Produce / Floral

CHICAGO -- As retailers in coastal areas help their customers stock up in this unusually active hurricane season, purchasing patterns from pre-Hurricane Katrina sales, released last week by Information Resources, Inc., might help.

BATAVIA, Ill. -- Limited assortment retailer Aldi here has added frozen dinners to its premium, yet affordable, exclusive-label program under the Grandessa brand.

AUSTIN, Tex. -- Whole Foods Market yesterday helped launch a campaign aimed at preventing childhood obesity, juvenile diabetes, and other diet-related health problems, in partnership with parents, and food companies.

Tons of high-margin HBC products are overlooked by most supermarkets because buyers are hamstrung into choosing only the obvious.

Premium soups are satisfying consumers' tastes for better quality and convenience.

NEW YORK -- Although many research studies have documented that Hispanic consumers are more brand loyal than the general population, that doesn't mean that they cannot be lured by a well-planned store label program. That was the message of Ana Lilienfeld, senior director of strategy, and Albert Greenwood, business development manager, for Daymon Worldwide, a private label super-broker, during a session held yesterday here at the Expo Comida Latina trade show.

WILMINGTON, Del. -- Charlie Brown and his friends are returning to Wal-Mart stores nationwide for the second year with activity books, stickers, point of sale materials and recipes designed to make learning about and eating fruits and vegetables part of Halloween fun.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. -- Organic to Go (OTG) an all-natural fast casual organic cafe, catering retailer, and delivery grocery company based here, said yesterday that in addition to the three retail stores it recently launched in Los Angeles, it plans to open three locations in Orange County in early autumn. OTG offers consumers prepared sandwiches, salads, soups, and entrees.