Tops Friendly Markets completed a major $2.9 million renovation at its store located in Derby, NY.  This marks the 14th renovation for the supermarket chain since early 2020 and a part of the company’s $40 million capital improvement plan.

Two innovative and interactive in-store programs are new at the store: Flashfood, which allows customers to purchase food nearing its sell-by date at up to 50 percent off, and Tops Shop + Scan, a new convenient way to shop and use your phone to scan and bag your items as you go.

Although conversations are occurring within the North American (and global) industry relative to the current acute pallet shortages, many do not yet realize the factors impacting the situation and the potential scope of the issue, including the availability of produce to consumers.

A multitude of issues are impacting pallet availability including:

The Giumarra Cos. announced a revolutionary new logistics project in the fresh produce industry, an autonomous trucking test completed in partnership with San Diego-based autonomous trucking leader, TuSimple, and Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc.

Consumers have been eagerly awaiting the 2021 crop of Michigan asparagus and will now be rewarded with the seasonal favorite now at their local stores. Given unexpected cooler temperatures at the traditional start of the season, the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board said the main production area of west-central Michigan started harvesting and packing this week.

Walmart continued to see sales gains in its Q1 earnings report. Total revenue was $138.3 billion, an increase of $3.7 billion, or 2.7 percent. U.S. comp sales increased 6 percent with market share gains in grocery.

As part of its “One World of Citrus” strategy, Limoneira has made significant investments to ensure that customers receive a consistent supply of high-quality citrus year-round. This strategy is paying off as the California coastal lemon harvest begins to show signs of slowing, just as the South American crops begin to increase harvest.