Archive For The “News” Category
Amazon will let you skip the checkout line at two Whole Foods stores next year, CNN reports.
Amazon is installing its cashier-less “Just Walk Out” technology at the locations, which are set to open in 2022 in Washington D.C. and Sherman Oaks, California.
It’s the latest test of the software, which is already used at Amazon Go convenience stores as well as Amazon Fresh grocery stores, a new, growing line of supermarkets that Amazon has been opening. Amazon also sells the software to other retailers.
Amazon bought Whole Foods in 2017, and this will be the first time the technology is available at one of Whole Foods’ more than 500 stores. Amazon said in a blog post Wednesday that it would gauge the customer response to the technology and had no immediate plans to add it to more Whole Foods stores in the future.
The software lets shoppers enter the store by scanning a QR code in the Amazon or Whole Foods apps and uses cameras and motion sensors to track which products they take off shelves and add to their shopping carts. At the end, customers scan the QR code again to leave the store and receive a digital receipt. The technology is only available to customers with Amazon accounts, and shoppers without them will pay using self-checkout stations.
Cashier-less technology has been criticized by labor advocates, who fear it will take away cashier jobs. Amazon said that the two stores will employ a number of workers “comparable” to existing Whole Foods locations of similar sizes, but did not give exact numbers.
Adding the technology to Whole Foods is Amazon’s latest step to leave its imprint on the grocery chain. Since the acquisition, Whole Foods has slashed prices, offered discounts exclusive to Amazon Prime members, and sped up home delivery times.
But Whole Foods has lagged Amazon’s booming online retail operation. Sales at Amazon’s physical stores, which are mainly comprised of Whole Foods locations, dropped 0.18% in 2019 from the year prior and then 5.6% in 2020 as more shoppers ordered online in the pandemic.
LONG BEACH, CA – Carrier Transicold unveiled its revolutionary new zero-emission electric truck refrigeration technology today, demonstrating a path forward for refrigerated transporters who want to incorporate more sustainable systems into their fleets. Carrier Transicold is a part of Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE: CARR), the leading global provider of healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent building and cold chain solutions.
The Supra® zero-emission demonstration unit was spotlighted at the Carrier Transicold booth at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo. Designed to provide maximum range and refrigeration capacities similar to those now only achieved by diesel-powered truck systems, the engineless Supra technology will be applied to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) or to run autonomously with conventional engine-driven trucks. This will make it especially well-suited for businesses in California that must introduce zero-emissions truck refrigeration units into their fleets by the end of 2023 in compliance with proposed California Air Resources Board (CARB) requirements.
“Carrier Transicold has a solid record of developing industry-leading sustainable refrigeration technologies for the safe transport of perishable and frozen goods, and our new electric Supra concept builds on this legacy with its quiet emissions-free design,” said Scott Parker, Product Manager, Truck Products, Carrier Transicold.
“The Supra zero-emission design completely removes the diesel engine from the equation,” Parker said. “It takes advantage of many of the system design, performance and efficiency enhancements that we recently introduced with our diesel-powered Supra series platform. As we upgraded our Supra line, we had an eye on the future, anticipating that the road ahead would require more sustainable, zero-emission technologies.”
Like Carrier Transicold’s renowned Vector™ trailer refrigeration systems, the electric Supra unit uses E-Drive™ technology, a uniquely all-electric refrigeration architecture that couples efficient performance with reduced maintenance requirements.
Features and benefits of the Supra zero-emission design include:
- Efficient zero-emissions performance – Utilizing a direct-current electric power source, the unit eliminates fuel consumption, emissions and noise associated with engine-driven systems.
- Maximum Range and High Capacity – The unit is being designed for full-day’s use with refrigeration performance on par with conventional diesel systems.
- Reduced service requirements – E-Drive technology uses maintenance-free electric evaporator and condenser fans and a sealed electric compressor, eliminating many typical serviceable items, such as belts, pulleys and shaft seals.
- More environmentally sustainable refrigerant – Using R-452A, with a global warming potential (GWP) that is 45% lower than today’s standard refrigerant, the electric Supra would meet CARB’s pending requirement that new transport refrigeration units use refrigerants with a GWP lower than 2,200 beginning in 2023.
The electric Supra unit requires a direct-current power supply. In the case of a non-electric truck this can be a dedicated battery module, and in BEV applications the electric Supra unit can draw energy from the truck’s battery pack. Carrier’s propriety power-management technologies maximize refrigeration unit performance and battery life for daily delivery operations.
Full North American commercial availability is slated by 2023 so fleets can comply with CARB’s proposed deadline of Dec. 31, 2023 to convert 15% of their refrigerated trucks to zero-emission refrigeration technologies.
Carrier Transicold’s energy-efficient solutions are critical to Carrier’s progress toward achieving carbon neutral operations by 2030, as outlined in its ambitious Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Goals. The company is also aiming to reduce its customers’ carbon footprint by more than one gigaton.
The Supra electric truck refrigeration technology is part of Carrier’s Healthy, Safe, Sustainable Cold Chain Program to preserve and protect the supply of food, medicine and vaccines. Learn more at www.corporate.carrier.com/healthycoldchain.
About Carrier Transicold
Carrier Transicold helps improve transport and shipping of temperature-controlled cargoes with a complete line of equipment and services for refrigerated transport and cold chain visibility. For more than 50 years, Carrier Transicold has been an industry leader, providing customers around the world with advanced, energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable container refrigeration systems and generator sets, direct-drive and diesel truck units, and trailer refrigeration systems. Carrier Transicold is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, the leading global provider of healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent building and cold chain solutions. For more information, visit transicold.carrier.com. Follow Carrier on Twitter: @SmartColdChain, on Facebook at Carrier Transicold Truck/Trailer U.S. & Canada and on LinkedIn at Carrier Transicold Truck Trailer Refrigeration.
Shipping lines are being urged to route more cargo to California’s Port of Oakland as a result of supply chain calamities elsewhere.
Port officials report its marine terminals are congestion-free, unlike competing ports crippled by record global trade volumes. It urged restoration of shipping services that have bypassed Oakland since summer.
The Oakland port notes there is no congestion and is ready for more business.
It wants ocean carriers to reinstate services in order to stabilize the supply chain, noting its import and export partners echo this sentiment.
The Port said containerized cargo volume is up 4.2 percent in 2021 but insisted there’s capacity for more as it hasn’t experienced vessel backlogs since August. That’s in stark contrast to Southern California ports where up to 70 ships daily wait at anchor for berth space.
Ports on the west, gulf and east coasts have reported crippling delays in moving cargo and the White House recently called on some facilities to open nights and weekends to move out cargo. However, the government’s response is reported to have minimal effect in easing port congestion.
Oakland said shipping lines can help ease the gridlock by steering ships back to Oakland. Several ocean carriers omitted Oakland in recent months, the Port said.
It explained that excessive Southern California delays necessitated immediate return of some ships to Asia without stopping in Oakland.
According to the Port, 54 vessels stopped in Oakland last month which was the lowest vessel call total since 2015. As a result, September import volume declined 13 percent from September 2020 and exports were down 18 percent.
It expects service restoration to begin next month as supply chain congestion continues and it said vessels would find clear sailing to berth without gridlock.
Import cargo would be available for pick-up within days of discharge from ships which hasn’t been the case at some ports where congestion has trapped import containers for weeks.
ATHENS, GA – Carrier Transicold has raised the bar for electric auxiliary power unit (APU) performance with its new lithium-ion ComfortPro® electric model that delivers double the air conditioning runtime provided by some competitive conventional battery-powered APUs. Carrier Transicold is a part of Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE: CARR), the leading global provider of healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent building and cold chain solutions.
“The new ComfortPro model is the first electric APU capable of providing cab cooling for extended periods formerly only achieved by diesel-powered units, thanks to its extended-capacity lithium-ion batteries and proprietary embedded power management system,” said Ryan Rubly, product manager, power management systems, Truck Trailer Americas, Carrier Transicold.
Carrier Transicold will feature the lithium-ion ComfortPro APU among other electric technologies at the Advanced Clean Technologies Expo at the Long Beach Convention Center this month (booth 547).
Key differentiators of the new APU:
- 7,500 BTU/hours of cab cooling that can double the runtime provided by some competitive absorbent glass mat (AGM) battery powered electric APUs, delivering continuous air conditioning that extends well beyond what is required for overnight rest breaks and up to 17 hours under certain real-world conditions.
- Quiet, emissions-free performance with relatively few moving parts, eliminating the maintenance required of diesel-powered APUs.
- Advanced lithium-ion technology, engineered specifically for long-haul commercial vehicle applications, provides an extremely power-dense and durable solution, charging faster with less performance degradation over time compared to conventional AGM batteries.
- Five-year lithium-ion battery warranty,providing more than twice the typical lifespan of AGM batteries and outlasting the truck trade cycle for many fleets.
- Reduced APU weight by 26% using two DOT-certified lithium-ion batteriescompared to Carrier Transicold’s standard electric APU, which uses four AGM batteries.
- Lower cost of ownership than other APU alternatives thanks to its long-lifebatteries coupled with fuel savings and minimal maintenance requirements.
All ComfortPro electric APUs include a power plant, an under bunk climate control unit and a programmable control panel, featuring Carrier Transicold’s exclusive Cabin Pre-Cool Lock that helps extend battery life by assuring the preferred cabin temperature is attained before the APU takes over. Available options add heating, power for hotel loads, shore power connectivity and truck engine preheating, so fleets and owner-operators can customize ComfortPro electric APUs to suit specific needs.
APUs are used by the trucking industry to support cab climate control when the vehicle is stationary during driver rest periods, saving fuel, reducing engine idling and wear along with related emissions and providing regulatory compliance. The comfort and conveniences provided by APUs also help fleets with driver retention.
For additional details about Carrier Transicold’s complete line of APUs, turn to the experts in Carrier Transicold’s North America dealer network.
About Carrier Transicold
Carrier Transicold helps improve transport and shipping of temperature-controlled cargoes with a complete line of equipment and services for refrigerated transport and cold chain visibility. For more than 50 years, Carrier Transicold has been an industry leader, providing customers around the world with advanced, energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable container refrigeration systems and generator sets, direct-drive and diesel truck units, and trailer refrigeration systems. Carrier Transicold is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, the leading global provider of healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent building and cold chain solutions. For more information, visit transicold.carrier.com. Follow Carrier on Twitter: @SmartColdChain, on Facebook at Carrier Transicold Truck/Trailer U.S. & Canada and on LinkedIn at Carrier Transicold Truck Trailer Refrigeration.
By Steve Hull, ALC Portland
2021 continues to be a challenging year for so many. Those of us in the logistics world have been working long hours and dealing with unprecedented upheaval in the transportation space. We know, from our discussions with so many of our shipper and carrier clients that you all are working just as hard. We’ve all been missing out on chances to get together and collaborate in person during this time. We’ve missed out on attending some produce-focused trade shows in person, including the United Fresh convention and Expo along with PMA Fresh Summit. Those in-person opportunities that we once maybe took for granted are something very special. One of the things missed was the opportunity to talk about and ask for help with one of Allen Lund Company’s core Acts of Kindness, Navidad en el Barrio.
Since 2004, the Allen Lund Company has been offering assistance including freight shipments to Navidad en el Barrio. First established in the 1970s by former LA Ram’s kicker Danny Villanueva, the non-profit collects money and food for the underserved Hispanic communities in Southern California. ALC first assisted with the transportation of groceries that were included in food bags that are distributed to every family. In the early days, those food bags did not contain any perishable food items, such as fresh produce. Recognizing the strong relationships that ALC has with the growers in California, Navidad en el Barrio asked ALC to help make those food bags much more nutritious. Beginning in 2006, fresh fruits and vegetables became a consistent part of each food bag.
Critically during this pandemic, the need for assistance is as high as ever. Navidad will provide meals to approximately 10,000 families this year! We are asking for any growers/importers/suppliers who are looking to step up and make a difference in the lives of so many deserving families in Southern California by making donations of nutritious perishable foods. In the past, through the generosity of companies such as Rainier Fruit, Wada Farms, Grimmway Farms, Wonderful Citrus, Mission Foods, and Coca-Cola, we’ve been able to help provide fresh fruits, potatoes, carrots, avocados, bottled water, and juices as well as many other available seasonal products for the food bags.
Since we didn’t get the chance to ask you in person this year, we are asking now virtually. We need your help! Christmas is fast approaching, and we are currently working on lining up donations for the 2021 distribution that will take place in early December. Please, reach out to either me at steve.hull@allenlund.com, or ALC Marketing & Communications Director Nora Trueblood at nora.trueblood@allenlund.com if your business can help. We appreciate your participation.
Mexican berry exports have totaled over 99,000 metric tons (MT) from January to May of this year, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture of Mexico.
Berry specialists expect that this year’s exports to continue increasing as in 2020, which grew 10 percent despite the pandemic.
“We exported more than 440,000MT of berries, amounting to over US$2.3 billion dollars,” José Luis Bustamante, president of Aneberries said.
“Berries are the third most exported agricultural product from Mexico after beer and avocados.”
The country has around 128,500 hectares of strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries. The main producing areas are Michoacán, Jalisco and Baja California.
“Michoacán continues to be the undisputed leader in berry production and the world leader in blackberry production,” Rubén Medina, head of Sedrua and Ricardo Bernal, head of the Ministry of Economic Development (Sedeco) said.
Strawberries and blueberries are considered the berries with the most growth potential for the next 10 years, according to Fresh Seasons.
Over half of Mexico’s strawberry production is destined for the foreign market.
Global imports have increased almost 36 percent in the last 10 years increasing Mexican exports. In 2017, Mexican strawberry exports grew 63 percent compared to the last year.
Mexico is the third largest supplier of strawberries in the international market and represents almost 15 percent of the export value worldwide.
The main markets for Mexican strawberries are the U.S. and Canada but the country sells to many other destinations.
By Doug Plantada, ALC Los Angeles
Imagine you’re walking down your local produce aisle, looking to cross some fruits and veggies off your list, and you notice something is a bit off. The lemons are a little smaller than usual, watermelons have a slightly different look to their rind. Your favorite Hass avocados aren’t quite as meaty and you can’t put your finger on them but their shape is different than you’re used to as well.
As food demands increase as a result of Covid-19 and the natural disasters of the past two years, this exact experience is becoming more common as imports of fresh produce have risen dramatically across the country. In 2021, U.S. imports of fresh vegetables from January through May were at $4.88 billion, up 4% compared with 2020.
Of the many diverse commodities grown in the United States, onions are one of the hardest hit by import increases, up 14% at $221.1 million this year. Typically, onion imports would support the industry by providing supply during the off-season, but mid-February freezing temperatures in South Texas significantly reduced yields for onion crops, and that has translated to higher prices this year.
Onion shippers are looking to imports to make up for lost crops, which according to Dante Galeazzi, president, and CEO of the Texas International Produce Association, estimates point to damage of 20% to 30% of crops in 2021. In order to maintain control over market conditions in cases like natural disasters and the increased demand due to the pandemic, the USDA has historically agreed with producers/shippers to create something called a “Marketing Order.”
Marketing agreements and orders are initiated by the food industry to help provide stable markets for dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and specialty crops. Each order and agreement is tailored to the individual industry’s needs. Marketing Orders are a binding regulation for the entire industry in a geographical area and are approved by the producers and the Secretary of Agriculture. In short, Marketing Orders would allow onion growers in Texas to promote their products by collectively influencing the supply, demand, or price of particular varieties of onion.
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Doug Plantada has been with the Allen Lund Company for two years and is currently a broker in training at the Los Angeles office.
By Milagros Aredo, ALC San Francisco
Seasonal droughts in California have become more frequent and severe in recent years. However, what California is experiencing right now has everyone who is involved in agriculture concerned. California is the largest grower of US fresh produce.
There are over 69,000 California farms and ranches that are being affected that supply over a third of U.S. vegetables and two-thirds of its fruits. To keep up with demand, these farmers rely heavily on their regional water availability which is a huge challenge today. In the farming valleys of California, an ongoing drought is impacting both the production and price of the crops. With scarce water, farmers are being forced to rip out their trees and produce early because of drylands and high temperatures. This is a tough business decision for them because it affects their seasonal production and becomes more costly to replant and regrow.
For example, California almonds harvesting accounts for about 80% of global production. Almonds require more water to thrive on and if they lack moisture a 25-year investment can be ripped from the ground. To keep their farms from ruins, growers are searching more for underground water resources.
They are drilling depths of 1000 feet for water to sustain thirsty citrus, fruits, and pistachios which adds costs and takes away farmland from production. They’re also exploring other possibilities such as dry-farming techniques that rely less on water. Farmers are stuck between scaling back and prioritizing growing low value vs high-value crops and how much of them should be planted.
To produce as much as possible, farmers are planting crops closer together in an attempt to make the root structure denser and keep moisture in the soil. They also focus on crops that require less water. Tree crops like avocados that are highly water-intensive have gone up by 10% in retail price from last year. The water crisis is causing a short food supply in retail.
Certain commodities at grocery stores are lightly stocked to empty and shoppers are seeing inflation on prices because of this. Vendors are shifting where they grow and sell things to help increase production to keep the commodities affordable and readily available. Having no control over the weather, growers will need to continue to find more ways to adapt and find supplemental water in order to supply 400 key commodities to millions of Americans.
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Milagros Aredo is a senior transportation broker with ALC San Francisco, CA. Milagros has six years of experience in logistics and graduated with a double major in International Business and Marketing from USF.
Dollar General has completed its initial rollout of its DG Fresh initiative, so now the company will focus on adding more fresh produce to stores, and possibly self-distribution of fresh produce.
Based in Goodlettsville, TN, the company is now delivering refrigerated and frozen items to 17,500 stores from 12 facilities.
“And while produce was not included in our initial rollout plans, we believe DG Fresh provides a potential path to accelerating our fresh produce offering in up to 10,000 stores over time as we look to further capitalize on our extensive self-distribution capabilities,” Jeff Owen, COO said.
Fresh produce is now in more than 1,500 stores, with plans to expand to a total of more than 2,000 stores by the end of the year.
Dollar General plans to open 1,050 stores this year and remodel 1,750.
While the company’s same-store sales couldn’t keep up with a record 2020, CEO Todd Vasos said basket size is bigger, as is customer base.
“We believe we will ultimately exit the pandemic with a larger, broader, and more engaged customer base than we entered it, resulting in an even stronger foundation from which to grow,” Vasos said, during the call.
Retail organic produce growth slowed down a bit in the second quarter of 2021, but overall was still well ahead of conventional produce.
The Organic Produce Network published and Category Partners prepared the report using Nielsen data, It revealed total organic dollars during the April through June period increased by 4.1% compared with the same period a year ago.
By way of contrast, conventional produce sales in the second quarter declined by 3.3% compared with year-ago levels.
Organic volume was about even with last year’s levels, registering a gain of 0.2% in the second quarter. That was much better than conventional produce, which experienced a decline of 8.6% compared with the same quarter a year ago.
Generally, consumers in the second quarter of 2021 were not buying as much food in the same way they did during the early months of the pandemic in 2020.
In the second quarter of 2021, organic produce experienced sales somewhat below the historical long-term growth trend, according to the report.
The vegetable category benefited during the pandemic because more consumers were cooking at home, the report said. Times began to change in the second quarter.
“As the foodservice sector reopened, consumers began to shift some meals back to foodservice channels,” the report said. “The net result in Q2, 2021, is many produce categories had relatively tepid growth when matched against Q2, 2020.”
Organic did comparatively well, with organic produce still generating dollar and volume growth in the second quarter while conventional produce declined.
The pandemic isn’t dominating retail trends as it did in 2020.
“It is apparent that consumer supermarket food purchases increasingly reflect the more traditional buying trends versus COVID-inspired purchasing changes,” the report said. “It is also encouraging that even though consumer purchases of conventional produce were lower than Q2, 2020, organic produce continued to generate growth. This shows that the longer-term trend of consumers moving toward organic produce continues to grow.”
Berries were the “star organic category” during the second quarter, increasing dollar performance by over 19% and volume by 16%.
“Berries displaced packaged salads as the No. 1 organic category in dollars for the first time,” the report said.
Citrus (26.7%), lettuce (2.1%) and tomatoes (1.2%) also delivered volume gains for the quarter. However, multiple strong organic categories had volume declines, including important organic contributors like packaged salads, apples, herbs and carrots.
Even so, increasing prices in many organic categories helped mitigate volume declines.
In terms of regional retail organic sales performance, the Northeast region enjoyed a 7.7% dollar growth and 3.6% volume growth in the second quarter.
The normally strong West saw a 0.2% decline in organic sales and a 3.9% volume decline.
The report said the Western performance “is largely a phantom decline” created by comparing against Q2, 2020, when organic sales soared by 17% in dollars and 18% in volume.
“The good news is that setting aside the performance spike that occurred in Q2, 2020, the overall trendline for organic produce volume remained positive,” the report said.