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The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), charged with promoting consumer rights, sued to block what could be the largest supermarket merger in U.S. history. A merger of Kroger and Albertsons, the FTC said, would lead to higher prices, store closures, and job losses.
The $25-billion deal, announced in November 2022, has seen opposition from the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, as well as multiple senators and attorneys general. The FTC suit is one of the merger’s greatest challenges so far.
“Kroger’s acquisition of Albertsons would lead to additional grocery price hikes for everyday goods, further exacerbating the financial strain consumers across the country face today,” said Henry Liu, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, in a public statement.
“Essential grocery store workers would also suffer under this deal, facing the threat of their wages dwindling, benefits diminishing, and their working conditions deteriorating.”
As part of the merger plans, the companies intend to divest 413 stores, eight distribution centers, and five private label brands to C&S Wholesale Grocers. The FTC suit has deemed the measures “inadequate”.
“The combined Kroger and Albertsons would have more leverage to impose subpar terms on union grocery workers that slow improvements to wages, worsen benefits, and potentially degrade working conditions,” an FTC statement said.
Kroger responded Monday, stating it would challenge the suit in court and stand behind the merger. Kroger said it would not negatively impact grocery competition and would result in lower prices for consumers and more investments in employee wages.
Mushrooms are considered a superfood by some.
Highline Mushrooms of Leamington, Ontario considers mushrooms to be a superfood, packed with vitamins and minerals.
Research shows that mushrooms:
- Decrease the risk of cancer.
- Lower sodium intake.
- Promote lower cholesterol.
- Protect brain health.
- Provide a source of vitamin D.
- Stimulate a healthier gut.
- Support a healthy immune system.
The company notes mushrooms are a natural meat extender or substitute.
Instead of eating processed meat alternatives, diners can choose healthy mushrooms, which have a meaty texture and umami flavor.
The company notes eating meat can be reduced or replaced by adding mushrooms to recipes. Chefs can use half the amount of ground beef in tacos and add diced mushrooms, which reduces the cost, increases the nutritional value and adds to the flavor.
At Monterey Mushrooms Inc., of Watsonville, CA mushrooms are recognized as a more important part of a balanced, nutritious diet that is high in vitamin D and has numerous cancer-fighting properties, [three times] the vitamin D of fortified milk and more selenium than any other fruit or vegetable.
Zespri, the New Zealand kiwifruit shipping giant, reports the 2024 kiwi season has the potential to be a year of strong growth across all kiwifruit offerings this year. The company is expecting to export about 193 million trays of kiwifruit to markets around the world.
While still early in the season, Zespri’s latest supply estimate reflects the positive growing conditions seen across New Zealand in recent months. This season’s crop will significantly increase the 133 million New Zealand trays shipped last season and up on the 175 million trays shipped in 2021.
“It’s been a far more settled growing environment compared to the last couple of seasons when growers were facing several challenges, including the impact of COVID-19, the significant labor shortage in 2022, and the many climatic events that New Zealand experienced in 2023,” Zespri reports.
“While it’s still early, the crop looks excellent and there’s a lot of excitement and optimism in the industry.
The company notes managing the increased volume of fruit throughout the supply chain and delivering consistently good quality fruit was the key consideration in the industry’s season planning process.
Zespri was closely monitoring the disruption to international shipping though Zespri was not affected by the disruption in the Red Sea, instead shipping via the Panama Canal.
MODESTO, CA — A new study found that eating almonds reduced some feelings of muscle soreness during exercise recovery which translated to improved muscle performance during a vertical jump challenge. These results expand on prior research1 which looked at how almonds affect muscle recovery after exercise.
In the research study2, published in Frontiers in Nutrition and funded by the Almond Board of California, 25 mildly overweight middle-aged men and women performed a 30-minute downhill treadmill run test after eight weeks of consuming 57 g (two ounces) of whole raw almonds daily. The control group ate a calorie-matched (86 g/three ounces) snack of unsalted pretzels. The treadmill test was designed to cause muscle damage to see how almonds affected muscle recovery.
Researchers measured participants’ muscle function; blood markers of muscle damage and inflammation; and perceived muscle soreness using a visual scale, before, during and at three timepoints after the treadmill test. They also measured markers of cardiometabolic health, body composition, and psycho-social assessments of mood, appetite, and well-being at baseline and after eight weeks of almond snacking.
The results: Study participants who ate almonds experienced an almost 25 percent reduction in muscle soreness when performing an explosive power exercise (a vertical jump challenge) over the cumulative 72-hour exercise recovery period. The perceived reduction in soreness translated to better muscle performance during the vertical jump challenge in the almond group versus the control. No significant differences were observed in measures of cardiometabolic health, muscle damage/inflammation, mood state, or appetite for the almond group or the control group.
This study included non-smoking participants who were mildly overweight and occasionally physically active but were not trained athletes. A limitation of this study is that the results are not generalizable to populations with other demographic and health characteristics.
“Our study suggests that snacking on almonds can be recommended to occasional exercisers as a go-to food to help fitness recovery after strenuous exercise,” said Dr. Oliver C. Witard, Senior Lecturer in Exercise Metabolism and Nutrition at Kings College London. “Almonds are naturally nutritious with protein, good fats and the antioxidant vitamin E. They can be considered an ideal food for fitness.” One serving of almonds (28 g) has 4 g of plant protein, 13 g of good unsaturated fat and only 1 g of saturated fat.
Dr. Witard’s study joins previous research which examined how regular almond snacking affected exercise recovery for healthy adults who exercise occasionally.
“Sticking to an exercise routine is not easy, so finding dietary strategies to help people be – and stay – physically active is important for public health. Our preliminary findings are encouraging in showing that almond snacking may promote adherence to new training programs among people who are unaccustomed to exercise,” said Witard.
One ounce (28 g) of almonds provides 4 g of fiber and 15 essential nutrients, including 77 mg magnesium (18.3% DV), 210 mg potassium (4% DV), and 7.27 mg vitamin E (50% DV), making them a great snack for healthy active lifestyles.
Study Findings At-a-Glance
Daily almond snacking alleviates perceived muscle soreness and improves muscle performance
- 25 mildly overweight middle-aged, physically active but untrained men and women performed a 30-minute downhill treadmill run test after eight-weeks of consuming either 57 g/day (two ounces) of whole raw almonds or a calorie-matched (86 g/day) carb snack of unsalted pretzels (control).
- Researchers measured participants’ perceived muscle soreness, muscle function (measured via a muscle contraction test and a vertical jump physical task) and blood markers of muscle damage/inflammation (creatine kinase and c-reactive protein) before and at 3 timepoints (24, 48 and 72 hours) after the treadmill run.
- Over the cumulative 72-hour period after the downhill treadmill run, muscle soreness measured during the vertical jump physical task (an explosive power exercise) was reduced by ~24% in the almond group versus the control, which translated to an improvement in vertical jump performance during exercise recovery. No significant differences were observed in measures of muscle soreness and performance during the muscle contraction tests.
- Researchers also measured markers of cardiometabolic health (total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol), body composition and psycho-social assessments of mood, appetite and well-being at baseline and after 8 weeks of almond snacking. No significant differences were observed in measures of cardiometabolic health, muscle damage/inflammation, mood state, or appetite for the almond group or the control group.
Study Conclusion: Snacking on almonds for eight weeks reduced perceived feelings of muscle soreness during recovery from muscle-damaging exercise, resulting in better maintenance of muscle functional capacity. This study suggests that almonds are a functional food snack to improve exercise tolerance in mildly overweight, middle-aged adults.
ABOUT THE ALMOND BOARD OF CALIFORNIA
California almonds make life better by what we grow and how we grow. The Almond Board of California promotes natural, wholesome and quality almonds through leadership in strategic market development, innovative research, and accelerated adoption of industry best practices on behalf of the more than 7,600 almond farmers and processors in California, most of whom are multi-generational family operations. Established in 1950 and based in Modesto, California, the Almond Board of California is a non-profit organization that administers a grower-enacted Federal Marketing Order under the supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture.
A 12 percent increase in volume for New Zealand Apples and Pears (NZAPI) is forecast this year over the 2022, a rebound from 2023, which suffered significant damage due to Cyclone Gabrielle.
The publication Fuitnet estimates exports will total 21.2 million boxes (18 kg tray equivalent), 382,000 tons. Excellent size, color, eating, and flavor are expected.
Fuitnet also is projecting a higher dry matter content, allowing for better storage of the fruit.
Sunkist Growers of Valencia, CA is shipping a good volume supply of its year-round conventional and organic citrus in the winter months. It also is shipping specialty citrus during the winter.
These range from The Pink Orange, to the seedless sweetness and pink cara cara orange variety, blood oranges, and vitamin B9 rich minneola tangelos.
Sunkist also is shipping the more traditional navel oranges, lemons, California mandarins, grapefruit and organics.
Winter is the peak shipping season for Sunkist
This included a strong start to the California desert grapefruit category and increased volume in lemons.
Sunkist is generally recognized as the longest-standing fresh citrus cooperative in the nation.
During 2023, Peruvian mandarin exports totaled 33,878,377 kilos for a FOB value of US$35,847,910. The figures are relatively similar to the 33,563,070 kilos exported in all of 2022 for US$ 37,235,491, Agraria.pe reports.
According to Agrodata’s report, the United Kingdom was the main destination for these shipments in 2023, with purchases totaling US$ 10,186,000.
It was followed by the United States with US$ 7,286,000, Canada with US$ 5,706,000, the Netherlands with US$ 5,361,000, Japan with US$ 2,873,000, Ireland with US$ 1,316,000, and Spain with US$ 427,000.
Among the main exporting companies were Procesadora Laran SAC with sales of US$ 11,720,939, Consorcio de Productores de Fruta SA with US$ 10,583,378, Procesadora Torre Blanca with US$ 2,027,968, Sterling Perú SAC with US$ 1,751,868, Corporación Frutícola de Chincha SAC with US$ 1,264,521 and Agrícola Las Marías SAC with US$ 1,143,403, among others.
The official crop forecast for the California Avocado Commission’s (CAC) fiscal year 2023-24 is 208 million pounds, down from the prior year’s volume of 237 million pounds.
Weather and market conditions will be key factors for when California avocado growers begin harvesting, said the Commission in a release. The potential for a wet winter may encourage some growers to delay picking to allow their avocados time to increase in size, which could in turn increase the crop volume.
“Some very early season harvesting has occurred already and we’re anticipating the volume to ramp up in March and April,” says CAC Vice President of Marketing Terry Splane.
“The recent rain in California avocado growing regions followed by a period of sunny days is excellent for the health of our avocado trees and sizing of the fruit,” says Jason Cole, chairman of the California Avocado Commission Board of Directors. “We are looking forward to the harvest, which has already started in a minor way, to ramp up once fruit sizing and market conditions are favorable.”
The majority of California avocados are shipped West of the Rocky Mountains.
By North American Potato Market News
According to the USDA, January Yellow potato shipments climbed 25.8% above 2023 movement, to a record 819,000 cwt. Strong movement from Idaho, the San Luis Valley, the Red River Valley, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Kern County contributed to January’s Yellow potato sales growth.
January Red potato movement exceeded 2023 shipments by 24,000 cwt, or 4.0%. Increased sales from Kern County, Central Minnesota, the Red River Valley, and the Klamath Basin offset reduced shipments from the Columbia Basin, Idaho, Wisconsin, and Maine.
For all types, (red, yellow and russet), The Red River Valley showed a 12% increase in January 2024 shipments over January 2023.
A decline in the frequency of online grocery orders drove a 1.2% year-over-year drop in total online sales to $95.8 billion in the U.S. online grocery market in 2023, according to the annual results of the Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopper Survey released Thursday, Supermarket News reports.
It’s the second year in a row that the order frequency of active monthly users (MAUs) declined, according to the report, which surveyed 21,000 shoppers in the U.S. That year-over-year contraction in online orders came in at 6% compared to the prior year, surpassing the 4% year-over-year decline in 2022, the report noted.
The decline in orders was exacerbated by a 300 basis-point increase to 34% in the number of MAUs who said they made only one online grocery purchase per month in 2023.
Despite the drop in online orders for the year, the base of MAUs rose 2% year over year. Shoppers appear to have largely settled on a receiving method with 70% saying they exclusively relied on either pickup, delivery, or ship-to-home, up 172 basis points from the previous year.
Pickup held steady as the most popular way of receiving online orders, growing its share of online sales by a modest 56 basis points to end the year at 46%. The report added that the expanded availability of delivery methods due to increased competition did not appear to help grow the receiving method, which experienced a sales decline of 0.9% for the year and captured 37% of the online sales market. Meanwhile, the ship-to-home method dropped 66 basis points to make up 17% of the market for the year.
“These annual results show that 2023 was very challenging for grocery retailing as higher prices chipped away at household purchasing power even though inflation has slowed considerably since its peak in 2022,” said David Bishop, partner at Brick Meets Click, in a statement. “Despite the challenges, pickup continues to prove its appeal to shoppers, even without the benefits of expanded availability and/or aggressive promotions that aided delivery in 2023.”
Mass merchandisers and hard discount grocers expanded their shares of the online grocery market in 2023 by 460 basis points to end the year with 45% due to strong MAU growth. The growth came at the expense of the supermarket format, which dropped 390 basis points to 29% for the year, a result of declining MAUs and order frequency.
Shoppers increasingly chose to place their online purchases through both mass merchandise and supermarket formats for the year as the cross-shopping rate increased by 150 basis points from the previous year. Nearly a third (30%) of shoppers purchased online groceries from both in the same month over the year, the report noted.
The repeat intent rate – the share of MAUs who are very likely to use the same service again – for the pickup and delivery methods of online purchases declined in 2023 by 63 basis points to 61%, a trend driven solely by a decline in repeat intent for grocery services, which fell 311 basis points to 54%. That’s compared to an increase in repeat intent for mass merchandise shoppers, which grew by 48 basis points to 66%.
“As Walmart grabs market share through its price leadership and omnichannel strategies, regional grocers find themselves in a precarious position. To remain competitive, they must intensify their efforts in improving customer engagement, offering tailored personalization, and building loyalty. This strategic shift is not just about weathering the storm of price inflation and intense competition, but about thriving in it,” said Mark Fairhurst, global chief growth officer at Mercatus, in a statement. “By providing a shopping experience that is both seamless and highly personalized, grocery retailers can retain their existing customer base and gradually attract a wider audience.”
Total online grocery spending declined 18 basis points to capture 12.5% of the market for the year. When considering just the pickup and delivery methods – most stores do not offer ship-to-home as a delivery method – the decline was a mere 6 basis points year over year and made up 10.4% of all grocery spending in 2023.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), charged with promoting consumer rights, sued to block what could be the largest supermarket merger in U.S. history. A merger of Kroger and Albertsons, the FTC said, would lead to higher prices, store closures, and job losses.
The $25-billion deal, announced in November 2022, has seen opposition from the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, as well as multiple senators and attorneys general. The FTC suit is one of the merger’s greatest challenges so far.
“Kroger’s acquisition of Albertsons would lead to additional grocery price hikes for everyday goods, further exacerbating the financial strain consumers across the country face today,” said Henry Liu, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, in a public statement.
“Essential grocery store workers would also suffer under this deal, facing the threat of their wages dwindling, benefits diminishing, and their working conditions deteriorating.”
As part of the merger plans, the companies intend to divest 413 stores, eight distribution centers, and five private label brands to C&S Wholesale Grocers. The FTC suit has deemed the measures “inadequate”.
“The combined Kroger and Albertsons would have more leverage to impose subpar terms on union grocery workers that slow improvements to wages, worsen benefits, and potentially degrade working conditions,” an FTC statement said.
Kroger responded Monday, stating it would challenge the suit in court and stand behind the merger. Kroger said it would not negatively impact grocery competition and would result in lower prices for consumers and more investments in employee wages.
Mushrooms are considered a superfood by some.
Highline Mushrooms of Leamington, Ontario considers mushrooms to be a superfood, packed with vitamins and minerals.
Research shows that mushrooms:
- Decrease the risk of cancer.
- Lower sodium intake.
- Promote lower cholesterol.
- Protect brain health.
- Provide a source of vitamin D.
- Stimulate a healthier gut.
- Support a healthy immune system.
The company notes mushrooms are a natural meat extender or substitute.
Instead of eating processed meat alternatives, diners can choose healthy mushrooms, which have a meaty texture and umami flavor.
The company notes eating meat can be reduced or replaced by adding mushrooms to recipes. Chefs can use half the amount of ground beef in tacos and add diced mushrooms, which reduces the cost, increases the nutritional value and adds to the flavor.
At Monterey Mushrooms Inc., of Watsonville, CA mushrooms are recognized as a more important part of a balanced, nutritious diet that is high in vitamin D and has numerous cancer-fighting properties, [three times] the vitamin D of fortified milk and more selenium than any other fruit or vegetable.
Zespri, the New Zealand kiwifruit shipping giant, reports the 2024 kiwi season has the potential to be a year of strong growth across all kiwifruit offerings this year. The company is expecting to export about 193 million trays of kiwifruit to markets around the world.
While still early in the season, Zespri’s latest supply estimate reflects the positive growing conditions seen across New Zealand in recent months. This season’s crop will significantly increase the 133 million New Zealand trays shipped last season and up on the 175 million trays shipped in 2021.
“It’s been a far more settled growing environment compared to the last couple of seasons when growers were facing several challenges, including the impact of COVID-19, the significant labor shortage in 2022, and the many climatic events that New Zealand experienced in 2023,” Zespri reports.
“While it’s still early, the crop looks excellent and there’s a lot of excitement and optimism in the industry.
The company notes managing the increased volume of fruit throughout the supply chain and delivering consistently good quality fruit was the key consideration in the industry’s season planning process.
Zespri was closely monitoring the disruption to international shipping though Zespri was not affected by the disruption in the Red Sea, instead shipping via the Panama Canal.
MODESTO, CA — A new study found that eating almonds reduced some feelings of muscle soreness during exercise recovery which translated to improved muscle performance during a vertical jump challenge. These results expand on prior research1 which looked at how almonds affect muscle recovery after exercise.
In the research study2, published in Frontiers in Nutrition and funded by the Almond Board of California, 25 mildly overweight middle-aged men and women performed a 30-minute downhill treadmill run test after eight weeks of consuming 57 g (two ounces) of whole raw almonds daily. The control group ate a calorie-matched (86 g/three ounces) snack of unsalted pretzels. The treadmill test was designed to cause muscle damage to see how almonds affected muscle recovery.
Researchers measured participants’ muscle function; blood markers of muscle damage and inflammation; and perceived muscle soreness using a visual scale, before, during and at three timepoints after the treadmill test. They also measured markers of cardiometabolic health, body composition, and psycho-social assessments of mood, appetite, and well-being at baseline and after eight weeks of almond snacking.
The results: Study participants who ate almonds experienced an almost 25 percent reduction in muscle soreness when performing an explosive power exercise (a vertical jump challenge) over the cumulative 72-hour exercise recovery period. The perceived reduction in soreness translated to better muscle performance during the vertical jump challenge in the almond group versus the control. No significant differences were observed in measures of cardiometabolic health, muscle damage/inflammation, mood state, or appetite for the almond group or the control group.
This study included non-smoking participants who were mildly overweight and occasionally physically active but were not trained athletes. A limitation of this study is that the results are not generalizable to populations with other demographic and health characteristics.
“Our study suggests that snacking on almonds can be recommended to occasional exercisers as a go-to food to help fitness recovery after strenuous exercise,” said Dr. Oliver C. Witard, Senior Lecturer in Exercise Metabolism and Nutrition at Kings College London. “Almonds are naturally nutritious with protein, good fats and the antioxidant vitamin E. They can be considered an ideal food for fitness.” One serving of almonds (28 g) has 4 g of plant protein, 13 g of good unsaturated fat and only 1 g of saturated fat.
Dr. Witard’s study joins previous research which examined how regular almond snacking affected exercise recovery for healthy adults who exercise occasionally.
“Sticking to an exercise routine is not easy, so finding dietary strategies to help people be – and stay – physically active is important for public health. Our preliminary findings are encouraging in showing that almond snacking may promote adherence to new training programs among people who are unaccustomed to exercise,” said Witard.
One ounce (28 g) of almonds provides 4 g of fiber and 15 essential nutrients, including 77 mg magnesium (18.3% DV), 210 mg potassium (4% DV), and 7.27 mg vitamin E (50% DV), making them a great snack for healthy active lifestyles.
Study Findings At-a-Glance
Daily almond snacking alleviates perceived muscle soreness and improves muscle performance
- 25 mildly overweight middle-aged, physically active but untrained men and women performed a 30-minute downhill treadmill run test after eight-weeks of consuming either 57 g/day (two ounces) of whole raw almonds or a calorie-matched (86 g/day) carb snack of unsalted pretzels (control).
- Researchers measured participants’ perceived muscle soreness, muscle function (measured via a muscle contraction test and a vertical jump physical task) and blood markers of muscle damage/inflammation (creatine kinase and c-reactive protein) before and at 3 timepoints (24, 48 and 72 hours) after the treadmill run.
- Over the cumulative 72-hour period after the downhill treadmill run, muscle soreness measured during the vertical jump physical task (an explosive power exercise) was reduced by ~24% in the almond group versus the control, which translated to an improvement in vertical jump performance during exercise recovery. No significant differences were observed in measures of muscle soreness and performance during the muscle contraction tests.
- Researchers also measured markers of cardiometabolic health (total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol), body composition and psycho-social assessments of mood, appetite and well-being at baseline and after 8 weeks of almond snacking. No significant differences were observed in measures of cardiometabolic health, muscle damage/inflammation, mood state, or appetite for the almond group or the control group.
Study Conclusion: Snacking on almonds for eight weeks reduced perceived feelings of muscle soreness during recovery from muscle-damaging exercise, resulting in better maintenance of muscle functional capacity. This study suggests that almonds are a functional food snack to improve exercise tolerance in mildly overweight, middle-aged adults.
ABOUT THE ALMOND BOARD OF CALIFORNIA
California almonds make life better by what we grow and how we grow. The Almond Board of California promotes natural, wholesome and quality almonds through leadership in strategic market development, innovative research, and accelerated adoption of industry best practices on behalf of the more than 7,600 almond farmers and processors in California, most of whom are multi-generational family operations. Established in 1950 and based in Modesto, California, the Almond Board of California is a non-profit organization that administers a grower-enacted Federal Marketing Order under the supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture.
A 12 percent increase in volume for New Zealand Apples and Pears (NZAPI) is forecast this year over the 2022, a rebound from 2023, which suffered significant damage due to Cyclone Gabrielle.
The publication Fuitnet estimates exports will total 21.2 million boxes (18 kg tray equivalent), 382,000 tons. Excellent size, color, eating, and flavor are expected.
Fuitnet also is projecting a higher dry matter content, allowing for better storage of the fruit.
Sunkist Growers of Valencia, CA is shipping a good volume supply of its year-round conventional and organic citrus in the winter months. It also is shipping specialty citrus during the winter.
These range from The Pink Orange, to the seedless sweetness and pink cara cara orange variety, blood oranges, and vitamin B9 rich minneola tangelos.
Sunkist also is shipping the more traditional navel oranges, lemons, California mandarins, grapefruit and organics.
Winter is the peak shipping season for Sunkist
This included a strong start to the California desert grapefruit category and increased volume in lemons.
Sunkist is generally recognized as the longest-standing fresh citrus cooperative in the nation.
During 2023, Peruvian mandarin exports totaled 33,878,377 kilos for a FOB value of US$35,847,910. The figures are relatively similar to the 33,563,070 kilos exported in all of 2022 for US$ 37,235,491, Agraria.pe reports.
According to Agrodata’s report, the United Kingdom was the main destination for these shipments in 2023, with purchases totaling US$ 10,186,000.
It was followed by the United States with US$ 7,286,000, Canada with US$ 5,706,000, the Netherlands with US$ 5,361,000, Japan with US$ 2,873,000, Ireland with US$ 1,316,000, and Spain with US$ 427,000.
Among the main exporting companies were Procesadora Laran SAC with sales of US$ 11,720,939, Consorcio de Productores de Fruta SA with US$ 10,583,378, Procesadora Torre Blanca with US$ 2,027,968, Sterling Perú SAC with US$ 1,751,868, Corporación Frutícola de Chincha SAC with US$ 1,264,521 and Agrícola Las Marías SAC with US$ 1,143,403, among others.
The official crop forecast for the California Avocado Commission’s (CAC) fiscal year 2023-24 is 208 million pounds, down from the prior year’s volume of 237 million pounds.
Weather and market conditions will be key factors for when California avocado growers begin harvesting, said the Commission in a release. The potential for a wet winter may encourage some growers to delay picking to allow their avocados time to increase in size, which could in turn increase the crop volume.
“Some very early season harvesting has occurred already and we’re anticipating the volume to ramp up in March and April,” says CAC Vice President of Marketing Terry Splane.
“The recent rain in California avocado growing regions followed by a period of sunny days is excellent for the health of our avocado trees and sizing of the fruit,” says Jason Cole, chairman of the California Avocado Commission Board of Directors. “We are looking forward to the harvest, which has already started in a minor way, to ramp up once fruit sizing and market conditions are favorable.”
The majority of California avocados are shipped West of the Rocky Mountains.
By North American Potato Market News
According to the USDA, January Yellow potato shipments climbed 25.8% above 2023 movement, to a record 819,000 cwt. Strong movement from Idaho, the San Luis Valley, the Red River Valley, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Kern County contributed to January’s Yellow potato sales growth.
January Red potato movement exceeded 2023 shipments by 24,000 cwt, or 4.0%. Increased sales from Kern County, Central Minnesota, the Red River Valley, and the Klamath Basin offset reduced shipments from the Columbia Basin, Idaho, Wisconsin, and Maine.
For all types, (red, yellow and russet), The Red River Valley showed a 12% increase in January 2024 shipments over January 2023.
A decline in the frequency of online grocery orders drove a 1.2% year-over-year drop in total online sales to $95.8 billion in the U.S. online grocery market in 2023, according to the annual results of the Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopper Survey released Thursday, Supermarket News reports.
It’s the second year in a row that the order frequency of active monthly users (MAUs) declined, according to the report, which surveyed 21,000 shoppers in the U.S. That year-over-year contraction in online orders came in at 6% compared to the prior year, surpassing the 4% year-over-year decline in 2022, the report noted.
The decline in orders was exacerbated by a 300 basis-point increase to 34% in the number of MAUs who said they made only one online grocery purchase per month in 2023.
Despite the drop in online orders for the year, the base of MAUs rose 2% year over year. Shoppers appear to have largely settled on a receiving method with 70% saying they exclusively relied on either pickup, delivery, or ship-to-home, up 172 basis points from the previous year.
Pickup held steady as the most popular way of receiving online orders, growing its share of online sales by a modest 56 basis points to end the year at 46%. The report added that the expanded availability of delivery methods due to increased competition did not appear to help grow the receiving method, which experienced a sales decline of 0.9% for the year and captured 37% of the online sales market. Meanwhile, the ship-to-home method dropped 66 basis points to make up 17% of the market for the year.
“These annual results show that 2023 was very challenging for grocery retailing as higher prices chipped away at household purchasing power even though inflation has slowed considerably since its peak in 2022,” said David Bishop, partner at Brick Meets Click, in a statement. “Despite the challenges, pickup continues to prove its appeal to shoppers, even without the benefits of expanded availability and/or aggressive promotions that aided delivery in 2023.”
Mass merchandisers and hard discount grocers expanded their shares of the online grocery market in 2023 by 460 basis points to end the year with 45% due to strong MAU growth. The growth came at the expense of the supermarket format, which dropped 390 basis points to 29% for the year, a result of declining MAUs and order frequency.
Shoppers increasingly chose to place their online purchases through both mass merchandise and supermarket formats for the year as the cross-shopping rate increased by 150 basis points from the previous year. Nearly a third (30%) of shoppers purchased online groceries from both in the same month over the year, the report noted.
The repeat intent rate – the share of MAUs who are very likely to use the same service again – for the pickup and delivery methods of online purchases declined in 2023 by 63 basis points to 61%, a trend driven solely by a decline in repeat intent for grocery services, which fell 311 basis points to 54%. That’s compared to an increase in repeat intent for mass merchandise shoppers, which grew by 48 basis points to 66%.
“As Walmart grabs market share through its price leadership and omnichannel strategies, regional grocers find themselves in a precarious position. To remain competitive, they must intensify their efforts in improving customer engagement, offering tailored personalization, and building loyalty. This strategic shift is not just about weathering the storm of price inflation and intense competition, but about thriving in it,” said Mark Fairhurst, global chief growth officer at Mercatus, in a statement. “By providing a shopping experience that is both seamless and highly personalized, grocery retailers can retain their existing customer base and gradually attract a wider audience.”
Total online grocery spending declined 18 basis points to capture 12.5% of the market for the year. When considering just the pickup and delivery methods – most stores do not offer ship-to-home as a delivery method – the decline was a mere 6 basis points year over year and made up 10.4% of all grocery spending in 2023.