Retail
Fruitnet’s coverage of key developments in the fresh produce retail arena.
Waitrose and Worldwide Fruit celebrate two decades of Jazz apples
Partners underline commitment to British growers with special promotional campaign to mark variety’s 20 years in UK
Changes at the top for Ahold Delhaize as new CEO is nominated
Thierry Garnier is nominated to serve as president and CEO, succeeding Frans Muller who will retire in April 2027
South African grapefruit growers expand European push
South African growers are scaling their campaign across Europe, entering France and the Netherlands while expanding German operations
Pink Lady collaborates with Dash Water to reach new shoppers
New apple-flavoured sparkling water will launch at Tesco in June, reflecting “wider opportunities” for premium produce to diversify through brand collaborations
Suppliers urged to prepare for SPS changes
Produce businesses are encouraged to sign up for Defra email alerts and engage with trade bodies ahead of new guidance expected to be released this month
Blue Skies receives King’s Award for Enterprise
Prepped fruit specialist recognised for commitment to sustainable business in prestigious royal honours list
Thailand launches coordinated campaign to boost fruit exports
Domestic and international promotions set to raise export value and prevent oversupply during peak harvest season
Aldi expects 20 per cent UK blackberry sales uplift
Sweeter varieties are driving demand among UK blackberry consumers as Aldi prepares to launch 100 per cent British range with suppliers including Driscoll’s
Juice brand spends six figures on first campaign
Juice brand Daily Dose, which buys surplus produce from UK farms, has launched its first advertising campaign across out-of-home, digital and in Waitrose stores as it looks to raise UK brand awareness
JD sets new durian quality benchmark with five-lobe guarantee
Chinese retailer launches new consumer promise to mark the start of the Thai durian season
French plum production stays steady
Forecast broadly similar to last year’s with production in France’s main growing region set to be 10 per cent below average
Superplum provides full supply chain transparency with InstaTrace launch
QR codes on new Superplum packaging reveal comprehensive intelligence reports with eight sections of verified data
‘Switching from plastic to paper packaging can improve shelf life in certain products’
Jeremy Sharp, projects and commercial manager at Produce Packaging, discusses the benefits of carton board and the firm’s recent advances in berry packaging
War ushers in new phase of instability in Iran
Disruptions including temporary port closures and damage to infrastructure have affected the transportation and distribution of fresh produce in Iran
Coming soon: Produce Plus Hort Connections edition
Don’t miss this opportunity to promote your business in our biggest edition of the year at the premier event on Australasia’s fresh produce calendar
Comment: Price isn’t the problem – what consumers are really doing in fresh produce
Consumers become more selective as cost pressures increase
Brits hunt for deals amid Middle East uncertainty
Proportion of spend on promotions stands at 31 per cent as it continues its longstanding rise
Tesco expands Free Fruit & Veg for Schools programme
The UK retailer is doubling the reach of its Free Fruit & Veg for Schools programme to over 1,000 schools, as research shows children missing consumption targets
Price wars and production costs
In the latest Fresh Produce Journal Podcast, Nina Pullman is joined by Michael Barker to debate the pros and cons of the Easter price battle on British veg, and Nina visits tomato producer FlavourFresh
TikTok team up for Thai fruit
Government signs agreement with social media platform to promote fruit sales
Tesco says sunny weather means surge in UK strawberry supply
New-season outdoor crop starts to arrive following positive April conditions, as retailer expects roughly one million punnets in next week
M&S plays its part in innovative surplus food project
Alliance Food Sourcing collaboration hopes to provide 30mn meals a year by 2028
Delhaize switches strategy on potatoes
Belgian retailer reimagines entire range, with shift away from variety-based category merchandising and new focus on usage
Company Shop passes 1bn redistribution milestone
Retail business helps reduce waste and offer affordable groceries to the public
M&S, Ocado and Isle of Wight Tomatoes launch co-branded range
Exclusive varieties and upgraded packaging are part of a new season summer range of tomatoes and peppers with a focus on flavour and discovery
Viscount launches new line of reusable pooling solutions
Nally Folding MegaBin range only pooled bin in Australia to offer six-high stacking
Eating more fruit and veg could cut household food bills
Increasing intake of fruit and veg to five-a-day while cutting back on meat and confectionery could help Brits save £550 a year, new research has found
Unifrutti unveils Sicilian citrus acquisition
The purchase of the Fondaco Nuovo operation, specialising in Tarocco blood oranges, strengthens Unifrutti’s dual-hemisphere supply model
How can the fresh produce business boost demand?
At Freshfel Europe’s annual meeting in Sicily, Fruitnet spoke to four leading industry players for their views on the consumption challenge
AFTPP funding a “strategic catalyst” for US blueberry industry
Grant will help the industry expand its presence in high-growth regions and forge partnerships with importers, distributors and retailers worldwide
Fresh Produce India delivers healthy insights
Strength of the Indian market and growth prospects for both local and international fresh produce companies highlighted across packed programme
Analysis: Significant shift in Korea’s citrus imports reveals new opportunities for brands
Hyojun Kim shares an overview of Korea’s citrus market following a surge in imports of Californian mandarins this year, noting clear lack of brand leadership in the category
Co-op first to switch to homegrown strawberries
For the fourth season running, Co-op says it is the first UK retailer to move to exclusively domestically produced strawberries
Vitacress relaunches Steve’s Leaves salad brand
Baby leaf salad brand has relaunched into Waitrose and Ocado with fresh look focused on outdoor heritage and sustainability credentials
UK Packaging Pact goes beyond plastic
As the issue of waste continues to overwhelm local systems, the UK Packaging Pact aims to transform the whole UK packaging system into a sustainable operation through coordinated action
Afresh secures US$34mn to expand AI grocery platform
Company says platform has reduced shrinkage and boosted sales at retailers including Albertsons, Meijer, and Wakefern