As outdoor adventure, swimming, road trips and grilling take center stage for shoppers this month, Bako Sweet is ramping up merchandising efforts amidst a historically quiet season for the sweet potato category.

The floral industry came together once again for the 2022 Floriexpo convention in Miami Beach, FL, from June 7 to June 9. The expo opened on Wednesday, June 8 and proved to be a successful opportunity to meet key retail and wholesale buyers. “This was one of the most user-friendly shows in recent memory,” said Tatiana Perez, vice president of sales and marketing of Temkin. “Seeing the industry come together again was amazing.”

Kroger announced professional quarterback Joe Burrow will serve as a brand ambassador promoting Kroger Health initiatives.

Burrow, a southeast Ohio native, won the Heisman Trophy as college football's top player and the College Football Playoff National Championship in 2020 and was selected by the Bengals as the first overall pick in 2020. During the 2021 NFL season, Burrow led the Bengals to the AFC Championship and a Super Bowl appearance while setting franchise records for passer rating, completion percentage and single game passing yards.

Global logistics company C.H. Robinson has delivered nearly 2.7 million digital quotes in the past year as well as 1 million in Q1 2022 alone, a 54 percent increase over Q1 of 2021. The acceleration of digital B2B supply chain connectivity has translated into spot transportation cost savings of up to 65 percent for shippers.

Michael D’Ottavio was keeping his fingers crossed that the weather would stay as good as it was earlier this season.

“With ideal weather conditions for blueberries and blackberries, this year’s crop looks to have better size and much more volume than last season,” said D’Ottavio, president of D’Ottavio Farms in Vineland, NJ. “Our bee habitats and satellite irrigation system really help with pollination and the correct amount of water supply to the plants.”

Nearly 300 retail buyers, grower-shippers, processors, business service providers and retailers gathered at the Hyatt Regency in Schaumburg, IL, June 9-10 for The Retail Conference, presented by the International Fresh Produce Association. After a day golf and a packed opening cocktail reception on Thursday, Friday morning saw Joe Watson of IFPA and Anne-Marie Roerink of 210 Analytics offer fresh perspectives on the biggest trends fueling produce sales today, including a look at the department’s performance during the first half of 2022.