Latest News From Retail

Irvington, N.Y.-based BrightFarms’ distribution has surpassed 2,000 stores. 

Episode 9 of Tip of the Iceberg Podcast features an interview with former Walmart produce executive Bruce Peterson, who discusses his expectations for the evolution of produce retail in the coming years.

The California Avocado Commission, Irvine, has customized retail and foodservice promotions planned throughout the summer.

Retailer Giant Food, in partnership with Avocados from Peru, is donating a trailer load of avocados to Feeding America food banks on National Avocado Day, July 31.

U.S. imports of Peruvian asparagus have risen from 149.6 million pounds in 2000 to 556.6 million pounds in 2019.

An outbreak of Cyclospora infections linked garden salads continues to grow as health officials seek where the ingredients were grown.

The pandemic choked off foodservice sales because it forced eateries to close — or limit — their business activities, but it has not slowed onion demand, suppliers note.

Rouses Markets has big plans for Hatch chile season.

¡Yo Quiero! Brands, Rhome, Texas, is partnering with the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys.

Romaine isn’t just for salads, and D’Arrigo Bros. of California, Salinas, is educating consumers on the versatility of the lettuce, from smoothies to grilling ideas, with the Romaine’s My Love campaign.

Frieda’s Specialty Produce, Los Alamitos, Calif., suggests retailers should carry dragon fruit to give consumers an escape.

With more than 20 years of experience in the North American supermarket industry, Mike Mauti has learned “Retail 101” firsthand.

Sirna & Sons Produce has brought in Allie Sirna as the second member of the Sirna family’s fourth generation to join the company, said Tom Sirna, president.

Williamsville, N.Y.-based Tops Friendly Markets has kicked off an eight-week Summer Sell-a-bration display contest for its produce departments.

Live Oak Farms, Le Grand, Calif., has started its organic green bell pepper program.

California grape marketers will benefit from strong retail sales through the balance of the year and should weather the COVID-19 crisis in good shape.

Index Fresh is offering Colombian avocados for the third season.

Julie Lutz-Lenosky has joined Bard Valley Date Growers as regional sales manager for the Southeast U.S.

Revol Greens, Owatonna, Minn., has three new retail lettuce products.

Canadian grower Loveday Mushroom Farms has joined Kennett Square, Pa.-based South Mill Champs.

Publix has again partnered with Produce for Kids to encourage its shoppers, particularly families with children, to eat more produce.

Cucumbers, beans, okra and peaches held onto the top four spots on PMG the week of July 13, and yellow plums moved up two places to complete the top 5.

The COVID-19 pandemic has elevated potato sales at retail since mid-March, with most categories benefiting from sales as people prepared meals at home instead of going to restaurants.

National Mango Day is arriving on the heels of strong growth for sales of the fruit in the first half of 2020.

With more than a month left in cherry harvest season in Washington state, The Packer’s Tom Karst caught up with a busy Kyle Mathison, fourth-generation grower with Stemilt Growers on July 16. 

Dave Corsi chairman, of the Center for Produce Safety’s board of director for two years, has been succeeded by Vic Smith.

Retail sales of fresh vegetables continue to significantly exceed 2019 as many consumers continue to eat more meals at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa, Calif., border entry found 614 pounds of methamphetamine in a shipment of green onions.

Aldi now has 2,000 stores, and it plans to open another 70 new locations by the end of the year.

DMA Solutions, Dallas, is offering “Marketing Matters,” a web seminar for produce professionals.

Looking at retail producing pricing strategies, The Packer’s Tom Karst visited July 16 with Mike Mauti, managing partner of Toronto-based Execulytics. 

Oxnard, Calif.-based Mission Produce has entered an exclusive partnership with Hazel Technologies for a new program called AvoLast that keeps fruit ripe longer.

Stemilt’s Artisan Organics peach and nectarine crops are available in two new packs.

Football fans bought more than 66.6 million avocados leading into the Super Bowl this year, according to the Hass Avocado Board, which breaks down sales for holidays and events for each sales quarter.

Side Delights is promoting immunity-boosting properties of potatoes.

Editor-in-chief Tom Karst, retail editor Ashley Nickle and Northeast editor Amy Sowder discuss key topics from the week, including how growers, school foodservice and retail are adjusting amid COVID-19.

The Food Marketing Institute’s 2020 Power of Produce Report found that 54% of shoppers said they would like to see a greater assortment of locally grown produce at their primary store.

Homegrown Organic Farms, Porterville, Calif., is adding jumbo organic kiwifruit to its lineup.

No one would argue that events over the past 6 months are going to have a profound and lasting effect on the future of retailing in general and produce specifically.

Wonderful Pistachios, Los Angeles, is now offering nine-count variety snack packs featuring three No Shells flavors.

Texas A&M researchers have created a coating that battles cross-contamination of produce. Researchers say that the coating can be applied to surfaces like conveyor belts and collection buckets.

The U.S. Apple Association is adding one-on-one virtual meetings leading up to Outlook 2020, its virtual show in August.

Federal and state government programs keep encouraging the local agricultural economy, especially since COVID-19 pandemic shut-downs disrupted the market.

To anyone outside the produce world, marketing fruits and vegetables in retail may seem like a quiet, even easy line of work.

Generation Farms, Vidalia, Ga., is adding white and purple garlic to its line of fruits and vegetables.

Morning Kiss Organic, Chelsea, Mass., is adding gold kiwifruit to its list of products.

There may be a pandemic on, but produce growers and distributors in Ohio say they’re in robust health.

The grocery bill keeps getting bigger for Americans.

Monsey, N.Y.-based Evergreen Kosher Market is debuting a 20-foot high “wall farm” enabling customers to see where their fresh-picked produce is grown.

Fresh produce dollar sales for the biggest holiday week of the summer totaled $1.54 billion, up 9% from 2019.