SAN FRANCISCO, CA - In an effort to support wholesalers and distributors, GrubMarket has unveiled its latest launch, GrubPay. The easy-to-use payment platform enables safe and secure payments, making the company one of the first e-commerce platforms to offer a fully integrated payment solution designed for the fresh industry.

“Right now, most fresh industry players still use traditional offline methods like checks and cash to complete payment transactions. Others rely on third-party providers that charge exorbitant fees and are not tailored to facilitate payments in the food supply chain industry,” said Mike Xu, Chief Executive Officer. “We are proud to take the next step of every great eCommerce company—offering seamless payment solutions to our customers. GrubPay is a truly transformative solution that will create significant value for the food industry and help customers streamline their payment processes, reduce costs, and save time. By facilitating payments for the food supply chain through a one-stop solution integrated with our best-in-class WholesaleWare, OrdersIO, and Farmigo software products, GrubPay will make payments easy, accessible, and affordable to all our customers.”

GrubPay not only operates as a standalone product, but also integrates seamlessly with GrubMarket’s existing software offerings. As stated in a release, the company’s customers can now directly accept and manage payments quickly, easily, and securely via ACH, credit card, and other online methods.

In addition to seamless integration with WholesaleWare, OrdersIO, and Farmigo, GrubPay offers a number of unique features and benefits, including online payments, pay by link, real-time payment tracking, full accounting integration, competitive pricing, and flexibility and customization.

“Traditional payment acceptance methods for the fresh industry are cumbersome, expensive, and unreliable. Third-party payment providers lack an understanding of the nuanced needs of food distributors and wholesalers, and their fee structures squeeze the already thin margins of these businesses. This is why GrubPay is such a big step forward for the fresh industry,” stated said Genevieve Wang, Chief Product Officer. “Our integrated payment solutions make it possible for food suppliers to get paid quickly with ACH and credit card payments, while easily managing all invoicing, communications, and reporting directly through our innovative and proprietary software products—WholesaleWare, Orders IO, and Farmigo. With the addition of GrubPay, customers reduce errors, eliminate check fraud, and get paid faster. This is a game changer.”

To learn more about this launch, click here.

For the latest innovations from GrubMarket, stick with ANUK.

GrubMarket

CHICAGO, IL - Two words that are always bound to catch our attention: grocery investment. Yellow Banana, which owns and operates eight Save A Lot stores in the Chicago, Illinois, region, has unveiled the closing on a $26.5 million investment into grocery stores on the South and West sides of Chicago.

“We are excited about Yellow Banana’s commitment to reshape the in-store experience for Save A Lot customers throughout the city’s South and West sides,” said Save A Lot Chief Executive Officer Leon Bergmann. “The enhancements underway will ensure Chicagoans can continue to access fresh foods and quality brands at affordable prices for many years to come.”

Combining a $13.5 million Community Development Grant presented to Yellow Banana in July 2022 with New Markets Tax Credits, third-party financing, and additional funding from Yellow Banana, this transaction marks the next step in Yellow Banana’s ongoing commitment to underserved communities throughout the City of Chicago and the United States.

Through this project, Yellow Banana will make comprehensive upgrades to its existing Chicago stores as well as reopen a former Save A Lot that closed in 2020, a press release explained. The capital investments will be used to acquire the underlying real estate at five of Yellow Banana’s existing Chicago stores and at the Auburn Gresham site, in addition to completing a comprehensive internal and external redevelopment at each location.

“Yellow Banana has been brainstorming ways in which to breathe new life into the Save A Lot brand in Chicago ever since we first purchased the stores in 2021,” said Joseph Canfield, Co-Founder of 127 Wall Holdings, which owns Yellow Banana. “Countless professionals from dozens of organizations worked tirelessly to secure this investment and help deliver the shopping experience that hard-working Chicagoans deserve. This collaboration demonstrates our company’s commitment to providing quality, affordable, healthy groceries to the communities in which we operate.”

To read more about this ambitious growth strategy, click here.

For more grocery news, stay on the pages of ANUK.

Yellow Banana

WASHINGTON, DC - Sustainability ranks high on the International Fresh Produce Association’s (IFPA) list of industry goals, and one way the organization is looking to achieve this is through more sustainable packaging. Recently, IFPA submitted public comments on the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on packaging and packaging waste.

“We are fully committed to reducing, (with the long-term goal of eliminating) single-use packaging waste. Environmental footprint of single-use packaging is self-evident. At the same time, as an industry, we owe it to consumers of fresh produce to deliver a safe and nutritious product of top quality,” said IFPA Chief Science Officer, Dr. Max Teplitski. “Our industry needs to be clear-eyed: these proposed revisions will have a major impact on the bilateral trade with the EU, as well as on the availability, use and reuse, refill, and recycling of single-use packaging. We welcome the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed changes on the single-use plastic packaging regulations.”

Some of the comments issued by IFPA include:

• IFPA applauds EU’s recognition that plastic packaging is the most effective way for minimizing microbiological hazards and supports exemptions in Annex V aimed at avoiding microbiological hazards
• As a fresh commodity with a significant water content, plastic packaging is critical for reducing water loss and thus maintaining quality and consumer appeal of the product
• To maintain the environmental commitment and to provide safe product to the consumers, IFPA stressed the importance of ensuring access to compostable plastic or compostable composite packaging that is appropriately labeled as to prevent the contamination of the recycling stream
• IFPA also urged regulators to exempt functional produce stickers that are less than a square inch in size from this pending regulation

As a press release outlined, these public comments demonstrate IFPA’s strategy for promoting sustainable packaging for the fresh produce industry while ensuring food safety and quality of the product and reducing food loss and waste along the supply chain.

In addition to advocating for sustainable packaging on behalf of the industry, IFPA leads public-private partnerships aimed at developing technological solutions. Working with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, USDA Foreign Ag Service, Institute for Food Safety and Health at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Sinclair and Wintermute Biomedical, IFPA supports developments of home-compostable PLU stickers and cost-effective tools for sanitizing reusable packaging.

IFPA’s full comments can be viewed on the European Commission website.

As more produce packaging developments come to light, keep clicking on ANUK.

International Fresh Produce Association

LEGRAND, CA - With harvest season kicking off in the Coachella, California, region, Live Oak Farms has announced two-fold growth as it is bolstering its pepper team and the category’s program. Recently, the supplier hired Pete Aiello as Vice President of Pepper Programs and Prescott Leyba as Vice President of Pepper Sales, both of whom will support the sales and marketing of the pepper program that now has longer availability and additional organic production.

“I’m excited to work for a company that takes such pride in its history but has thrived and succeeded for generations because the family recognizes the importance of evolving and changing to meet the challenges of farming and take advantage of new opportunities,” Aiello said.

Aiello has decades of experience, having served as General Manager and Owner of Uesgui Farms, a release explained. With his expertise, he will lead the strategic growth of the organic and conventional pepper programs of the company.

Joining Aiello on the team is Leyba, who most recently was Director of Sales at Country Sweet Produce. There, he marketed both organic bell peppers and sweet potatoes to customers across the United States.

Leyba commented that he is impressed that an important success component has stayed the same over the decades at Live Oak Farms, saying, “They remain a family-owned company with many of the original founding values still in place, and I’m looking forward to being a part of that.”

These hires come as Live Oak Farms is expanding its organic pepper production from LeGrand and Coachella into the Central Coast region in order to extend the California growing season.

“Aiello and Leyba will be integral to executing this expanded program and providing the type of customer service we can be proud of,” Ed Beckman, Chief Operations Officer, commented.

To read more about the expansion, click here.

Congratulations to both leaders on their new roles!

Live Oak Farms

IRVINE, CA - Here in California where the AndNowUKnow team resides, spring has kicked off in full force, and so has California avocado season. As a result of heavy winter rains and early spring showers, an estimated 257 million pounds of California avocados are projected for the season, and to bolster the success of the fruit, the California Avocado Commission (CAC) has announced an in-depth marketing strategy to offer buy-side support.

“California avocado marketing support this season takes all the best from last year’s campaign and strengthens it with new tactics,” said Terry Splane, Vice President of Marketing. “Retailers who merchandise California avocados are enthusiastic about the Commission supporting customized direct-to-consumer promotions designed to boost retailer business.”

To boost fruit sales, the commission is continuing its successful advertising campaign, the best avocados have California in them, according to a release. CAC’s consumer media program will be targeted at avocado shoppers in California and the West who are willing to pay more for premium brands, as well as avocado “super users.” Media plans focus on the best-performing channels and streaming services from 2022 in addition to social media and search advertising.

This year, CAC is putting even more emphasis on these direct-to-retail promotions that support in-store merchandising, demos, social and digital consumer communications, and more. The 2023 season’s consumer media began this month and will continue through July, at least.

To read more about CAC’s marketing strategy, click here.

For more category updates and unique marketing approaches, keep an eye on AndNowUKnow.

California Avocado Commission

SALINAS, CA - A newly created Director role is sparking operational development for Church Brothers Farms. The fresh produce provider recently announced the hiring of Mishalin Modena as its new Director of Sustainability and Corporate Engagement.

Modena has over 16 years of experience in the produce industry, covering both business development and marketing positions. Most recently, she held the title of Senior Business Development Manager at Bunzl USA/Destiny Packaging, where she worked closely with customers and her supply chain to source and develop innovative and sustainable packaging solutions.

According to a press release, Modena will now be responsible for leading the supplier’s Seven Pillar Sustainability Program, which includes:

• Crop Protection and Integrated Pest Management
• Material Management and Waste Reduction
• Ecosystems and Biodiversity
• Water Management and Conservation
• Soil Management and Conservation
• Energy and Emissions
• People and Culture Vitality

As the release noted, this newly created role is critical to minimizing Church Brothers Farms’ overall company carbon footprint and positively impacting both internal and external stakeholders through strategic initiatives.

“Mishalin will be a great addition to our staff, leading our Sustainability efforts. Her years of experience in our industry will allow us to develop more sustainable programs to help Church Brothers, the economy, society, and the environment,” said Steve Church, Chairman at Church Brothers Farms.

Mishalin has a degree in Nutrition from Santa Monica College; she also studied Business Marketing at the University of Montana.

Congratulations to Mishalin Modena on this newly established role!

Church Brothers Farms

LOUIS, MI - A great sadness can be felt across our industry as we mourn the passing of Farrell Cole “Dutch” Gay. Before retiring from the industry in 1997, Gay served as President and Chairman of the Tom Lange Family of Companies, playing an instrumental role in building the company into what it is today.

While attending Coe College for art in 1951 on a scholarship gifted by a member of his church, Gay took a sales position in January 1956 with Standard Fruit and Steamship Company, a major importer of bananas based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Later in the year, he moved to St. Louis as acting Sales Manager for Standard Fruit and remained in that position before joining St. Louis-based Brown and Loe, a press release explained.

In 1960, Tom Lange, Gay, and Paul Beisser purchased the office from the retiring Brown and Loe owners and opened their first Tom Lange Company office. Four years into the venture, Phil “Rock” Gumpert joined the team.

“As a newcomer to the sales side of the business, Dutch and I would talk numerous times every day as he was a mentor to me,” said Rock. “Dutch was not only my boss, but we also became good friends. He was always a gentleman, a person full of kindness, compassion, and empathy for people, but also one with strong business ethics and integrity. Dutch and I had a very special bond. We became more like brothers than just friends. Over the years, he became my best pal. Thanks to my pal, Dutch, for all the great memories.”

In 1980, Gay, Lange, and Gumpert established an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), which was structured into a trust to ensure that no employee would ever have to pay for a share of Tom Lange Company stock; in less than seven years, the company employees were the sole owners of the Tom Lange Company and its subsidiaries.

“Dutch was a wonderful man and mentor, I could always count on him for the background on our business,” commented current Tom Lange President and Chief Executive Officer Greg Reinauer. “It is important that our organization remembers and embraces the dedication and contributions of our founders.”

Gay is survived by his two sons, four grandchildren, one sister, and three great-grandchildren.

We send our deepest condolences to all who had the privilege of knowing this beloved leader.

WASHINGTON, DC - After being in a mega drought for multiple years, California finally got some much-needed rain. However, the onslaught of winter storms caused damage across the country, with California hit one of the hardest. Recently, Congressmen Salud Carbajal (CA-24) and Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) announced they will be leading a group of California lawmakers to create and pass a disaster recovery package. The package, up for the United States House of Representatives review, can aid recovery efforts for California farms and ranches devastated by historic storms earlier this year.

“For nearly three weeks, California was hit with storms that brought intense rain and catastrophic flooding. The historic storms caused tremendous damage to thousands of acres of farms and ranches,” the lawmakers said in a letter to top House leaders and appropriators. “We, therefore, request a disaster recovery package be swiftly put together to allow the rebuilding and recovery process to begin. It is imperative Congress provide much-needed aid to California’s agricultural community to allow for a full and timely recovery.”

Central California Representatives Jim Costa (CA-21) and Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) also joined the call for an emergency supplemental appropriations package.

As noted in the release, California had nine atmospheric rivers—each holding as much water as a hurricane—producing powerful storms that dropped around 32 trillion gallons of water on the state from December 27, 2022, to January 16, 2023.

Carbajal and Panetta represent areas of California that saw more than $500 million in estimated flood and storm damage to agricultural operations in their region, which is the number-one industry in both Congressional districts and in California as a whole. California has more agricultural production than any other state in the union, with nearly 70,000 farms operating on 24.3 million acres.

The request for a disaster recovery package was sent to Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy—who also represents California farmland impacted by recent flooding—as well as Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, House Appropriations Committee Chair Kay Granger, and Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro.

The full letter can be found here.

Stick with ANUK as we cover the latest.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Economic questions, inflation, supply chain issues, and labor shortages have driven much of industry news in recent years, making it clear that buy- and supply-side margins are carving miracles out of madness. Where does control exist, and how can you apply it? According to the Afresh team, the answer lies in the tools managing fresh departments.

An artificial intelligence platform designed specifically to help retailers optimize fresh food management through intelligent recommendations and streamlined ordering and inventory workflows, Afresh offers a technology platform that is purpose-built for fresh rather than adapted to it like some legacy systems. And the AI-powered solutions provider has seen enough success to expand the reach of the control it offers the buy-side.

“We believe tools like Afresh can make a difference for grocers of all sizes. A system that’s purpose-built for fresh food is paradigmatically different from a center-store approach. As a result, we have seen a 20–25 percent increased value on average to our partners—when you think about what that means to a bottom line with typical 1–3 percent net margins, it’s transformative,” Nathan Fenner, President and Co-Founder of Afresh, told me.

In fact, on average, grocers using Afresh have reported shrink reduction by 20–25 percent and sales growth by 3–5 percent, CUB stores have shown 92 percent acceptance of Afresh’s order recommendations, leading to 8.8 percent more efficient teams. This type of impact is why Afresh has now deployed its AI-powered predictive ordering and inventory management solution across 3,000 stores and counting, spanning across the U.S. Now, after six years of solidifying its fresh produce offering, the company is taking its solution to other fresh departments, including meat, seafood, foodservice, and of course, the deli case.

“With tech in grocery, particularly fresh, there are lots of big marketing claims, with even bigger caveats in tiny font. And the results have always failed to live up to the hype. With Afresh, on the other hand, we are demonstrating a consistent, longitudinal, and chainwide decrease in shrink while increasing sales and overall profit. We are now taking the same ethos that has driven that success in the produce department to deli, meat, seafood and more,” Nathan explained.

As an expanding tool, Afresh, sees this evolution in the company’s portfolio as further improving how it serves produce clients and retailers in addition to the new deli-related branches.

“In building our solution for Produce, we needed to handle a variety of different item archetypes—ingredient items and items transformed in the store; random weight items; longer shelf-life, UPC items, etc. As we move into new departments like Meat and Deli, it’s the same fundamental item archetypes—different departments just have different compositions of these item types,” Nathan added. “In Produce, high-velocity, random weight items are key. In Meat and Deli, there is more emphasis on ingredient/in-store transformation and UPC items. Given that, we’ve worked to evolve and improve our approach to these latter two types of items. What’s great is that those improvements will also benefit our existing produce solution.”

The company has realized such success built on a foundational belief: Fresh is a unique business that requires a unique solution. So, while the shift to built-for-fresh or AI-powered technology solutions may sound like a cost to grocers, Nathan assures me that it is an investment that is quick on return.

“Fresh departments are the most strategic for grocers. You can get cereal anywhere; how and what you offer in fresh is a key differentiator. Inventory management software typically built for center store—which is adapted to grocery from industries like auto parts and clothing—unsurprisingly, doesn't fit fresh, whether that is produce or deli,” he punctuates. “A purpose-built solution crafted from the ground up for fresh is so much better than an all-in-one solution. I think we have proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt in our expansive success. Deli is the natural next step to that success.”

With CUB, Fresh Thyme Market, and Heinen's signed on for this latest expansion, with other banners coming soon, AndNowUKnow will soon report the benefits returning to produce departments in turn.

Afresh Technologies

WASHINGTON, DC - A well-known industry luminary has entered a new role, and ANUK could not wait to report on it. It was recently announced that Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN has been named as the new Chief Executive Officer of the International Food Information Council (IFIC), effective May 1.

“While there are many challenges facing the global food system today, I see many opportunities to drive meaningful change and foster innovative solutions that will ultimately benefit the health and well-being of consumers worldwide," said Reinhardt Kapsak. "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to return to my professional roots and serve the dedicated IFIC staff, Board of Trustees, partners, and stakeholder community as CEO. Together, we will advance the food systems dialogue through research and science-based communications, carrying forth the mission of this great organization and forging new paths.”

A press release explained that Reinhardt Kapsak is a visionary leader with extensive experience in food, nutrition, and agriculture business strategies. She is uniquely poised to help IFIC deliver on its mission to effectively communicate science-based information about sustainable food systems, with a focus on food safety and nutrition.

Reinhardt Kapsak previously served for the past five years as President and CEO of the Produce for Better Health Foundation where she led efforts to increase fruit and vegetable consumption through research, thought leadership, public-private partnerships, value chain and influencer connectivity, as well as innovative consumer engagement strategies.

“Wendy’s transformative and results-oriented leadership, coupled with her significant food and nutrition experience in various sectors, make her the ideal candidate to lead IFIC into the future,” said Russell Dyer, IFIC Co-Chair and Chief Communications Officer, Mondelēz International. “The Board is thrilled to welcome Wendy and looks forward to the organization continuing its important work fostering an environment where science informs food decisions.”

Reinhardt Kapsak’s experience also includes leadership positions in the Food, Nutrition & Health Partnerships and Corporate Engagement verticals in what is now collectively known as Bayer Crop Science. She is returning to IFIC after a previous tenure from 2000–2012, including service as Senior Director, Health & Wellness.

Congratulations to our friend Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak on this new position!

International Food Information Council