UNITED STATES - Promotions may be in order for the quality cauliflower coming out of Mexico, the Salinas Valley, and Santa Maria, California. Demand is trending moderate at the moment, but that may be subject to change if some promotional magic gets underway.

Prices from the Los Angeles Terminal Market coincided with a steady market.

They are as follows:

• 12s 17.00-18.00 fair appearance 14.50-15.50
• 16s 17.00-18.00 fair appearance 14.50-15.50 crates
• MEXICO 33.00-36.00 mostly 34.00-35.00

According to The Source, the market is expected to remain steady heading into next week.

Keep checking back with AndNowUKnow for more on fresh produce!

WENATCHEE, WA - Calling all cherry lovers: Kyle’s Pick® cherries will return during Stemilt’s Washington cherry season and are backed by a new selective quality control process. Developed through a multi-stage research and development (R&D) and quality control program, Kyle’s Pick represents the peak of cherry excellence, delivering fruit that meets ultra-premium standards for size, firmness, color, and flavor. Each cherry pack is designed to captivate high-end shoppers and drive sales with a top-tier eating experience. Learn more about Kyle’s Pick in the video below.

Kyle’s Pick is named after 4th generation cherry grower, Kyle Mathison, and honors the high standards he has for cherries, and the qualities he aims to grow at his own Stemilt Hill orchards in Washington State. He seeks to grow cherries that build memory and trust with shoppers. Memory comes from biting into a cherry that explodes with flavor, and trust is built by delivering on that experience every time a shopper chooses Kyle’s Pick.

“We’re looking at various characteristics of cherries to offer the finest fruit of the season,” said Brianna Shales, Stemilt’s Marketing Director, in a recent press release. “Every day, our R&D and field teams will evaluate orchard lots that have the potential to produce cherries for the Kyle’s Pick program. Don’t worry if you don’t see Kyle’s Pick available some days, it just means the fruit didn’t meet the quality we expect for this pack. It’s all part of keeping the bar high.”

The selection process begins during the weeks leading up to harvest, when data is collected from the orchards that show premium potential. Each lot will undergo a rigorous quantitative analysis driven by our R&D and field teams. The final score of the cherries is determined in part by Dr. Rob Blakey, Director of Research and Development, who leads the final tasting panel.

“Before a cherry is packed under the Kyle’s Pick label, it must earn a 90 or higher on our proprietary scoring system, which we call our ‘pickiest certification process,” added Shales. “Only those cherries that excel in both texture and flavor are selected for Kyle’s Pick. With new science, and a passion for growing some of the greatest-eating fruit of the season still in our pockets, we strive to help retailers win at the point of sale with this season’s Kyle’s Pick premium cherries!”

Kyle’s Pick has been a trusted name since 2013, rebranded in 2023 to stand out as an ultra-premium cherry pack. With stricter quality scoring and season-long availability, it helps retailers reach flavor-focused shoppers willing to pay for top-tier fruit. Kyle’s Pick will be available in 1 lb. top seal, clamshells, and a premium box for building high-impact displays.

PROVIDENCE, RI - United Natural Foods, Inc. reported financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2025 (13 weeks) ended May 3, 2025.

Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Performance (comparisons to third quarter fiscal 2024)

• Net sales increased 7.5% to $8.1 billion
• Net loss of $(7) million; Loss per diluted share (EPS) of $(0.12)
• Adjusted EBITDA increased 20.8% to $157 million
• Adjusted EPS increased to $0.44

Recent Financial and Operational Summary

• Continued focus on stakeholder value creation and lean management delivered 20.8% Adjusted EBITDA growth and approximately $70 million free cash flow improvement compared to the prior year quarter
• Net debt to Adjusted EBITDA ratio declined to 3.3x, lowest in past two fiscal years
• Solid new business wins and operational execution continuing to drive high confidence in multi-year strategy
• Continued to add profitable new business while rationalizing unprofitable business
• Realignment of wholesale business producing customer and supplier benefits
• Lean daily management now implemented in 20 out of 52 distribution centers; creating safety, quality, delivery, and cost benefits

“During the third quarter, our customers helped us deliver another solid quarter of sales growth and our seventh consecutive quarter of sequentially improving Adjusted EBITDA. I’m pleased that our focus on becoming a more efficient and effective value-adding partner for our customers and suppliers is leading to steady margin improvement, including a higher year-over-year adjusted EBITDA margin rate and increased free cash flow,” said Sandy Douglas, UNFI’s CEO, in the recent release.

“In the near term, we are focused on diligently managing through the cyber incident we announced yesterday to rapidly and safely restore our capabilities, while helping our customers with short-term solutions wherever possible.”

View the full report here.

IDAHO FALLS, ID - In today’s dynamic retail environment, a one-time data deep dive may help prepare for an upcoming line review, but it will not deliver the full picture. Category Partners, a trusted strategic ally in fresh foods, is encouraging companies to move beyond ad-hoc analysis and commit to ongoing insight-driven strategies that drive long-term growth.

“Data is like a compass in the wilderness,” said Tom Barnes, President and CEO of Category Partners, in a recent press release. “It can point you in the right direction, but if you only check it once, you're likely to lose your way. The companies that succeed are the ones who keep checking their position, learning from the terrain, and adjusting as they go.”

Retailers expect more from their supplier partners. The pressure to justify space, optimize pricing, and demonstrate performance year-round means one report is no longer enough. Category Partners works alongside clients to turn data into a regular practice, building habits that lead to better decisions and stronger retail relationships.

Their Promotion Effectiveness Analysis tool, for instance, pinpoints what truly drives sales by continuously evaluating promotional performance. A recent analysis uncovered a single product segment delivering maximum unit lift and ROI at a key retail partner. This critical insight, invisible in a one-time report, became the cornerstone of a successful broader promotional strategy.

Their Price Elasticity modeling adds another layer of strategic clarity. Understanding price sensitivity by category, season, and competitive items, clients can plan how price changes will impact volume and revenue. Whether adjusting pricing during a tight supply window or anticipating a competitor’s move, ongoing data use leads to better outcomes.

For their partners drowning in a sea of disconnected data, they provide a direct path to clarity. Through their proprietary analytics platform, they handle the heavy lifting of ingesting, cleaning, and homogenizing complex information from all data sources. The result is a constant stream of sharp insights and clear visuals, equipping their partners to consistently provide the trusted, unbiased guidance that forges more strategic and successful retail partnerships.

Category Partners combines industry knowledge with a hands-on partnership model. Like an experienced guide in unfamiliar terrain, they help clients navigate challenges, uncover new opportunities, and grow stronger with every step.

Because the best category strategies are not about reaching a destination. They are about building successful, long-lasting programs through category management and ongoing relationships where data guides both supplier and retailer along their journey together. Set up a call with the Category Partners team today to explore how ongoing insights can help your business lead the way. To learn more about Category Partners, visit their website at www.categorypartners.com.

NOGALES, AZ - A recent weather event in Mexico posed challenges to table grape growers, but Divine Flavor is now well-positioned to bring premium product to the market. Carlos Bon, Vice President of Sales, shared some insights with me as we enter the second half of the season.

“Tropical Storm Alvin was the first of the year, hitting early and taking an unusual path. We were impacted by the remaining effects after the storm, which encountered a cold front coming from the north. Although Alvin brought less than an inch of rain in some areas, it affected our crops grown in the desert, especially the Flame seedless, a red grape variety less resistant to humidity,” Carlos told me. “However, things have changed in the past couple of weeks, and we are now in an excellent position as we approach the second half of the season.”

As Carlos explained, Divine Flavor is now getting into the later varieties that were at a very immature state at the time that the rain hit. He said the more immature they are, the less effect they have from an event like this. So, going forward, Divine Flavor’s late-season varieties are primed for the shelf.

“Now, not only are we going into much better conditions and quality because of the rain effects, but we're also going into the varieties that are better in flavor,” Carlos relayed. “We're talking about Sweet Globe™, Timpson™, Sweet Celebration™, Ruby Rush®, and the specialty grapes like Cotton Candy™, Gummyberries™, and Jelly Berries™. We call it the most wonderful time of the year here at Divine Flavor, and it's coming at a perfect time because there is a lot of demand.”

Carlos added that the table grape pipeline is pretty empty right now due to the impacts of Alvin, so consumers will be ready for an influx of high-quality grapes. Divine Flavor is starting small, shipping this weekend, but next week supplies will come online more significantly. Those numbers will keep growing as the supplier goes later into the month of June, shipping until approximately July 22.

“Nature is always the main variable in determining whether we have a good crop. This year, in particular, is a very good year for these late varieties regarding our most important objective: high flavor. Yes, this comes with Mother Nature, but also with patience, because even a very good grape can be screwed up by harvesting too early,” Carlos elaborated. “Mother Nature has played its part in allowing us to have great quality, and now it's up to us, even with the pressure from the market to go in and harvest because of the need for grapes, we have to hold ourselves back and wait until the variety is showing its max potential flavor.”

Depending on the variety, Carlos noted, there's a point where the brix gets high enough that it "breaks the acid," and that's the sweet spot. Right now, Divine Flavor has enough brix for some varieties to meet the specifications of any customer in the United States and Canada, but the supplier is dead-set on exceeding expectations.

“We're only one brix away on some varieties— at .33 brix a day, we're just three days away, so we’re asking retailers to bear with us,” Carlos said on a final note.

There is plenty more to explore within Divine Flavor’s table grape program, so stay tuned for our next report.