ANAHEIM, CA - Showcasing expanded partnerships and increased distribution Oppy is closing out 2025 with significant moves, including strategically integrating Dole Diversified North America and milestones carved in the first year of its alignment with almond powerhouse Blue Diamond. Diving into the latter, I had a chance to catch up with Carmen Bourgaize, Chief Commercial Officer for Blue Diamond Growers.

“If a shopper is in the produce area and they pick up Blue Diamond, their basket is about double the size of the regular produce customer. We attract a customer that's really going to purchase a lot of product in the grocery store—they like our lineup of products and that we are a co-op actually owned by growers from California,” Carmen shared.

A great way to introduce more protein to the produce department, consumers are responding to the assortment even as the offerings are still new in retail. Just rolling out in grocery stores across the U.S., ROI is already increasing with distribution, with the produce-targeted almond packs in over 800 stores across the U.S. right now and more in the works.

Each comes in resealable, eye-catching packaging designed for shelf presence and convenience. The range of on-trend flavors crafted for the produce department include:

• Oven Roasted Honey Almonds
• Lightly Salted
• Whole Natural
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper
• Toasted Almonds & Cherries
• Sea Salt Almonds & Blueberries

“We've got great shipper options to make it very easy to merchandise and find space, whether it's a permanent spot or a variety of additional display options. We have a lot of seasonally focused marketing campaigns and partnerships to help spotlight and boost sales for the department as a whole,” Carmen said, sharing that only eight percent of shoppers are actually headed down the center aisle’s snack section.

Blue Diamond recently unveiled a refreshed brand identity as well, with bold colors, clean lines, and modern simplicity. With my own familiarity with Blue Diamond as someone born and raised in California, I had to ask about brand loyalty and the fresh punch this update might bring to the produce department when it rolls out across the produce line in spring of 2026.

“It's pretty difficult to find a retailer in the United States that doesn't have some of our products in it. We are excited that it's very well known, well loved, and people really trust the brand. They know it stands for quality, good products from California. We've been in business over 100 years. Likewise, Canada is our second biggest international market for almonds,” Carmen shared.

Constantly launching new flavors to encourage healthy snacking, there is certainly plenty of growth to look forward to for Blue Diamond, Oppy, and the categories they complement.

“In my eyes, it's really a partnership between two who are absolutely great in their own sectors. Blue Diamond is the number one name in almonds—they're one of the largest brands in the center store world,” Michael Schaefer, Sales and Category Manager for Oppy, shared of the partnership. “And Oppy has the skillset and expertise to help navigate the produce department and help bring Blue Diamond’s vision to life. Frankly, we still see almonds as a product with plenty of room for growth in the produce department. It's the most consumed nut, so we see a huge opportunity, with current representation at about seven percent of total produce sales.”

With new flavors and new categories still to be revealed, ready to engage shoppers both current and potential, there is much to be excited about for the year ahead with this dynamic duo and additional Oppy strategies.