inside...THE PUNDIT LOOKS AT UNITED FRESH’S CONVENTION •NEW JERSEY PRODUCE •CALIFORNIA AND BAJA TOMATOES •SUMMER MERCHANDISING FRESH-CUT FRUIT •GRAPE MERCHANDISING •CHILI PEPPER SALES •DRIED PLUMS •FLORAL COLD CHAIN MANAGEMENT JUNE 2009 • VOL. 25 • NO. 6 • $9.90 INTRODUCING: REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: Phoenix Produce On Parade STORE CHECK: Cincinnati Competition Reader Service # 39 JUNE 2009 • VOL. 25 • NO. 6 40 FEATURES Photo courtesy of Maines Produce Express NEW JERSEY: COVER STORY POISED TO PROVIDE PRODUCE TO EASTERN POPULOUS ...................40 40 UNDER FORTY ..................19 The Garden State offers retailers a wealth of flavorful produce all summer long and beyond. TIME FOR CALIFORNIA AND BAJA TOMATOES .................................48 With stringent food safety standards and new, colorful varieties, COMMENTARY tomatoes grown in California and Baja, Mexico, will be priced to sell. THE FRUITS OF THOUGHT Generic Promotion Program MAKE YOUR SUMMER MERCHANDISING HOT, HOT, HOT...................67 Requires Due Diligence.................8 Focus on holiday and traditions to promote summer’s bounty. RETAIL PERSPECTIVE Food Safety Steps For Locally Grown Produce ................103 DEPARTMENTS EUROPEAN MARKET FRESH CUT MARKETING: New GLOBALGAP Protocols Fresh Growth For Fresh-Cut Fruit? ..........................................................80 Will Have U.S. Stakeholder Input ......104 How are current economic factors influencing sales of fresh-cut fruit? VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY MERCHANDISING REVIEW: Exploring Value: What Does Grape Merchandising — Challenges & Opportunities .......................................88 It Mean To You?......................105 Promotions, pricing and variety are among seven keys to a successful grape season. MERCHANDISING REVIEW: Five Ways To Make Chili Pepper Sales Sizzle ................................................93 Build on growing popularity and utilize creative IN EVERY ISSUE merchandising techniques to heat up chili pepper sales. THE QUIZ ............................4 DRIED FRUIT AND NUTS: WASHINGTON GRAPEVINE ........6 Changing The Image Of Dried Plums .......................................................79 Seeking to shake up its reputation, prunes have reemerged as a hip, healthy snack. PRODUCE WATCH .................10 FLORAL & FOLIAGE MARKETING: RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES ........14 From Field To Vase .......................................................................101 Part I of II: How maintaining the floral cold chain influences profits. COMMENTS AND ANALYSIS ......15 FLORAL WATCH ..................100 BLAST FROM THE PAST .........106 SPECIAL REPORTS REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: PHOENIX PRODUCE ON PARADE ..................52 INFORMATION SHOWCASE .....106 Be it Fresh & Easy, Fry’s, Bashas’, Safeway or any one of Wal-Mart’s three retail operations, each Phoenix area store displays its varying priorities through unique merchandising and signage. STORE CHECK: CINCINNATI COMPETITION .......................................77 Consumers are winners in Cincinnati’s supermarket standoff with supercenters. SPECIAL FEATURES FROM THE PAGES OF THE PERISHABLE PUNDIT Observations From Las Vegas: United Fresh Builds Momentum ................................7 AISLE BY AISLE BOOTH REVIEW PMA Foodservice Conference & Exposition .................................................12 93 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT GEORGIA GROWN PRODUCE IS EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS.....................55 The Georgia Grown program helps farmers and consumers share a bountiful harvest. Change Service requested: POSTMASTER: Send address changes to PRODUCE BUSINESS, P.O. Box 810425, Boca Raton, FL 33481-0425. PRODUCE BUSINESS (ISSN 0886-5663) is published monthly for $58.40 per year by Phoenix Media Network, Inc., P.O. Box 810425, Boca Raton, FL 33481-0425. JUNE 2009 • PRODUCE BUSINESS 3 PRODUCE QUIZ J U N E 20 0 9 • VO L . 25 • NO . 6 THIS MONTH’S WINNER: Bob Van Liew After 42 years in the produce industry, President & Editor-in-Chief • JAMES E. PREVOR Produce Director Bob Van Liew knows a good thing when he [email protected] Associated Wholesaler Inc. sees one. He’s been reading PRODUCE BUSINESS Robesonia, PA Publisher/Editorial Director • KEN WHITACRE since the beginning. “I rely on the publica- [email protected] tion for the yearly, review-type articles, such as the Top Ten Industry Trends. It helps Special Projects Editor • MIRA SLOTT tremendously,” he remarks. “You’re able to [email protected] SPONSORED BY ask yourself, ‘Are we doing this right? What Assistant Editor • AMY SHANNON can we do better?’” [email protected] As produce director for Robesonia, PA- Assistant Editor • JENNIFER LESLIE KRAMER How To Win based Associated Wholesaler Inc., Van Liew [email protected] To win the PRODUCE BUSINESS Quiz, the first deals with a host of independent retailers. Circulation Manager • KELLY ROSKIN thing you have to do is enter. The rules are “Basically, I help them plot and plan whatev- [email protected] simple: Read through the articles and er they want to get into their stores. I’ve advertisements in this issue to find the been with the company for 22 years and Executive Assistant • FRAN GRUSKIN answers. Fill in the blanks corresponding have seen us grow by leaps and bounds. We [email protected] to the questions below, and either cut along are now 12-fold what we used to be.” OBERT WARTKRUIS the dotted line or photocopy the page, and European Bureau Chief • R Z [email protected] send your answers along with a business Van Liew enjoys the excitement of the unexpected within the produce industry. card or company letterhead to the address Production Director • DIANA LEVINE listed on the coupon. The winner will be “Every day is different. We work with Moth- [email protected] chosen by drawing from the responses er Nature, and we can’t control her. We received before the publication of our have to learn to work around her.” Production Leader • JACKIE TUCKER August issue of PRODUCE BUSINESS. The win- As PRODUCE BUSINESS’ quiz winner, Van Production Department ner must agree to submit a color photo to Liew, an avid golfer, will receive a compact FREDDY PULIDO be published in that issue. golf GPS system. JOANNA ARMSTRONG Trade Show Coordinator • JACKIE LOMONTE WIN A CUISINART TOASTER OVEN [email protected] Research shows this toaster oven broiler most accurately maintains interior tem- peratures, resulting in perfectly even cooked food. The oven accommodates a Contributing Editors 12” pizza, has a non-stick coating for easy cleaning and automatic shutoff. MEREDITH AUERBACH, CAROL BAREUTHER, MIKE DUFF, JODEAN ROBBINS, BARBARA ROBISON, JON VANZILE, TRISHA WOOLDRIDGE Advertising QUESTIONS FOR THE JUNE ISSUE ERIC NIEMAN, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER [email protected] 1) When is United Fresh’s Washington Public Policy Conference? __________________________ JENNIFER JORDAN [email protected] SANDY LEE 2) What is the phone number for Layer Saver? __________________________________________ [email protected] BILL MARTIN ____________________________________________________________________________________ [email protected] ELLEN ROSENTHAL 3) What variety of grapes is featured by Sun World now through August? ___________________ [email protected] Floral Department Marketing ____________________________________________________________________________________ E. SHAUNN ALDERMAN [email protected] 4) For how long has Bland Farms been in business? _____________________________________ Marketing Solutions and Integrated Sales ____________________________________________________________________________________ JIM DELEGUARDIA [email protected] 5) Where is Jasmine Vineyards located? ________________________________________________ Send insertion orders, payments, press releases,photos, letters to the editor, etc., to: ____________________________________________________________________________________ PRODUCE BUSINESS P.O. Box 810425 6) How many days does Railex’s delivery take? __________________________________________ Boca Raton, FL 33481-0425 Phone: 561-994-1118 Fax: 561-994-1610 E-mail: [email protected] PRODUCE BUSINESS is published by This issue was: ❏ Personally addressed to me ❏ Addressed to someone else Phoenix Media Network, Inc. James E. Prevor, Chairman of the Board Name __________________________________ Position ____________________________ P.O. Box 810425 Boca Raton, FL 33481-0425 Company ____________________________________________________________________ Phone: 561-994-1118 Fax: 561-994-1610 Entire contents © Copyright 2009 Address ______________________________________________________________________ Phoenix Media Network, Inc. All rights reserved. City__________________________________________________________________________ Printed in the U.S.A. State ____________________________________ Zip _________________________________ Publication Agreement No. 40047928 Phone __________________________________ Fax _________________________________ Photocopies of this form are acceptable. Please send answers to: JUNE QUIZ PRODUCE BUSINESS • P.O. Box 810425 • Boca Raton, FL 33481-0425 4 PRODUCE BUSINESS • JUNE 2009 Reader Service # 62 WASHINGTON GRAPEVINE A report on the inside happenings of government. SUBMITTED BY DAN VACHÉ, VICE PRESIDENT, SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, UNITED FRESH PRODUCE ASSOC. • UNITED FRESH PRODUCE ASSOC. Progress Made On Traceability Initiative