So the retailers’ prayers have been answered and the final snowstorm of 2017 (if you can even call it that) is in the books. Unfortunately, that meant that the long-awaited first day of Spring tradition whereby Rita’s offers customers a free Italian ice this year happened amid almost freezing temperatures. The unseasonably cold, cold weather also resulted in the unfortunate news that it looks like the 2017 crop of peaches and blueberries in Georgia has been decimated which will undoubtedly result in higher prices this season. The good news? Baseball season officially begins in a few short weeks!
Leave it to Jeff Brown to turn lemons into lemonade – unsweetened of course – when he opened his 13th store, and second Fresh Grocer, on Monument Road in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Wynnefield Heights. The ribbon cutting on March 2 was attended by many customers and local dignitaries including State Senator Vincent Hughes and State Representative Vanessa Lowery-Brown. Noticeably absent was Philadelphia’s controversial mayor Jim Kenney. He was down the street filming “Inside Story,” a 6abc Sunday morning talk show, taking pot shots at the nation’s most celebrated food desert entrepreneur. Why, you might ask, is the mayor criticizing someone who employs more than 2,000 people in the city of Philadelphia, some of them former drug dealers looking to turn their lives around? Two words: soda tax. To help his customers determine which drinks are taxable and which are not (thereby paying no tax, which infuriates the mayor), Brown has carved out a large section in the front of the new store with huge signs reading “No Philly Beverage Tax on These Items.” This tax-free zone houses everything from water to beverages with all juice to flavored (but not sweetened) seltzer. Taxed beverages are clearly marked in the grocery aisles. The law is rather confusing and providing this section takes the guess work out of beverage shopping. This is a test store, Jeff said. If it works, he will be adding these sections to all of his stores within Philadelphia city limits. As for the rest of the 55,000 square foot store, a former Pathmark, Jeff has tweaked the upscale urban model to fit the diverse neighborhood’s need. For starters, more than 200 new jobs have been created. Brown’s veteran store director Katrina Boler has been tapped to head up the team. She comes from the Fox Street store, also in Philadelphia. The objective, Jeff says, is for the more educated consumer to have the most pleasant shopping experience possible. Bright Farms will deliver harvested produce within 24 hours; there is a large section of organic nuts and spreads as well as an extensive kosher section and a center store enclave for organic and gluten free products. All perishables are behind doors for energy efficiency and there are more than 700 varieties of beer, wine…and sake, don’t forget the sake. The extensively renovated site features six touch screen kiosks for ordering hoagies, a newly merchandised bakery and Brown’s Chef’s Market prepared restaurant quality entrees at affordable prices. Many of the most popular items sold in all of the ShopRites operated by the Brown family, including the mouth-watering store-made sweet potato pie, are also on the menu. “These offerings will support our customer’s efforts towards a healthy lifestyle and at more affordable costs compared to other natural and organic retailers, he said.  Keep up the good work on behalf of your customers!
As we went to press last month, Acme was celebrating the grand reopening of one of its premier stores in Paoli, PA. The renovation is part of the aggressive remodel schedule for 2017 as outlined by Dan Croce last month at both the MAFTO dinner and reinforced at the vendor meeting held in Pennsville, NJ store. In addition to the Acme top brass, Senator Thomas McGarrigle, State Representative Warren Kampf and local community representatives joined store director Mark Davis at the ribbon cutting and the giving of donations to police, fire departments as well as EMS and two local school districts. Of course a signature bench made of recycled materials was donated to Tredyffrin Township Parks and Recreation.
Save the dates November 4-6 as the the Mid Atlantic Food Trades Organization (MAFTO) will honor the Redner family at its 2017 Gala Weekend. The family will be feted in Atlantic City at Resorts International Hotel and Casino. Partying begins at Margaritaville on Friday evening and ends with a buffet breakfast on Sunday morning. Details are forthcoming, but put the gala in AC on your calendar as the place to be this Fall!
The Power Your Lunchbox Pledge by Produce for Kids I wrote about last month encouraged families, classrooms and retail dietitians to be re-inspired in the new year by pledging to eat healthier lunches in 2017. Between January 4 and February 15, a total of 21,394 families, classrooms and shoppers took the pledge to pack a healthier lunchbox allowing 235,334 meals to be provided to families in need through Feeding America and bringing the total Power Your Lunchbox Pledge impact to more than 580,000 meals. “In listening to our audience through social media, we realized there was not just a need for lunchbox inspiration in August and September, but there was also a need to re-inspire families with new lunchbox ideas and tips mid-year,” said Trish James, vice president, Produce for Kids. “We were able to tailor information we were sharing with families based on the season, offering them cold weather healthy lunch ideas and seasonal tips from our registered dietitian, including blog posts about foods to help fight colds and incorporating citrus into your family’s diet.”  Power Your Lunchbox Pledge program partnership opportunities for the 2017 back-to-school timeframe are available for produce and health-conscious brands. Companies interested in participating in the program should email [email protected]. Produce for Kids celebrated its 15th anniversary and milestone of $6 million raised for programs that benefit families and children during a reception earlier this month at the Southeast Produce Council’s annual Southern Exposure. “I had a vision 15 years ago that the produce industry could come together to create a healthier generation,” said John Shuman, president of Produce for Kids. “As we celebrate this anniversary and milestone donation of $6 million raised, it gives me great joy to say each and every program we implement at Produce for Kids has, and always will, have a giving back aspect.” I talk about this group a lot. I believe in what they do and hope that it will continue to turn generations to come on to healthy eating while providing for families who are food insecure.
Saint Joseph’s University’s Academy of Food Marketing (SJU/AFM) presented Chef Robert Irvine, star of The Food Network’s “Restaurant: Impossible” and “Dinner: Impossible,” as host of the 2017 fundraiser for the Food Marketing Educational Foundation. Sponsored by Acme Markets, Origlio and Pepsi among others, the event took place the evening of February 28 at the Fretz Kitchen Showroom at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Attendees from all sectors of the industry spent the evening learning, cooking, eating, and networking. Chef Irvine judged a friendly retail cooking competition between Wakefern, BJ’s, Weis and Kings, with CEO Judy Spires leading her team as head chef. Wakefern was voted the winner, after a blind taste test/ judging by Bob Higgins and Eileen Acello, both with SJU/AFM. Chef Irvine also gave out samples from his new Signature Sidekicks line and posed for endless photos with guests. Cooking demonstrations, participation in wine and beer pairings and delicious hors d’oeuvres were among the offerings throughout the evening. This is the second time Irvine has partnered with Saint Joseph’s to host a fundraiser for the Food Marketing Educational Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports student scholarships. “We hope to raise funds for scholarships for food marketing students along with an awareness of our excellent and unique food marketing program,” says Acello, director of development and recruitment for SJU/AFM. “We want more of the food industry to seek out our students for internships, co-ops and full time positions.” This year’s fundraiser drew over 200 guests, with retailers, consumer packaged goods companies, wholesalers, food brokers, foodies, and of course, fans of Chef Irvine in attendance. It’s a really fun, relaxing evening for all who attend, plus there are many state of the art sample kitchens and appliances to ogle! Speaking of the ambitious food marketing students at SJU, they won top prize at the NGA Student Case Study Challenge for the second year in a row at the NGA show in Las Vegas last month. SJU Professor Dr. Sara Williamson led the group as they put together recommendations for Harp’s Food Markets headquartered in Springdale, AR. Congrats, Hawks. THWND!!
The International Dairy Deli Bakery Association’s (IDDBA) Show and Sell at IDDBA 17 in Anaheim, CA, June 4-6 will reflect fundamental principles of the “Experience Economy,” exposing attendees to interactive and innovative merchandising concepts designed to energize their stores and engage, entertain, and educate their shoppers. Sounds like what we here at Food Trade News do for our readers. The “experience economy,” a term first used in 1998 by authors B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore, is a concept whereby businesses engage customers not only through products and services, but also by adding an experience to shopping occasions, key when trying to attract younger shoppers. This experience focuses on four key factors: entertainment, education, esthetic and escapism. “For more and more consumers, shopping isn’t simply about purchasing products,” said Jeremy Johnson, education director at IDDBA. “It’s about the experiences they encounter and oftentimes actively seek, whether it provides entertainment value, a learning encounter about a specific product or process, or exploring new tastes or flavors for the first time. This new way of engaging with shoppers is the inspiration for many of the concepts and merchandising ideas planned for this year’s Show and Sell.” In the spirit of the experience economy principles, the
2017 Show and Sell—an interactive marketplace of merchandising ideas and retailing concepts—will feature unique foodservice concepts, fresh department display case merchandising ideas, educational messaging, and other ideas that attendees can share with their colleagues and potentially implement in their stores. Additionally, how-to sessions presented by industry leaders and chef experiences will be conducted daily in the Show and Sell workshops. It’s a must see!
We are sending a shout out to Mary Washinko of Acme Markets to get well soon after a recent surgery to fix carpal tunnel. Also on the mend is Jim Burke Sr., Seafood America, from a recent ticker tune-up. Jim is back and better than ever, as was witnessed at the Seafood Show in Boston last week, where he couldn’t sit down for more than a few minutes, that’s how busy the booth was. Seafood America also announced at the show that Tom Dengler, formerly of Dietz & Watson, has joined their team as northeast sales manager. As we head off to the New Jersey Food Council’s (NJFC) Night of Distinction, NJBIZ magazine announced that Linda Doherty, president of NJFC, has been named one of New Jersey’s “Best 50 Women in Business.” As the fifth and longest serving NJFC president in its 48-year history, Linda develops and launches programs and policies designed to continuously strengthen this industry that is so critical to New Jersey’s economy, consumers, and workforce. Her professional focus is on association management, public policy, leadership development, corporate communications, public affairs, and government relations. This year, Linda celebrates her 24th anniversary with the NJFC and 13th anniversary as its president. She has been credited with developing the organization’s Leadership Development program, growing its Student Scholarship and Educational Foundation, bringing more diversity onto the board of directors in leadership positions and sharing her experiences, career insights and advice as a leading female food industry executive. I am honored to call her my friend. You go, girl!
Birthday shout outs for the uncertain month of March go to: Dan Croce, Acme Markets; Bill Sumas, Village Supermarkets; Jeff Brown and Sandy Brown, Brown’s ShopRites; Vince Pagano, McCaffrey’s Markets; Bill Carter, Knauss Foods; Dave Andrews, Kreider Farms; and Bob Unanue, Goya Foods. Buon compleanno a tutti!
Quote of the month: “If you’re born round, you’re not going to die square.” Mario Maggio
Maria can be reached at [email protected].
