Greetings everyone and welcome to our annual Food Trade News Market Study issue. First and foremost, I hope this finds you all in good health and well and anxious to get back to a sense of normalcy. The pages of this issue which you will be referencing throughout the year have taken a few months of work to assemble. While this report has always been an undertaking of Herculean standards, this year threw a few more than the usual obstacles in our path. Thatâs what a global pandemic mixed in with a little social unrest will do. However, we forged on and with the help of some key personnel in the industry and mostly our crackerjack staff of Terri Maloney, Beth Pripstein, Maria Maggio, Karen Fernandez and fearless leader Jeff Metzger, we have assembled what I believe is the most accurate and unmatched source of data for the Northeast in the retail food industry, bar none. Enjoy the issue and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments.
Big shout out and congratulations to Joe Fantozzi of Allegiance Retail Services. Joe was recently named VP/CFO after previously serving as VP-customer development at Allegiance Retail Services. Many know Joe from his previous position at White Rose Foods where he served as president and COO. He succeeds Gene Fradella, who has accepted a position with Saker ShopRite.
Unfortunately, we have a couple of deaths in the industry to let you know about. Dilio âDelâ DiPasquale passed away on May 28 at the age of 89. Del originally started in the food business when he owned the Bergen Pork Store in North Bergen, NJ before transitioning into the wholesale meat business (DB Brown, Crescent Food Sales) where he stayed for the rest of his career. He was recently consulting for Fancy Foods, Inc. in the Bronx. Del is survived by wife of 68 years Patricia, daughters Jill and Pam, two grandsons and a large extended family. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date and the family asks that any contributions in his name be made to St. Jude Childrenâs Research Hospital. May his soul rest in peace.
And also, Tony Ruccio, retired from Kings Food Markets and McCaffreyâs Markets, passed away at the end of May at the age of 76. Tony was the director of seafood sales/merchandising at Kings where he worked for 32 years and joined McCaffreyâs after retiring from Kings where he served as director of seafood. Tony is survived by his wife of 48 years, Patti, who is also a retiree of Kings. In addition, he leaves behind a son and daughter-in-law, two daughters, a son-in-law and three grandchildren. Any donations made in his memory can go to the Childrenâs Tumor Foundation at www.ctf.org. May he rest in peace.
Congratulations to Wakefern Food Corp. and their own brand Bowl & Basket, as the specialty kettle chips product in that line won the best of show in the recent Vertex 2020 Awards. The Vertex Awards are a global competition devoted exclusively to private label package design and this yearâs competition included more than 400 entries from 27 countries and 49 retailers.
Wakefern commented, âAs we embarked upon re-imagining all aspects of our private brand portfolio, we knew our food brand needed to be extra special and memorable. It needed to move from blending in to standing out. Our banners were already well known pillars of their communities, and our new brand needed to reflect that sense of community and of sharing. Bowl & Basket is food that brings people together and creates memories for our shoppers and their families. It is a brand that celebrates the diversity and deliciousness of all our products, the care that went into making them, and their ability to bring people together.â
Angel Liu, CEO of Crispy Greens, reached out to the food industry at large (and us) and offered this commentary on the recent social unrest.
âThe events happening in the last week sadden me greatly in many respects. I felt that a part of my humanity was ripped out of me when I watched George Floydâs arrest video. I thought that I would only have to see a human being treating another human being like that in wars or in Hollywood movies⊠Witnessing it live, on the streets of America, shook me to my core.
âI had a dark and uneasy feeling that the reactions to George Floydâs killing would be raw and there would be massive protests in the country. If the situation was not handled properly, it could go bad and become chaotic because there was already so much pent up anger, frustration and despair caused by the COVID pandemic. But the scenes of the riots and destruction were a lot more than I could have imagined. Especially seeing businesses, many of them small shops, being burned to the ground broke my heart.
âAs a small business owner, I know the blood, sweat and tears that go into building a business. For many small business owners, their stores/shops/restaurants are their livelihood and the most valuable assets they own. To watch their livesâ work, their dreams and their livelihood being destroyed by angry mobs has got to be the one of the most heart wrenching things that anyone could experience. I feel the pain out there. I also feel worried and helpless.
âSome of our younger staff members gave me an idea â we can channel the negative energy into something positive, no matter how small! We need to take action.
âAs a company, we believe in Using Food As a Force for Good! To start, we are offering up to three months free-fill inventory of our products to affected retailers. If you own an independent business that sells snack products and your store was destroyed or damaged, please contact us at [email protected], with your resale certificate and we will assist with the free-fill.
âIn addition, we have donated to the Lift Fund to help lift other small businesses impacted by the recent tragic events. I encourage others to do the same. No amount is too small.
âI know that there will be a long way ahead before we will recover from the recent crises. Amidst all the challenges, if we could act kinder and more respectful towards each other and be more empathetic, we will heal quicker as a community and as a nation.
âHope you are well and safe!â Well stated, Angel, and best wishes.
The pandemic has really made retailers look into the challenges of their operations and the âhow toâ on many different fronts. One of those many challenges is at checkout. The team at DUMAC and NCR has a detailed and extensive report on self-checkouts and why it is critical to your business. For more information you can contact Sean Walsh at DUMAC at [email protected] and he will be happy to share.
Congrats to Bill Lynch, who has been appointed the interim president of the Specialty Food Association (SFA) by the SFAâs board of directors. Lynch, who has 20 years of experience with the association, will take over the leadership position as the contract expires for the current president, Phil Kafarakis. Kafarakis will assist Lynch over the coming month to take over leadership duties. Lynch joined the SFA in 1999 as operations manager for the Fancy Food shows. Since then, he held several roles before being named vice president of engagement & experience.
Good job by the folks at Riviana Rice as they donated more than 22,000 bags of product to
frontline firefighters in the Bronx. Riviana Foods Inc., donated the rice to Bronx firefighters and their families as they worked with people dealing with the coronavirus. The product donation included 4,500 cases of Carolina Rice and Grains Blend and served more than 200 firefighters from 15 firehouses in the region. In addition to the product donations, Riviana created and presented each firehouse a gift basket featuring cooking supplies, recipe cards, and thank you notes to share their gratitude for the first responders. The donation was called the âCarolina Rice Unitesâ initiative.
John Saidnawey, chairman and CEO of JOH was recently a featured speaker at his alma mater, Questrom School of Business, Boston University. The topic of discussion was “Shifting Priorities in the World of CPG” and during the forum, John was able to share his insights on various items, including the value of collaboration between clients and customers in order to help navigate our brands to win at the shelf. In his unique and engaging style, John connected with his audience on âhow it is easy to navigate in calm waters, but is most proud when JOH and our industry âhunkers down and finds a wayâ to figure it out in tough times. Itâs not easy, it requires focus and builds character. Itâs part of our DNA.â Well said, Mr. Saidnawey,
Anyone looking for some decorative and customized sneeze guards, floor designs or anything related to assisting your store or office environment during this pandemic, you should consider giving Juan Carlos Lopez a call at NEMA Associates. He has a terrific grasp of the retail industry and some really unique items. You can reach him at 908.275.3840 or www.nemadesign.com.
Kudos to Stop & Shop as their 30th annual Food for Friends campaign raised more than $1.3 million to support the COVID-19 response efforts of 13 regional food banks in the Northeast. Stop & Shopâs Food for Friends is an annual summer donation program in which customers at Stop & Shop stores throughout New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island are able to donate at checkout to support hunger relief. To help its food bank partners in this time of unprecedented need, Stop & Shop shifted the timeframe of the campaign to run throughout the month of May. Customers using self-checkout registers were asked if they would like to round up their total to the nearest dollar, and Stop & Shop donated 100 percent of the change to regional food banks across its footprint. âWeâre very grateful for the overwhelming generosity of our customers to help us support our food bank partners in their important work to provide food to individuals and families during this pandemic,â said Gordon Reid, president of Stop & Shop, a division of Ahold Delhaize USA. âThe response from our customers shows that any size contribution can add up to make a meaningful impact in our communities.â Back in March during the initial outbreak of the coronavirus, Stop & Shop had announced a $1 million donation to support regional food bank partners as they help those struggling with immediate hunger needs and food insecurity during the pandemic. Great job!
Well, that will do it for this month. Enjoy the Market Study issue. Hopefully you will find it helpful with your endeavors. Above all, stay well, stay healthy and I do hope to see you soon!
You can reach me at [email protected] or 201.250.2217.
