Latest News From Retail

Food Institute predicts faster growth for foodservice

The Food Institute forecasts that sales at restaurants will grow faster than grocery store sales in 2019,

Georgia-Pacific’s Hummingbird offers print solutions
Georgia-Pacific’s Hummingbird offers print solutions

A digital printing process from Georgia-Pacific allows shippers to use full-color graphics on corrugated packaging, such as bins for watermelons and other large containers.

WP Produce takes green-skinned avocados year-round
WP Produce takes green-skinned avocados year-round

Tropical fruit grower, packer and shipper WP Produce, Miami, is kicking off its 2019 season with green-skinned avocado varieties that will be available year-round.

CKF’s Earthcycle packaging competes for Innovation Award
CKF’s Earthcycle packaging competes for Innovation Award

Packaging company CKF, Hansport, Nova Scotia, is one of 10 nominees for the Fruit Logistica Innovation Award for a new design of Earthcycle compostable and recyclable packaging for strawberries.

Exhibit space for CPMA in Montreal sells out

Exhibit space for the Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s 2019 Convention and Trade Show is sold out.

Fabri-Kal introduces new Sidekicks Container sizes
Fabri-Kal introduces new Sidekicks Container sizes

Packaging company Fabri-Kal, Kalamazoo, Mich., has added two more sizes to its SideKicks Container line.

Year in Produce No. 4 — Retail acquisitions
Year in Produce No. 4 — Retail acquisitions

The competitive grocery landscape prompted numerous bankruptcies and acquisitions in 2018, along with consolidation in the meal kit space.

VIDEO — Vic Savanello with The Fresh Market on produce trends
VIDEO — Vic Savanello with The Fresh Market on produce trends

Vic Savanello, vice president of produce merchandising for Greensboro, N.C.-based The Fresh Market, expects that flavorful varieties, tropical fruits and fresh-cut vegetables will trend in 2019.

Online grocery is expected to grow again in 2019.
Brick Meets Click expects 15% growth for online grocery sales in 2019

Research firm Brick Meets Click projects online grocery sales will grow 15% in 2019, with providers that offer delivery and pickup expected to grow online sales 25-30%.

Wegmans recalls cauliflower products due to E. coli risk
Wegmans recalls cauliflower products due to E. coli risk

Wegmans has recalled four fresh cauliflower items after notification by a supplier that the products could be contaminated with E. coli.

Amelia Freidline
Produce and star power

Hitch your wagon to a star.

Three tropical fruits on Datassential list of flavors to watch in 2019
Three tropical fruits on Datassential list of flavors to watch in 2019

Datassential features mangosteen, yuzu and mamey sapote in its report on flavors to watch for 2019.

Hy-Vee opens first Fast & Fresh format
Hy-Vee opens first Fast & Fresh format

The new Fast & Fresh concept from Hy-Vee made its debut in Davenport, Iowa, this week.

Nuro driverless vehicle hits the road for Fry’s grocery deliveries
Nuro driverless vehicle hits the road for Fry’s grocery deliveries

An unmanned vehicle is now delivering groceries from Fry’s Food Stores in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Amelia Freidline
The 12 days of holi-daze

Holi-daze. As the year’s end fast approaches, and two holiday waves are about to crash into the produce aisle, I’m reminded of doling out a few tidbits of advice to new produce managers flush with stress.

Fair Trade USA revokes certification of Suragroh melon farm
Fair Trade USA revokes certification of Suragroh melon farm

Fair Trade USA has decertified Suragroh melon farm, a Honduran division of Fyffes.

How’s romaine labeling  going at point of sale?
How’s romaine labeling going at point of sale?

As romaine lettuce returns to supermarket shelves, I wanted to see what was actually happening at the point of sale.

Apio recalls Eat Smart salad products after positive listeria test
Apio recalls Eat Smart salad products after positive listeria test

Guadalupe, Calif.-based Apio has recalled several Eat Smart salad products after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency informed the company that a random sample tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes.

Mangoes, papayas continue to grow
Mangoes, papayas continue to grow

Imports of mangoes and papayas have shown strong growth over the past decade.

After almost 25 years, Ron Carkoski retiring from Four Seasons
After almost 25 years, Ron Carkoski retiring from Four Seasons

Ron Carkoski, who has been the CEO the Four Seasons Family of Companies in since 2002, is retiring Dec. 21.

<p>Gourmet Fresh&nbsp; - David Ranscht - New York Produce Show</p>
Gourmet's Finest promotes Mushroom Crumbles

NEW YORK — Gourmet’s Finest promoted its Mushroom Crumbles at the New York Produce Show and Conference.

<p>Coosemans - Wilda Ortega - New York Produce Show</p>
Coosemans educates NY show visitors about specialties

NEW YORK — Wilda Ortega took all sorts of specialty produce out of display baskets to show visitors at the Coosemans New York booth at the New York Produce Show and Conference.

East Coast Fresh offers vegetable rices, noodles
East Coast Fresh offers vegetable rices, noodles

NEW YORK — East Coast Fresh, Laurel, Md., displayed riced vegetable blends at the New York Produce Show and Conference.

Amelia Freidline
Improving health improves business

NEW YORK — One of the reasons I wanted to work at The Packer is because the focus on fruits and vegetables aligns with my passion for food and health.

Packer Insight — New York Produce Show and romaine outbreak update
Packer Insight — New York Produce Show and romaine outbreak update

Editor-in-chief Tom Karst and retail editor Ashley Nickle discuss the New York Produce Show and the latest updates in the Food and Drug Administration's investigation into the outbreak tied to romaine lettuce.

FDA finds E. coli in irrigation reservoir, narrows romaine advisory
FDA finds E. coli in irrigation reservoir, narrows romaine advisory

The FDA has named Adam Bros. Farm in Santa Barbara County as one potential source of the E. coli outbreak linked to romaine — but it cautions that the finding does not explain all the illnesses in the outbreak.

Sandra Sanchez joins Dulcinea Farms in quality assurance
Sandra Sanchez joins Dulcinea Farms in quality assurance

Dulcinea Farms, part of Pacific Trellis Fruit, Los Angeles, has hired Sandra Sanchez as director of quality assurance.

LGS imports Vanilla Persimmons from Spain
LGS imports Vanilla Persimmons from Spain

LGS Specialty Sales, New Rochelle, N.Y., is expanding its Spanish fruit imports with lemons, clementines and Vanilla Persimmons, also known as rojo brillante.

Produce marketers must increase “wow” factor for consumers
Produce marketers must increase “wow” factor for consumers

NEW YORK, N.Y. — A simple key to satisfying consumers is asking the question, “Would I give this product to my kids or my mother?”

Secondary display bin for Delite mandarins makes nationwide debut
Secondary display bin for Delite mandarins makes nationwide debut

Retailers throughout the U.S. now have the option of a secondary display bin for Delite mandarins from Sunkist Growers.

Millennials Eat — Mushrooms!
Millennials Eat — Mushrooms!

Which regions and demographics purchase the most mushrooms? Designer and copy editor Amelia Freidline and retail editor Ashley Nickle discuss in the latest episode of Millennials Eat.

Amelia Freidline
Specialties add a little spice to sales

Gung hay fat choy. This is how Cantonese speakers express “Happy New Year.”

Bonduelle launches single-serve salad line in Canada
Bonduelle launches single-serve salad line in Canada

Bonduelle Fresh Americas, formerly Ready Pac Foods, is launching Bonduelle Fresh Picked salads in Canada.

Farm bill increases funding for Double Up Food Bucks produce program
Farm bill increases funding for Double Up Food Bucks produce program

The new farm bill prescribes $45 million in 2019 for the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive program, also known as Double Up Food Bucks.

GV leads $90 million investment in Bowery Farming

With a $90-million investment, Bowery Farming plans to build large-scale indoor farms in cities across the country.

Amelia Freidline
I trust you (almost) completely

It was always interesting, when trying to explain how our business works to someone, that they were shocked at the way agreements between buyer and seller are reached.

Setton Farms introduces two nut blends
Setton Farms introduces two nut blends

Snack company Setton Farms, Commack, N.Y., is expanding its offerings with Simply Protein Blend and Nut Topper Blend.

Mission kicks off Emeralds in the End Zone promotion
Mission kicks off Emeralds in the End Zone promotion

Mission Produce has a Super Bowl promotion plan — Emeralds in the End Zone — focusing on 2- and 3-pound bags of “beautifully-blemished avocados.”

Industry remembers 4Earth Farm’s Fred McConnell
Industry remembers 4Earth Farm’s Fred McConnell

Fred McConnell, who co-founded MCL Distributing, later renamed 4Earth Farms, has died.

London Fruit offers limes, avocados in clamshells
London Fruit offers limes, avocados in clamshells

London Fruit is offering more items in clamshells, starting with avocados and limes.

Hear about Super Bowl success at BrandStorm 2019
Hear about Super Bowl success at BrandStorm 2019

Attendees of the United Fresh Produce Association’s BrandStorm 2019 will hear about Super Bowl advertising success from Avocados From Mexico.

UPDATED: Collard greens supplies down for the holidays
UPDATED: Collard greens supplies down for the holidays

From hurricanes in the southeast to wildfires and Santa Ana winds in California and rain in Texas, weather and natural disasters have greatly reduced the availability of collard greens in the holiday season.

Amelia Freidline
‘Meet or beat’ sales? Not so fast

The goal is lofty. “Meet or beat last year’s sales and profit.”

Looking for the thousand points of light
Looking for the thousand points of light

In the wake of the food safety travails of romaine lettuce in recent weeks — and industry navel-gazing about whether health authorities overreacted — I ask this question: What about the good news?

California grape shippers breaking volume records
California grape shippers breaking volume records

California table grape growers are shipping record amounts as their season nears an end.

<p>Instacart logo</p>
Price competition key in Chicago market

Bill Bishop, chief architect of Chicago-based retail consulting firm Brick Meets Click, describes the market as one with significant price competition.

Chicago retailers vie for online consumers
Chicago retailers vie for online consumers

Competing for online  grocery shoppers is a dominant trend for leading Chicago retailers.

Aloha peppers add color to seasonal displays

Sunset is packing its first winter crop of bright red-and-yellow striped Ahola peppers.

Big Taste tomatoes ship from The Star Group in Mexico
Big Taste tomatoes ship from The Star Group in Mexico

Canada-based The Star Group is producing tomatoes in a new greenhouse facility in Culiacan, Mexico.

<p>Rob Strube, president of Strube Celery &amp; Vegetable Co., says wholesalers at the Chicago International Produce Market have discussed how to keep business vibrant this year.</p>
Windy City’s market strong

Chicago’s vibrant economy is fueling big demand for produce distributors.