USA- The Kroger Company, a leading global grocery chain, has launched the Field & Vine range of raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries produced by US farmers as part of its short-term strategy for tapping into the growing market interest for berries and locally sourced fresh produce.
According to Kroger, the Field & Vine berry line will be available for a limited time, providing shoppers with the ‘best of the season’ experience.
The berry collection will be available in all its 420,000 grocery associates as well as its e-commerce wing under a variety of banner names.
The berry selection also aligns with the company’s sustainability strategy and efforts since locally sourcing the berries is expected to reduce transit time, enhancing freshness and minimizing energy costs.
The berries will be sourced from farmers in Georgia, California, Michigan, Florida, New Jersey, Oregon, North Carolina, and Washington.
Dan De La Rosa, Kroger’s Vice President of Fresh Merchandising, said, “Harvesting at just the right time during the US growing season allows us to provide our customers with an enhanced fresh experience, offering the highest-quality, best-tasting berries possible. We are thrilled to launch Field & Vine in collaboration with local farmers who enable Kroger to feed families across America every day.”
The grocer revealed the product launch was inspired by extensive internal and external market research and analysis.
According to the 2024 Power of Produce Report by the Food Industry Association (FMI), berries recorded the highest sales among fruits in the US. Berry sales were twice as high as apples, the second most popular fruit sold in the US in 2023.
The report also revealed that a third of all grocery and fresh produce shoppers in the US were concerned about the location and farmers behind the grocery items they produce, while half of all shoppers focused on price. Ripeness and appearance was the third priority among grocery shoppers.
Competitors have also acknowledged this trend, reflecting its potential to slowly change the grocery market’s paradigm.
In mid-July, Walmart launched the American Farmers campaign, an outreach and empowerment initiative meant to educate the retailer’s customer base on the people behind the groceries they purchase from Walmart.
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