ALABAMA & SOUTH CAROLINA - Grocery expansion never seems to stop as retail chains across the globe continue to press the gas on growth. Publix is one of the names that’s been circling our expansion radar as of late, recently revealing two new locations in separate states are in the works.

According to AL.com, the grocer has officially announced that it will open a new store in Liberty Park, Alabama, on June 3. Standing at 48,100 square feet, the new store will create 135 new jobs in the community.

“Our customers have been looking forward to having a new Publix in their neighborhood,” Brenda Reid, Community Relations Manager for Publix’s Atlanta Division, said. “Our associates will continue to offer the best shopping experience possible for our customers by following recommended guidelines outlined by the CDC and the State of Alabama.”

In addition to the new Alabama-based store, Publix has also confirmed that a new location is coming to Moncks Corner, South Carolina, according to Live5News.com.

Publix Community Relations Manager Kim Reynolds disclosed to the news source that the company has officially signed a lease for the facility. Although we can confirm that the store will stand at 48,000 square feet, no official opening date was disclosed.

As we continue to circle the newswire for grocery expansions, keep checking in with AndNowUKnow.

Publix

KEENE, NH - Investments come in all shapes and sizes, especially as more retailers and wholesalers look into bettering their communities. C&S Wholesale Grocers recently invested more than $300,000 in supporting a relief initiative against the COVID-19 pandemic. This money will help in the donation of 100,000 KN95 masks to hospitals in hard-hit regions, as well as financial support for food banks and other charitable organizations across the country.

"The coronavirus has devastated lives in communities across the U.S., and C&S stands united in the fight against this pandemic," said Mike Duffy, Chief Executive Officer. "As part of our relief package, C&S is proud to donate 100,000 KN95 masks to hard-hit hospitals in support of those on the front line fighting to save lives. Additionally, we are extending financial support to food banks in communities throughout the U.S. as well as key charitable organizations who are working tirelessly to feed individuals and families who are faced with an economic consequence from this health crisis."

Hospitals and state governments across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, and Massachusetts, will receive allocations from the retailer’s donation of 100,000 KN95 masks. According to a press release, contributions of the personal protective equipment (PPE) will be distributed to: New Jersey – Hackensack University Medical Center and Holy Name Medical Center; Pennsylvania – Lehigh Valley Health Network; California – Valley Medical Center; and in Massachusetts – Massachusetts Emergency Management for as-needed frontline disbursement.

Additionally, C&S will provide financial donations to 22 food banks nationwide, as well as national partners such as Feeding America, First Book, and the United Way Worldwide.

"C&S is a family, and we are committed to taking care of each other. By combining the company's overall national relief initiative with an employee giving campaign, we can positively impact communities nationwide, as well as our valued employees and their families," said Miriam Ort, Chief Human Resources Officer. "As so many people are coming together to support each other, we are thrilled that the C&S family is doing its part to help."

Its overall relief initiatives also include an employee giving campaign, where employees can make need-based donations to C&S colleagues who demonstrate a financial need due to a COVID-19-related crisis.

AndNowUKnow will continue to bring you news of our industry linking arms together, so stay tuned!

C&S Wholesale Grocers

WASHINGTON, DC - The United Fresh Produce Association is offering an exciting new eductation resource, Leading Through Crisis: The Path Forward for the Fresh Produce Industry. Powered by professors from the Cornell University Executive Education team, this digital certificate program is tailored specifically to the fresh produce industry.

Although a separate registration from United Fresh LIVE!, it will still be hosted on the LIVE! platform. For those interested in registering, they can do so here.

Designed for all professionals in the fresh produce industry, this five-part series powered by Cornell University faculty members, covers crucial leadership topics, virtually, during the week of June 15-19. According to a press release, these topics include:

• Values Driven Leadership and Critical Thinking - led by Risa Mish, Professor of Practice and Management, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, Cornell University
• VUCA Leadership (Volatile, Uncertain, Chaotic, and Ambiguous) - led by General George W. Casey, Jr., Senior Lecturer of Management and Organizations, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, Cornell University
• Planning Supply Chains for Resiliency - led by Vishal Gaur, Emerson Professor of Manufacturing Management, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, Cornell University; and Miguel Gomez, Robert G. Tobin Professor of Food Marketing and Director, Cornell Food Industry Management Program, Cornell University
• Communicating Through a Crisis - led by Theomary Karamanis, Senior Lecturer, Management Communication, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, Cornell University
• State of the Industry: A Forecast of the Future - led by Edward W. McLaughlin, Robert G. Tobin Professor of Marketing Emeritus, Director of the Food Executive Program, Cornell Executive Education, Charles Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University

With COVID-19’s unprecedented disruption on the world economy, leadership is more critical than ever before. All attendees will earn a certificate from Cornell University upon completion of the course.

AndNowUKnow will continue to offer you the latest news in innovative industry resources.

United Fresh Produce Association

PHILIPPINES - We recently caught wind that Del Monte Pacific Limited has finalized a deal with SEA Diner Holdings to sell a 12 percent stake in its Philippine subsidiary. Valued at $120 million, the investment company has now officially acquired the stake.

As reported by Global Legal Chronicle, SEA has purchased roughly 335.7 million shares from Del Monte.

The operations acquired focus on the production and sale of food and beverage products in the Philippines. With one of the largest pineapple operations, SEA looks to leverage Del Monte’s divestment to build out the consumer sector in China and Southeast Asia.

You will be hard-pressed to find an industry acquisition that we haven’t covered here at ANUK, so keep a tab open to stay up to date.

Del Monte Pacific Limited

UNITED STATES - Some of fresh produce’s most influential partners are largely aligned with the logistics of buy and supply. With the market’s landscape currently undergoing an unprecedented shift, innovation is top of mind for companies reworking their business models. Enter FarmLink, an innovative new nonprofit that supports fresh produce growers in pivoting their operations, paying for unsold product and distributing it to food banks.

“The main benefit of partnering with FarmLink is what also sets us apart,” began FarmLink Volunteer Theo Velaise. “Unlike other nonprofit hunger-relief organizations, FarmLink compensates farmers for their unsold produce. We use money raised from donors to sponsor these payments. We want farms to see us as their customers for good.”

Another advantage of partnering with FarmLink is its innovative logistics network. Farmers do not need to worry about delivering produce from point A to point B. Once product is loaded onto the trucks, FarmLink will organize delivery and unload the supplies to partner food banks. Collaborating with this company means getting paid for unsold produce that is getting onto the plates of consumers currently facing hunger. For farmers looking to connect with FarmLink today, please click here.

“While it is our mission to find unsold produce and deliver it to food banks, it is equally our aim to purchase this unsold produce so that farmers and their employees still earn revenue for their hard work,” Theo continued. “FarmLink also pays the wages of the truckers delivering our purchased produce from farms to food banks, to support the silent heroes of this supply chain. With the help of our sponsors and donors, FarmLink is fighting hunger while simultaneously securing jobs during this pandemic.”

FarmLink is only a month old, but in this time, the organization has delivered more than 700,000 lbs of food and paid over $70,000 in wages to farm workers and truckers. Alongside Borden Dairy, FarmLink has also planned and organized the delivery of 120,000 gallons of milk to food banks across the country. In one of its latest moves, the organization began distributing fresh food to New York City, recently delivering 40,000 lbs of potatoes to the River Fund NYC. In order to reach its goal of delivering 1,000,000 lbs of food by the end of the month, FarmLink is seeking out recurring deals with growers.

“We are farmers’ customers, taking the financial burden off of them and food banks around the country, while rescuing food and feeding the hungry. FarmLink is a grassroots, student-ran organization, not a hierarchical bureaucracy,” Theo concluded. “Getting a hold of us is as easy as calling your friend, as we are responsive and move quickly. We adapt to each situation and do what we can to get produce into the hands of those who need it most.”

You can also connect with FarmLink via its social media platforms at Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

Our hats are off to the industry innovators at FarmLink and all of the hard-working growers who continue to maintain a healthy and continuous food supply. As more industry partners like this enter the playing field, keep coming back to AndNowUKnow for the latest.

FarmLink

HACKENSACK, NJ - A stellar citrus category at retail is one of the true markers of a produce department’s overall quality and success. With companies like Vision Import Group driving excellence and differentiation into buy-side hands this spring and summer, it appears as if the months ahead are primed for growth. With a strong outlook for the summer months, Tony Mitchell, Vice President of Sales and Business Growth tells me that Vision Import group is presenting new elements across its citrus program to increase value for retailer partners.

“We ship limes from Texas 52 weeks out of the year as well as lemons across our different growing regions as we follow the sun and cultivate a program comprised of the best fruit the industry can find. This year, we made an investment to change our lime bags over to the Mr. Squeeze label to match the aesthetic of our lemon program and build more label continuity across our messaging,” Tony says. “Our Mr. Squeeze label is a brand that consumers can relate to, and we have plans to build this brand on the organic side as well with additional items that consumers can connect with.”

The company’s unique retail bags create valuable opportunities for retailers to set up secondary displays and cross-merchandise with other commodities within their department or throughout the store.

Vision Import Group will be transitioning to the Mr. Squeeze label on limes in early July 2020, so get the conversations started now. The program will be offering an array of packaging options in the company’s lime and lemon retail programs.

“We highly value our retail partners and work closely with them to respond to the demands and nuances that they see in their communities,” Tony says. “We have also expanded our distribution across various shipping points and continue to build excellence with our unfailing partnerships with growers—all while adhering to the highest food safety standards. We pride ourselves on our customer service. Our people have connections and relationships with the customer that make us different from a lot of the larger organizations. We inspect every load upon arrival and throughout the life of the product in our facilities. We are always looking at ways to improve and up our game.”

As we move through summer and into fall, Persian limes are also available and always top of mind as the category is Vision Import Group’s largest offering of its commodities. The conventional and organic Mexican mango season is here to boot, and the quality is outstanding, as Tony shares. The company has begun its Argentinean lemon season to bring the best of the best to the citrus destination and will be available through late July and early August.

“This will place us in a great transition period as the Mexican lemon season will begin in mid-July and go through the end of December. In addition, we will ramp up our Mexican organic lemon and the quality is expected to be very nice as we enter our third season across the category,” Tony adds.

Delivering eye-catching packaging and great flavor is the name of the game come summer, and Vision Import Group has your ticket to success.

Vision Import Group

BAKERSFIELD, CA - Potatoes continue to be a driving category in produce aisles. So much so, industry leaders like Mazzei-Franconi are doubling down to keep pace with demand. With production ramping up, I tapped John Clerou with Mazze-Franconi to gauge how the grower is preparing for the season.

“The market for colored potatoes is pretty strong right now. Most of the storage areas are winding down or finished with their colored potatoes due to the increased retail demand in March and April,” John tells me. “Currently, we are harvesting our new crop of red, yellow, and white potatoes with Johnston Farms in Edison, California.”

Typically, the California potato crop would overlap with storage region productions to start. However, the other growing regions will be finishing up with their colored potatoes earlier and it will provide a seamless transition for Mazzei-Franconi’s new crop potatoes. Thankfully, weather has produced favorable growing conditions, leading to great quality and increased volumes over last season.

“We’re excited to see consistent volume on all three colors this season, with peak volume coming around the first of June,” John continues. “California has some of the earliest new crops of colored potatoes, and there is a demand for fresh red and yellow varieties right now.”

Due to changing consumer habits, Mazzei-Franconi has seen increased demand for its 5- and 10-lb consumer bags. The grower also provides 50-lb cartons, totes, and consumer packs for retail.

With retailers soon to receive a critical category power boost, AndNowUKnow will continue reporting on the latest in our industry.

Mazzei-Franconi

DENVER, CO - Gotham Greens, a Whole Foods partner, announced it will be moving into a new greenhouse in the mountain region of Colorado. The new 30,000-square-foot greenhouse in the Denver metro area will deliver a year-round supply of fresh, local produce to retailers, restaurants, and foodservice customers across seven states in the mountain region. The move comes at a pivotal time as the company rolls out two new lettuce varieties for its partners.

“Given the current pressures on our country's food system, one thing is clear: the importance of strengthening our national food supply through decentralized, regional supply chains,” said Viraj Puri, Co-Founder and CEO. “Our business model has enabled us to remain nimble during these unprecedented times and continue to deliver fresh, locally-grown produce to customers and our communities. Now more than ever, we are committed to delivering high-quality, long-lasting, and nourishing produce to people when it's needed most.”

This new location will be the company’s eighth greenhouse. According to the press release, in addition to its rapid expansion of greenhouse openings across the country, Gotham Greens recently launched its line of fresh salad dressings at Whole Foods Market stores nationwide. The company sells four dressing varieties: Green Goddess, Vegan Goddess, Basil Caesar, and Lemon Basil Vinaigrette.

The greenhouse will deliver a year-round supply of fresh, local produce to grocery retailers across seven states, including Whole Foods Market, Choice Markets, Alfalfa's, and more. This includes two new lettuce varieties: Crispy Green Leaf and Rocky Mountain Crunch. Gotham Greens also will partner with restaurant and foodservice customers in the area as businesses begin to reopen. Gotham Greens' eighth greenhouse brings the Brooklyn, New York-based, privately held company's total annual production to nearly 35 million heads of lettuce and distribution to more than 30 states nationwide.

“Although we never envisioned our Denver greenhouse opening and national salad dressing rollout happening during a global pandemic, we’re proud to be providing people across the country with healthy, fresh food options they can get excited about,” Puri said. “With the rise of cooking at home, we’re seeing consumers get creative and enjoy our dressings in a variety of different ways—as a savory dip, tangy marinate, or freshly tossed with salad greens."

Gotham Greens is creating 30 green jobs in the Denver area. The company’s produce is grown close to its customers using hydroponic systems in 100 percent renewable electricity-powered greenhouses that use 95 percent less water and 97 percent less land than conventional farming. In the future, the greenhouse will serve as an educational resource on the benefits of sustainable indoor farming.

Exciting things are underway for the retail, dressings, and leafy green sectors! For more fresh produce and retail news, keep checking back on ANUK as we bring you the latest.

Gotham Greens

BATAVIA, IL - Curbside pickup has taken the grocery industry by storm, with Hy-Vee and Giant Eagle as just two of the retailers we’ve covered. Now Aldi is joining in on this expansion strategy, recently announcing it will grow its Curbside Grocery Pickup service to offer even more options to shoppers. After a successful pilot in select markets, Curbside Grocery Pickup will be available in nearly 600 Aldi stores across the country by the end of July.

"Our Curbside Grocery Pickup pilot was quickly embraced by our customers and demand for this service has continued to increase. We're pleased to be bringing this service to customers across 35 states over the next several weeks," said Jason Hart, CEO. "We are always looking for ways to make the Aldi shopping experience even more convenient and accessible for everyone. Whether shopping in-store, or online for delivery or pickup, we'll continue to be here to safely serve our customers."

According to a press release, consumers can now access the full selection of Aldi exclusive products and exciting Aldi Finds. Shoppers simply fill their online carts with fresh and affordable products and select a pickup time and location at checkout. Designated parking spots are clearly marked when they arrive at their Aldi and an employee will load groceries into their car.

Curbside Grocery Pickup is the latest addition to e-commerce offerings at Aldi. In 2017, Aldi successfully launched a grocery delivery pilot, which has continuously expanded and now includes the availability of alcohol and many Aldi Finds online. Aldi customers in more than 10,000 ZIP codes nationwide have access to online grocery delivery.

Who will be next to adopt the up-and-coming curbside pickup format? Keep coming back to reports from ANUK to find out.

Aldi

CHARLOTTE, NC - An iconic brand is throwing down the gauntlet in its latest campaign. Dole, the creator of Dole Whip, is challenging the world over to get creative with its soft-serve dessert in a #DIYDoleWhip contest, leading to boundless cross-promotional opportunities at retail.

Dole’s #DIYDoleWhip Contest asks consumers to use the Dole DIY Dole Whip recipe for an original photo post on Dole’s Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter page between May 29 and June 8. As the frozen treat goes through the test kitchen of home chefs, retailers should take note of popular fresh produce categories consumers may be on the hunt for in produce aisles, such as DOLE® Pineapple or DOLE® Bananas.

First created by the Dole Food Company in 1986 to honor its sponsorship of Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland, the Dole Whip has achieved cult-like status with Disney, Dole, and pineapple fans ever since, according to the press release.

The fan submitting the photo of the most creative Dole Whip based on the Dole original, as decided by a panel of Dole judges, will be awarded the Grand Prize of a Vitamix A2500 Ascent Series Blender valued at more than $600. Four additional Whip artisans will receive a Dole Whip-inspired prize pack.

What new creation will be this summer’s go-to recipe to drive category sales? AndNowUKnow will report as the news unfolds.

Dole