Retailers are leaning heavily into watermelon promotions earlier than usual this year as warm weather and strong early harvests help kick off the summer produce season.   Recent industry reports show watermelons emerging as one of the most heavily promoted produce items heading into June, with retailers across the country building large displays and seasonal […]

Nearly every produce manager has likely heard shoppers ask, “Where is the garlic?” Despite its importance in everyday cooking, garlic is often one of the more difficult items for customers to locate within the produce department.   One reason is that garlic is rarely merchandised like high-volume staples such as bananas, apples, or strawberries. In […]

Electronic shelf labels are becoming more common throughout grocery stores, including produce departments, as major retailers continue investing in technology designed to improve pricing accuracy, speed up promotions and reduce labor demands.   While Kroger has been rolling out its EDGE digital shelf technology for several years, the conversation around electronic shelf labels accelerated again […]

Fresh asparagus supplies are expanding as several seasonal growing regions come online. Washington and Michigan are now in full production, while Mexican and Canadian volumes have strengthened. Peruvian supplies remain steady, and many local U.S. farms are also harvesting high‑quality product.   With multiple regions contributing to overall volume, the market is well‑positioned for strong […]

Albertsons Companies is turning to artificial intelligence to improve produce quality and reduce shrink, rolling out a new inspection system designed to catch problems before fruits and vegetables ever reach store shelves.   The company announced the launch of its “Intelligent Quality Control” program, an AI-powered system that uses Google Cloud’s Gemini and Vision AI […]