Through a partnership with Fair Food Network and a grant provided by the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), Schnucks is launching Double Up Food Bucks at all 56 of its Missouri stores. The program starts immediately and will run as long as local produce is available. Double Up Food Bucks is a national model for healthy […]
Category: Produce News
The Shelby Report covers the produce industry for grocery retailers nationwide, from fresh fruit and vegetable trends and supplier announcements to merchandising strategies and regional market news. Updated regularly across our five regional editions.
Find all our fresh coverage in Focus on Fresh.
Misfits Help Hy-Vee Save 1M Pounds Of Produce From Landfills
Hy-Vee says it has rescued more than 1 million pounds of produce from landfills, a milestone reached just four months after it began offering an “ugly” produce program. Hy-Vee began offering the Misfits program in nearly all of its grocery stores in January. Ugly produce is cosmetically challenged fruits and vegetables that traditionally would go unsold due to the […]
Hy-Vee Awards $156,000 To Fund Community Gardens
Hy-Vee recently awarded 156 One Step Garden Grants totaling $156,000 to community organizations and Hy-Vee stores as part of the Hy-Vee One Step program. The $1,000 grants will be used to purchase seeds, plants, garden tools and food preservation equipment for community gardens. One Step Garden Grants are given to community gardens that teach those […]
Meeting Supply Chain Sustainability Goals With Reusable Packaging
IFCO, a provider of Reusable Plastic Containers (RPCs) for fresh food packaging, is collaborating with the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) to offer a series of online educational sessions, Just the Facts: How Reusable Assets Can Help Retailers and Growers Achieve their Zero Waste Goals. A session in mid-May focused on the key role shared and […]
Del Monte Fresh Produce Rolls Out Pre-Measured Smoothie Kits
Del Monte Fresh Produce is introducing its Del Monte Smoothie Kit product line. The smoothies are available in a variety of sizes at select locations across North America, in four varieties: • Antioxidant: Strawberries, Red Apples and Blueberries; • Super Fruit: Strawberries, Kiwi, Mangoes and Blueberries; • Energizer: Strawberries, Red Grapes, Carrots, Mangoes, Red Peppers and […]
Giumarra Forecasts Excellent Vidalia Onion Volumes This Spring
Vidalia onion season officially kicks off April 12, according to the Vidalia Onion Committee—and Giumarra Southeast says it is offering promotable volumes of the summer favorite, packaged in the Nature’s Partner brand. Shipments will begin the third week of April and continue through the end of July. “Growing conditions in South Georgia have led to […]
Five Steps To Cut Spoilage And Reduce Losses
by Michael Falck/co-founder and U.S. president, RELEX Solutions Special to The Shelby Report According to a 2016 report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, shrink loss in fresh fruit, vegetables and meat items continues to increase despite advances in food technologies. In the same report, the USDA found that in 2011-12, the average loss estimate […]
SpartanNash Promotes Pahud To COO Of Caito Foods
SpartanNash has promoted Mike Pahud to COO of Caito Foods, effective immediately. Pahud has been serving as Caito’s CFO since joining the company in February 2013. In addition to his current responsibilities of managing finance and information technology for Caito, Pahud will assume responsibility for sales, procurement and operations. He will report directly to Bob Kirch, […]
United Fresh Reveals 25 Retail Produce Manager Award Honorees
Marking its 13th year of recognizing exceptional retail produce managers, the United Fresh Produce Association has revealed the winners of its 2017 Retail Produce Manager Awards. The group of 25 produce managers represents supermarket banners, commissaries and independent retail stores from 14 different states and two Canadian provinces. The winners will be the honored guests at the United […]
Double Up Food Bucks Expands To Lowe’s Grocery Stores In New Mexico
Beginning this spring, New Mexicans who receive federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits can save money when they buy New Mexico-grown fresh fruits and vegetables at several Lowe’s grocery stores in New Mexico. SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, assists one in five people in the state. Double Up Food Bucks, a program of the New […]
SpartanNash Sales Increases Benefit From Holiday Shift
SpartanNash said Wednesday that business gains and the timing of the New Year holiday resulted in fourth quarter sales growing to $1.83 billion from $1.77 billion a year ago. Net sales for the food distribution segment increased to $838.6 million from $773.7 million in the same quarter a year ago. The Grand Rapids, Michigan-based company said the gains […]
The Multicultural Influence Across Grocery’s Perimeter Categories
With the rapid growth of multicultural households in America and their unparalleled influence on the marketplace, there is a strong need for retailers to revise their in-store strategies to include a wider range of fresh food products and flavor profiles that cater to the multicultural consumer set. That’s according to Nielsen, which has released a […]
Top Trends In Fresh Foods For 2017 To Be Revealed At FMI Midwinter This Weekend
Food retailers know the retail landscape is changing, particularly as the store perimeter plays a bigger role in grocery trips, but do they know how to respond to those changes? The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and its Fresh Executive Committee have teamed up with IRI for the second consecutive year to highlight the trends that will have […]
AWG Springfield Division, Suppliers Bring Produce For Kids Campaign To 272 Stores
A year-long healthy eating-focused Produce for Kids campaign with Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) Springfield Division will raise funds for Feeding America programs that benefit families and children within the AWG Springfield footprint. The program, which kicked off this week, offers shoppers healthy meal solutions, registered dietitian-approved recipes and tips. The AWG Springfield Produce for Kids […]
Americans Trend Away From Processed Foods, Opting For Fresh Because Of Health
A new survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers shows that, compared to three years ago, Americans are consuming more fresh products, including fruits, vegetables, meats and cheeses. The nationwide trend away from processed foods is driven by healthier diets and lifestyles, according to data gathered in December 2016 by research firm OpinionWay for Bizerba […]
‘Veg-centric’ Trends To Look Out For This Year
“Vegetable-centric” cooking and dining are on top of most trends lists for 2017, and retailers must be ready to offer a variety of fruits and vegetables to shoppers seeking to add more produce to their plates. That’s according to Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “Vegetable-centric eating is finally mainstream, and it’s paving ways for the future of […]
Taylor Farms Completes Solar Installation At Dallas Facility
Taylor Farms, a leading producer of value-added produce and healthy fresh foods in North America, has completed its latest solar installation at its new prepared fresh foods facility in Dallas, Texas. The 1 MW roof mount array spans nearly four acres with 3,520 panels installed, making it one of the largest commercial solar installations in […]
SpartanNash Grows Produce Capabilities With Caito Buy
SpartanNash is acquiring Caito Foods Service and Blue Ribbon Transport (BRT) for approximately $217.5 million in cash. SpartanNash will acquire Caito’s produce distribution business, fresh cut fruits and vegetables business, its newly constructed Fresh Kitchen facility and the logistics business of BRT. SpartanNash said the acquisitions will enhance its product offerings by expanding into the fast-growing freshly prepared […]
Sprouts Named Pear Retailer Of The Year
On the show floor at PMA Fresh Summit over the weekend, USA Pears presented Sprouts Farmers Markets’ produce warehouse with the 2016 Pear Retailer of the Year Award for its pear category improvements in merchandising performance and sales increase. “On behalf of nearly 1,600 fresh pear growers of Washington and Oregon, we congratulate the Sprouts produce […]
MountainKing Introduces Holiday Gold Rush Promotion
With year-over-year sales of yellow traditional potatoes up sharply, Houston, Texas-based MountainKing Potatoes is looking to maintain the positive momentum by rolling out its Holiday Gold Rush promotion for 2016 featuring three of its freshly harvested gold varieties. MountainKing’s Holiday Gold Rush promotion features the company’s 3-lb. Buttery Bite Golds, 3-lb. Steakhouse Golds and its […]
