for many the pursuit of sustainability tends to be more of an afterthought than top priority.

Sparta, Mich.-based apple shipper Applewood Fresh and The Produce Moms have launched a co-branded apple package timed for fall sales and the holiday baking season.

It’s a rarity these days to find a supermarket that doesn’t stock at least a limited selection of organic fruits and vegetables, and most stores feature a wide range of organic options to choose from.

Inc. magazine revealed its annual Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies, and Arvin, Calif.-based Tasteful Selections ranked No. 3,941 on the list, according to a news release.

From which chain does a customer go home with their goods, feeling like “their” store is somewhere they’re likely to return to on a regular basis?

Steve Lutz, senior vice president of insights and innovation for Category Partners, will speak Nov. 11 at the West Coast Produce Expo about shifting shopper behaviors present and future amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets, Inc. iis voluntarily recalling Natural Grocers Brand 4-ounce Organic Whole Elderberries after being notified by its supplier of the potential presence of Salmonella.

The United Fresh Produce Association is now accepting nominations for its 2021 Retail Produce Manager Awards Program.

Pumpkins regained the top two spots on PMG the week of Oct. 26, leading up to Halloween, while lettuce moved up a couple of places to No. 3.

Rob Ybarra, director of produce for Rouses, will discuss at the West Coast Produce Expo the challenge of navigating the pandemic and hurricanes while continuing to create enjoyable experiences for shoppers.

With flavors like Maple Bourbon Bacon and descriptions like Ranch-seasoned crouton crumble, roasted sunflower seeds and a creamy ranch dressing, today’s packaged salad components read more like menu items. 

Sales of packaged salads are exploding, tossed from a modest single-digit growth to a 33% spike during the now infamous week of coronavirus-related panic buying in mid-March. 

Dole Food Company is giving food, cooking and 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.

Walmart stores in numerous states will be handing out Rockit apples from Chelan Fresh during drive-through Halloween events.

Tom Karst, Chris Koger, Amy Sowder and Ashley Nickle take you through the big stories of the week, from developments related to H-2A wages to company news born from increased demand for online grocery services.

After more than a decade of robust category performance in the U.S.A., Ambrosia continues to hold its position as one of America’s favorite apples.

On the heels of strategic planning and virtual Board meeting, the National Watermelon Promotion Board is entering in to the fall and winter months well-positioned to strengthen demand for watermelon.

Blueberries have been growing at a rapid clip at retail, according to the United Fresh Produce Association’s FreshFacts report for the second quarter of 2020.

Organic fresh produce sales exceeded $2.2 billion for the third quarter this year, with volume sales up 15% from the same period in 2019 and dollar sales up 16%.

In a year that has seen double-digit increases in demand for fresh produce at supermarkets, the U.S. Department of Agriculture projects that retail prices for fruits and vegetables will come in below historical averages.

Jeff Cady, director of produce and floral for Tops Friendly Markets — and the 2020 Produce Retailer of the Year — will speak Nov. 11 at the West Coast Produce Expo.

Immunity will be top of mind this winter. In fact, according to a recent study, 68% of consumers are either using functional foods or are interested in using functional foods for immunity benefit this year.

DiSilva Fruit and Morning Kiss Organic are ready to deliver delicious, vitamin-packed organic and conventional citrus for the coming citrus season.

Fyffes North America ‘Easy to Eat, Easy to Pronounce’ advertising campaign won Gold at the 2020 Summit Creative Awards in the Integrated Campaign, B2B category.

Congratulations to Produce Manager, Ethan Lohse from New Seasons Market, Portland, OR, for winning a $100 gift card from Shanley Farms for the 2020 Fall Shanley Farms/Tajin seasoning display contest.

Avocados From Mexico is kicking off a campaign with Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Troy Aikman and sportscaster Erin Andrews, with promotion materials to retailers and the chance to win $1 million and other prizes.

The Canadian Produce Marketing Association has chosen Alistair MacGregor, a member of Canada’s House of Commons, as its 2020 Produce Champion.

Vertical farming company Plenty, South San Francisco, has added Ann Livermore and Bill Johnson, former executives at Hewlett-Packard and H.J. Heinz, respectively, to its board of directors.

The supermarket business in the U.S. Heartland remains “strong and vibrant,” said Anthony Totta, CEO at FreshXperts LLC, Kansas City, Mo.

Bill Bishop, chief architect of retail consulting firm Brick Meets Click, will speak at the online West Coast Produce Expo about the growth of online grocery, how retailers are responding and what's ahead.

A new survey by Deloitte found that consumers plan to limit their spending, travel and experiences, in-store shopping and time spent shopping during this holiday season.

Fresh Midwest, an online produce and meal delivery service, will launch in northern Chicago in early 2021.

Live Oak Farms, Le Grand, Calif., will be marketing Pasha Marketing LLC’s fall vegetables from California’s Coachella Valley.

Growers can never predict what mother nature will throw at them, but this year she provided the perfect conditions for a beautiful Pazazz apple crop in all growing regions.

CORRECTED: Wonderful Pistachios have racked up $1 billion in North American retail sales annually.

Scott Bennett, produce sales and merchandising manager for Jewel-Osco, will discuss in at the online West Coast Produce Expo how he has approached continuing to create excitement in stores despite the pandemic.

Scott Schuette with Fresh Thyme Market and Stew Leonard Jr. with Stew Leonard’s will be the featured speakers at an upcoming Organic Produce Network virtual event.

Naturipe’s berry experts are daring consumers to get creative with cranberries this holiday season – and beyond – with the launch of the company’s first downloadable cookbook, Reimagining Cranberries.

Curious about the new items in the Season & Steam lineup from Ocean Mist Farms? Retail editor Ashley Nickle and copy editor and designer Amelia Freidline tried them out in this latest episode of Millennials Eat.

United Fresh Produce Association is launching the United re-Fresh Experience, a monthly series of events in January 2021 to re-Fresh your business, re-Fresh your company, and re-Fresh your life.  

Wholesaler-distributor Organically Grown Co., Portland, Ore., continues a rebranding process, introducing updates to its logo, website, packaging and truck wraps.

The top 20 produce items on PMG shuffled a bit the week of Oct. 19, with new citrus items joining the list and tropical fruit getting some interest as well.

Five produce industry veterans who now specialize in consulting will discuss at the online West Coast Produce Expo how company leaders should adapt their business models, strategies and goals for 2021 and beyond.

It is the dawn of a new era in the sustainable packaging sector: Sorma Group is introducing fruit and vegetable packaging that is 100% paper-based and therefore completely recyclable.

Consumers are planning their holidays sooner and smaller this year.

The Produce for Better Health Foundation’s National Fruits & Veggies Month campaign in September generated nearly 75 million impressions through traditional and social media channels.

Get a rundown of the news of the week from Tom Karst, Chris Koger, Ashley Nickle and Amy Sowder on topics from Trevor Suslow leaving PMA to Oleen Smethurst receiving the Canadian Produce Person of the Year Award.

No matter what, there is always something we can be thankful for.

Chiquita Brands International, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., is asking consumers to share their Halloween costumes on social media, with a chance of being featured on the company’s Instagram page.

Consumers continue to buy more fresh potatoes during the COVID-19 pandemic, boosting sales in most fresh categories and pushing sales of all potato products, including frozen, to five-year records.