Latest News From Retail

Dubbed the ‘original dark leafy greens in a bag,’ San Miguel Produce’s Cut ‘N Clean Greens is marking its 25th anniversary.

There's so much to be gleaned from examining a retail display photo: assortment in a given category, merchandising techniques and styles, fixtures, placement in relation to other items, cross-merchandising and more.

Chilean navel oranges are riding the wave of popularity the citrus category is seeing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cornucopia Farms, Marietta, Ga., is completing its first hydroponic greenhouse, with production of lettuce and herbs starting in October.

Good Foods, Pleasant Prairie, Wis., has appointed a board of directors to seek new opportunities and grow the brand objectively and strategically.

Here's the latest news about bananas from The Packer!

Pristine grapes are on the shelves again.

Fresh produce retail sales growth fell in the final week of August to roughly 5%, down from 10% or higher for much of the summer.

Calavo Growers reported avocado volume rose 18.2% in the quarter ending July 31, but that was offset by a 37% decline in average selling prices.

Carlisle, Pa.-based The Giant Co. recently had four more stores reach the zero waste standard, and the company continues to push ahead on sustainability, including in its produce operations.

Kari Armbruster, program manager for Kroger’s sustainability initiative Zero Hunger|Zero Waste, will be one of the keynote speakers at the first Sustainable Produce Summit.

Starr Ranch Growers, Wenatchee, Wash., has consolidated sales offices in Yakima, Wash., and hired Shawn Loudon to its sales team there.

Stokes Purple sweet potatoes are back in season and Frieda’s Specialty Produce is preparing for the holiday season.

BrightFarms has opened an expansion to its Chicago-area facility, allowing continued growth in the market, including a 34% jump in year-over-year sales at Mariano’s.

Pacific Trellis Fruit is marketing its third season of Cotton Candy grapes from the Murcia, Spain, growing region.

Cindy Adkins, who marketed organic fingerling potatoes in Colorado’s San Luis Valley for 22 years, is now a sales representative for MountainKing Potatoes, Houston.

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the Orlando, Fla.-based National Mango Board to tweak its promotional programs and adapt to retailers’ new ways of doing business, said Marissa Khan, marketing manager.

They say a photo's worth a thousand words. We still believe strongly in words, but we're also big fans of photos, particularly when it comes to merchandising inspiration.

The relationship between grower prices and retail prices is always a point of interest, perhaps more for growers than retailers.

Stemilt Growers’ Rushing Rivers d’anjou and red d’anjou pears go through a process that the Wenatchee, Wash.-based company’ calls the RipeRite program.

Giant Food has removed its private label-branded squash noodle medley after a supplier reported a sample had tested positive for listeria.

Read the 2020 Fresh Trends Data on strawberries!

The Packer's team discusses big stories of the week, from Mission Produce's IPO and the latest developments around seasonal trade protections to coverage of Quebec produce and a teaser for the Sustainable Produce Summit.

See the 2020 Fresh Trends Data on sweet potatoes!

Flexing its strength in the digital channel, Walmart unveiled a new $98 annual subscription service Sept. 1 that provides unlimited free delivery of groceries and other merchandise from 4,700 stores.

Sunview Marketing International of California Inc., Delano, is shipping Sweet Carnival golden seedless grapes again.

Honeycrisp, granny smith, fuji and gala have experienced notable sales growth this summer as families consume more food at home amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kansas City, Kan.-based Associated Wholesale Grocers has partnered with Takeoff Technologies to make its online grocery order fulfillment solution accessible to AWG members.

Consumers are buying fresh produce during more shopping trips and spending more per trip on fresh produce than they did in 2019.

The Mushroom Council, Redwood Shores, Calif., is spotlighting different varieties throughout September, the 30th annual Mushroom Month.

Here's the latest news on raspberries from The Packer!

Morning Kiss Organic, Chelsea, Mass., has customized programs that can help customers during the changing retail landscape caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tasteful Selections continues its year-long 10th-anniversary celebration with an addition to its website, a tool to find where to buy the company’s bite-size potato products.

Bard Valley Natural Delights date brand is starting its new season with distinctive green-tinged packaging, a sign of sustainability, with 7-UP, Perrier and Sprite bottles finding new life.

Good Foods, Pleasant Prairie, Wis., has a Back to the Books sweepstakes to promote its plant-based dips as healthy back-to-school snacks.

Yes, ginger sales skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic more than any other commodity in Boston, as it did elsewhere.

Red Sun Farms, Kingsville, Ontario, is introducing a new graphic design to highlight its sustainability goals and a focus on recyclable packaging.

Sunkist Growers, Valencia, Calif., has hired Anne Goltz as senior manager of business development.

While peaches maintained their No. 1 spot on PMG the week of Aug. 24, the rest of the top 20 saw some shuffling as fall items rejoined the list.

The Packer’s Tom Karst visited Aug. 31 with Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, president and CEO of the Produce Better Health Foundation about National Fruits & Veggies Month activities in September.

The United Fresh Produce Association is offering a program through Cornell University’s External Education called Navigating Emerging Issues in the Fresh Produce Industry.

West Pak Avocado, Murrieta, Calif., has released the fifth episode of its Avo Effect campaign, Avocados — A Ripe Responsibility.

La Dona Fruit, a Colombian grower and exporter, has launched a colorful band and packaging for avocados and limes for the U.S. and Europe.

Lēf Farms, Loudon, N.H., has added more than 200 Stop & Shop stores to the list of retailers that sell its leafy greens.

While many of us love the familiar comforts of home, we also sometimes want what we didn’t have while growing up. I didn’t know what a tomato was supposed to taste like.

Apples buyers looking for variety options can find plenty of choices in Michigan this season, says Diane Smith, executive director of the Lansing-based Michigan Apple Committee. 

FirstFruits Marketing, Yakima, Wash., is starting its eighth season of shipping Sweetie, an apple variety that has been referred to as “gala’s sweeter, crunchier cousin.”

Limoneira Co., Santa Paula, Calif., kicks off its Peelin’ Good — The Zest is Yet to Come Tour — on Sept. 1, a virtual coast-to-coast trip with stops in 18 cities and visits with influencers.

While consumer perception of safety might’ve led to more purchases of packaged produce over loose bulk in the first couple of months of the coronavirus pandemic, some say it’s the increase of online shopping.

The good-for-you attributes of produce beverages have never been more appreciated.