Cart Assistant instantly transforms photos of handwritten lists or screenshots of recipes into a fully populated digital grocery basket, specifically optimized for store availability and a shopper’s favorites... Read More
Some argue that soft openings help stores address problems before the spotlight of the grand opening, but there’s only one real opportunity to showcase things at their best, especially in produce... Read More
By leveraging benefit-led education and celebrity influencers, mushroom suppliers are rebranding both staples and specialty varieties as approachable, everyday ingredients that boost brain health and enhance traditional meat dishes... Read More
Fresh Del Monte recently showed retailers how an AI-powered robot can help inspire produce gift-giving for the holiday as well as every day, based on trials at three Chicago-area Jewel stores... Read More
In Week 2 of “The 30 Different Plants Per Week Challenge, Retail Edition,” simple meal-prep habits and Hy-Vee’s usage-focused produce guidance show how plant variety becomes sustainable when it’s built into foods shoppers already know and love... Read More
Greg Foran brings four decades of global operational expertise to sharpen Kroger’s digital edge and store-level execution... Read More
Most new store openings get fouled up with wasted, neglected product and labor when overzealous orders block coolers, hallways and prep areas. Here are tips for better orders and plan execution... Read More
Backed by double-digit growth and a feature on MarthaStewart.com, Frieda’s Branded Produce says its winter citrus program helps retailers convert health-conscious shoppers into loyal category buyers... Read More
Melissa’s Produce says it is providing retailers with customizable product mixes and marketing tools to engage both core Asian shoppers and curious mainstream consumers... Read More
Certified health coach Hunter Stoler explains how adding more fruits and vegetables can support heart health while remaining affordable and approachable for everyday shoppers... Read More
In the “It’s Not Magic. It’s Mushrooms.” campaign, the Emmy-winning chef headlines the commodity board’s 2026 campaign to keep mushrooms on the mind as the ultimate no-fuss, flavor-packed staple... Read More
For Equifruit, which is marking 20 years in the fair trade banana business this year, the April 5 baseline tariff of 10% the Trump administration imposed on nearly all countries slowed the momentum it had been building in the category for two decades... Read More
Amid a Midwest snowstorm, the 30 Different Plants Per Week Challenge, Retail Edition, begins with a lesson in resilience, highlighting how diverse merchandising and flavor-focused signage can turn a routine grocery run into a hunt for plant variety... Read More
Produce and retail companies like Avocados From Mexico and Instacart are utilizing celebrity endorsements for Super Bowl LX to prove that even grocery staples can be marketed with the same level of spectacle and technological innovation as the world’s biggest tech brands... Read More
Proper and organized signing should be as important as ordering, rotation and sanitation, otherwise it can cost you time, labor hours and sales... Read More
The Traverse City, Mich.-based cooperative of 30 grower-owners around the world has rebranded in what it calls a “transformative move” to underscore the importance of its farmers... Read More
A new clinical study suggests eating the equivalent of one cup of blueberries a day could help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, highlighting the growing link between diet and mental health... Read More
The Packer’s retail editor Jill Dutton launches a new weekly column exploring the science and strategy of the 30-plants challenge, bridging the gap between personal nutrition and professional retail insights. This piece introduces the series and explains the “why” behind writing a column that turns a personal quest to eat more plants into actionable data for the produce industry... Read More
Amazon is shuttering its Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go physical locations to focus resources on a major expansion of Whole Foods Market and its rapidly growing same-day grocery delivery service... Read More
Driven by breakthrough varietal innovations from leaders like Wish Farms and Naturipe, and supported by record-breaking retail data from the California Strawberry Commission, the berry category is entering 2026 as a $500 million growth engine for the produce department... Read More
The Packer recently connected with Danny Dumas, senior vice president of sales, marketing and product management for Fresh Del Monte, to learn how the Florida-based company sees the new food pyramid influencing the fresh produce department at retail and what the company’s pending acquisition of Del Monte assets means for its future. .. Read More
Whatever you do, from store remodels to special orders, first consider how it affects your customers, says columnist Armand Lobato... Read More
The California Strawberry Commission’s 2025 Shopper Playbook shares strategies for retail growth... Read More
Columnist Armand Lobato examines the balance between efforts to prevent waste and fraud and the impact of value-added produce as a practical way to get nutrient-dense food into the hands of those in need... Read More
From the surprising new power shopper to engaging Gen Z and millennials to redefining value in the produce department, The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2026 is packed with data and insights to help drive fruit and vegetable sales — starting with these seven opportunities... Read More
Added By Kara Badder
Added By Martha Noriega
