Last updated on August 19th, 2024 at 10:41 am
As the back-to-school season begins to take off, so too does the abundance of fresh produce. For consumers, this means a cornucopia of choices at the grocery store. But behind the colorful displays and enticing promotions lies a strategic battle for shelf space and consumer dollars.
This August, produce companies are rolling out innovative campaigns to highlight the best of the season. From time-honored favorites to emerging superfoods, the produce industry is showcasing its diversity and nutritional value. Even independent grocers are getting in on the action, offering locally sourced and specialty items to cater to discerning shoppers and holding events to celebrate specific products.
Acquisitions
In recent news, F&S Fresh Foods, a family-owned and operated fresh food manufacturer, has purchased the fresh-cut produce business, formerly called Renaissance Food Group, from Calavo Growers Inc. More specifically, it has acquired Calavo’s five production facilities in Clackamas, Oregon; Sacramento, California; Riverside, California; Houston, Texas; and Conley, Georgia.
This purchase enables F&S Fresh Foods to reach customers from coast to coast across North America. It plans to build on the innovation capabilities and service orientation of its team and current RFG team members to extend many of F&S’s current product offerings to the production facilities it is acquiring.
GrubMarket has been acquiring companies in bulk as of late and has added a new produce company to its portfolio: Best Oriental Produce, the largest Asian squash provider in the U.S. The company grows and ships more than 46,000 cases of Chinese eggplant each month, moving up to 10 full truckloads a day from Mexico. It is also is also the single largest importer of young coconut from Thailand.
“When I started this business, I never expected it to grow as big as it has become. Today, we are the largest Chinese eggplant grower in the world and likely the largest Asian produce provider nationwide. We have been thoughtful and deliberate about our growth strategy, which has allowed us to optimize for stellar customer service and long-standing customer relationships,” said Ben Charoensuk, owner of Best Oriental Produce.
“As part of the close-knit fresh produce community in Southern California, we have heard amazing things about GrubMarket for many years and were impressed with their track record of acquiring only the best and most reputable companies in the industry. I am excited to combine our dominance in key, high-demand SKUs with GrubMarket’s enormous scale and technology capabilities to help GrubMarket on its journey to being the most impactful food supply chain company in the world.”
After the acquisition, the business will continue to be managed by its current leadership team.
Additionally, Lipman Family Farms has acquired Jones & Church Farms, based in Unicoi, Tennessee.
Jones & Church has been a close partner of Lipman since 1996, when they started buying and marketing their tomatoes after the opening of Custom Pak, Lipman’s repack operations. This partnership became instrumental in Lipman’s seasonal supply in the East, making them the first local growing partner with key customers during the summer months.
“The Jones & Church team has always provided top-quality product and been honorable and sincere partners, offering the best tomatoes in the country between the months of July-October,” said Elyse Lipman, CEO at Lipman Family Farms.
“Now, our companies and families are joining forces. Together as Lipman, we are positioned stronger than ever to provide year-round supply to our customers with an expert team.”
Corn
Tops Friendly Markets is offering customers Amaize Sweet Corn, a rare white sweet corn, through local partnerships with Eden Valley Growers in Eden, New York, and Reeves Farms in Baldwinsville, New York.
[RELATED: Tops Touts Benefits Of Local Produce Partnerships]
Amaize was discovered in 1989 in Idaho by two breeders at Crookham Company, George Crookham and Bruce Hobdey. The pair began working on perfecting the taste and texture of Amaize after experiencing a type of corn with a pop and crunch that differentiated itself from the textures of other corns. Using non-GMO breeding methods, Crookham and Hobdey created Amaize after 23 years and 10,000 variations of testing.
“We’re extremely excited to partner locally and bring this one-of-a-kind sweet corn to our customers,” said Jeff Cady, VP of produce and floral for Tops Friendly Markets. “Our customers always look forward to this time of year and start asking for it by name as we edge into the later summer months.”
Hatch Chiles
Hatch chile season is a popular time of the year, with many grocers and supermarkets looking to stock their shelves with peppers. Exclusively grown in the Hatch Valley in New Mexico, these chiles are prized for their unique flavor, kick and versatility. Their short season and limited availability make them a highly sought-after ingredient by different types of consumers.
Frieda’s began shipping Hatch chiles July 9, offering them in a branded 25-pound case for side-stack displays, and in one-pound and two-pound retail pouches in mild, medium, hot and extra-hot heat levels. With roasting events and in-store promotions historically ending with the arrival of Labor Day, fresh Hatch chiles are available through October. To ensure quality and a reliable supply, Frieda’s collaborates with its certified authentic grower partners throughout the entire season, from the start of the harvest to its conclusion.
During August, United Supermarkets, Albertsons Market, Market Street and Amigos locations across Texas and New Mexico are roasting fresh Hatch chiles on site. Roastings happen at all locations during the first two weekends of Hatch Chile Fest. Traditionally, The United Family roasts more than 500,000 pounds of chiles each year.
Special products will also be available during this time in several different departments. Produce will have fresh peppers, salsa, Hatch guacamole and a variety of fresh cut selections incorporating Hatch chiles. In the market, guests will see several meat selections with special Hatch chile variations. There will also be several ReadyMeals selections featuring the produce.
North Carolina-based Harris Teeter is also joining the Hatch chile promotions, hosting multiple roasting events throughout August as well as featuring Hatch chile-infused items for sale. Harris Teeter’s Hatch chiles are picked, packed and shipped direct from the Hatch Valley in New Mexico, making their way to store shelves within days of harvest.
Some of the products Harris Teeter is offering that infuse Hatch chiles include macaroni and cheese, chicken tenders and wings, tamales, seasoned corn, hummus and cheeses. The grocer will also be featuring chef-prepared items with the peppers such as pub burgers and crab cakes, among others.
Additionally, Stater Bros. Markets will host several Hatch chile roasting events at various stores across California in August. The grocer has partnered with Aramburo Produce, Progressive Produce and Westlake Produce to provide the produce. The last roasting event will take place from 8 a.m.-noon on Aug. 24 at its Beaumont, Grand Terrace and Hesperia locations.
Kiwifruit
Gelson’s has collaborated with Brighter Bites and Zespri Kiwifruit for an in-store promotion. Through Aug. 27, Zespri and Gelson’s will each donate $1 ($2 total) to the national nonprofit Brighter Bites for every one-pound package of Zespri SunGold Kiwi purchased.
The promotion aims to support Brighter Bites’ mission of creating communities of health through fresh food. By purchasing Zespri SunGold Kiwi at any Gelson’s location, shoppers can contribute to a cause that provides fresh produce and nutrition education to children and their families.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Zespri Kiwifruit and Brighter Bites for the second year of this promotion,” said Sean Saenz, VP of fresh foods for Gelson’s. “This initiative aligns with our commitment to offering high-quality products and supporting the health and well-being of our local communities.”
Mango
To celebrate peak mango season, the National Mango Board has launched its mobile experiential activation, “Joy Ride.” This initiative will bring the mango experience to consumers through a mobile mango food truck tour across four U.S. cities including Frisco, Texas; Tallahassee, Florida; Pensacola, Florida; and Oxford, Mississippi.
“Joy Ride” is designed to captivate consumers with on-site activations, a mango snack bar, photo opportunities and a mango mascot. The mobile mango food truck will visit a variety of high-traffic locations, including grocery stores and sporting events, to share the joy of mangos with communities across the country.
The mango food truck kicks off in Frisco on Aug. 24 at Kroger and Aug. 25 at Frisco Roughriders’ minor league baseball team stadium. The tour then heads to Florida, with stops at the Tallahassee Publix on Sept. 1 and Florida State University for the Florida State vs. Boston College football game on Sept. 2. Florida momentum continues with a stop at the Pensacola Publix on Sept. 4. The mango food truck wraps up in Oxford with an on-campus event at Ole Miss on Sept. 6, followed by an Ole Miss vs. Middle Tennessee Game Day experience on Sept. 7.
Onions
The Texas International Produce Association (TIPA) shared that the past onion season was a success. Innovative marketing activities, such as an online social influencer program, sweepstakes, restaurant week promotion and KSAT TV partnership, drew a larger audience empowering people to support local options.
The team also released a cookbook titled “Sweet Flavors of The Lone Star State” A TX1015 Cookbook, highlighting trending recipes and educational facts. The book intends to provide the average shopper the tools to find their inner chef using TX1015 onions.
“On behalf of the Texas Onion Industry, we are very proud of the accomplishments we saw from this year’s campaign,” said Dante Galeazzi, president of the TIPA.
“Texas grows by more than 850 citizens per day, which is a lot of new people to introduce the TX1015 Sweet Onion to. By establishing stronger connections within major Texas and national markets, we continue to increase recognition and consumer preference, putting Texas onions in a great position for next season.”
This work was funded, in whole or in part, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agriculture Marketing Service under the Specialty Crop Block Grant administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture.
Industry Promotions
The International Fresh Produce Association’s Government Relations Team has welcomed Mica Hider as the director of political affairs and action. Hider fills a critical role for the association by leading political advocacy and action among elected officials, IFPA and its members.
“We hear from our members that one of the most important things we can do as an association is to build our influence to advocate and act on behalf of the industry in a way where individuals and companies cannot,” said Rebeckah Adcock, IFPA’s VP of U.S. Government Relations.
“Mica will bring immediate energy to these efforts, focusing on strengthening our political standing, expanding opportunities for members to be engaged in political activity and increasing resources in FreshPAC. She brings years of experience building associations’ political capital, and I am thrilled that she is bringing her talent to the fresh produce and floral industry.”
Hider was most recently at the American Chemistry Council, where she served as the senior director of coalitions and PAC for the largest trade association representing the business of chemistry at global, federal and state levels. She serves on the board of directors for BIPAC and GlobalWIN.
Sweet Potatoes
Bako Sweet is providing retailers with fresh, seasonal merchandising options to entice consumers. The company introduced its grilling merchandising bins to highlight the versatility of sweet potatoes in grilling recipes. These bins are available through Labor Day, providing retailers with an eye-catching, seasonal display that encourages consumers to include sweet potatoes in their summer grilling plans.
“We are incredibly proud of the positive feedback and engagement we’ve received from our recent trade shows,” said Susan Noritake, director of sales at Bako Sweet. “Our commitment to providing innovative, seasonal merchandising options and supporting our retail partners is at the core of our mission.”
