Got Produce? The Rent-Dissipation Hypothesis And The Issue Of Cui Bono
As we have tried to think through the pros and cons of the industry launching a generic promotion program, we find ourselves continually frustrated by the kind of proposal that has been made and the process by which the industry is being asked to evaluate this matter. First, we ran a piece titled, Got Produce? […]
‘All Clear’ Signal
Still Not Given On Sprouts
Our study of the salmonella outbreak on Alfalfa Sprouts brought a letter from a producer, both proud of his industry and frustrated with the lack of an “all clear” clarion announcement from the FDA: As a sprout grower, I am not against the FDA sending out a nationwide advisory to “Not Eat Alfalfa Sprouts” when […]
How Do Kroger, Safeway, Tesco And Bashas’ Stack Up Against Three Of
Wal-Mart’s Store Concepts?
For many years now, Pundit sister publication, PRODUCE BUSINESS, has been conducting a Wal-Mart Pricing Report. Each iteration of the report focuses on a different city and analyzes the produce pricing of the local Wal-Mart Supercenter versus other nearby retailers. The May 2009 issue included the 19th chapter of this study and was focused on […]
Vendors Beware As Wal-Mart
Alters Course On Procurement
We’ve long tried to understand Wal-Mart, and recently the collapse of Ballantine Produce has led to a reassessment of the impact Wal-Mart may be having on the supply base: Did Wal-Mart Have A Role In Ballantine’s Fall? Pundit’s Mailbag — Mike Stuart Of FFVA Speaks Out On Ballantine And Buyer/Seller Relations Another Sea Change At […]
Testing Sprout Seeds
We’ve been focusing recently on the food safety outbreak on alfalfa sprouts, running pieces such as these: Insights On The Alfalfa Sprout Advisory Recommendation For An ‘Appropriate’ Seed-screening Program Shows FDA Unwilling To Take Responsibility For Its Recommendations Alfalfa Seed Company, FDA, USDA And Supporting Cast Comment On Seed Withdrawal Testing Sprout Seed Before It […]
New York’s FreshDirect Succeeds
When Most Online Grocers Have Failed
Supervalu just announced that it is ending delivery of online orders. In most cities, consumers will still be able to order on line but will have to pick up the food at a store. Many other retailers have abandoned computer ordering all together, such as Publix. We thought we should talk to a computer ordering […]
Wal-Mart’s Current Behavior
We have long covered the changes transforming Wal-Mart. Recently we’ve run a series of articles discussing the current impact of Wal-Mart on the industry: Did Wal-Mart Have A Role In Ballantine’s Fall? Pundit’s Mailbag — Mike Stuart Of FFVA Speaks Out On Ballantine And Buyer/Seller Relations Another Sea Change At Wal-Mart Pundit’s Mailbag — Response […]
Pundit’s Mailbag — Fruit Patch Speaks Out
Our piece, Special Buys, Wal-Mart And The Meaning Of Loyalty, included a letter from a tree fruit industry participant who took a swipe at the model followed by tree fruit companies that are not, in our letter-writer’s opinion, sufficiently vertically integrated. Specifically the letter named Ballantine and Fruit Patch. Ballantine, as we pointed out here, […]
Special Buys, Wal-Mart And
The Meaning Of Loyalty
One very insightful participant in the California tree fruit industry had a different take on the interplay between Wal-Mart and the collapse of Ballantine Produce: This season is certainly setting up to have all the drama of the next “24” episode. A drama you touched on in your piece titled, Did Wal-Mart Have A Role […]
Pundit’s Mailbag — Retailers Should Pay For What They Say They Want
Pundit’s Mailbag — Mike Stuart Of FFVA Speaks Out On Ballantine And Buyer/Seller Relations brought several letters including this one from one of FFVA’s members: Over the past 5-8 years I have watched as retail prices at store level have inched their way up and producers have inched prices down. At present we are being […]
