Tag: produce blueprints

Save-On-Foods has a reputation for providing customers with a great in-store experience, and David Karwacki, CEO at The Star Group in Saskatoon, SK, is a fan.

The Overwaitea Food Group got its start in 1915 when Robert C. Kidd opened an eponymously named store, R.C. Kidd, in New Westminster, British Columbia.

In discussing what the future holds for robotics in the produce field, Mark DeSantis is CEO of Pittsburgh, PA-based Bloomfield Robotics, sees changes ranging far and wide, from labor costs to shipping times to safety and quality improvements at point of purchase.

With a technology as potentially disruptive to the produce industry as robotics, our experts advise growers to weigh the potential costs and risks before deciding it’s the right move for them.

It’s in the field that our experts see the most potential for game-changing developments in robotics, and they were all forthcoming about how the technology can improve production from alleviating the labor crunch to better-quality harvests and less product loss.

It was once felt that robots were too heavy-handed and imprecise to be of benefit to packers and shippers. That was generations ago.

There have been two constants since the dawn of automation: advocates of developing technologies optimistically forecasting that machines will replace human labor, and people within the trade who steadfastly insist it could never happen—at least not broadly.

Trouble loads aren’t much fun. They can be inefficient and frustrating. On the other hand, handling trouble loads is part of buying, selling, and transporting fresh produce. Doing it well limits headaches, waste, and financial losses—and may help preserve valuable business relationships.

Although it has had some negative financial news in recent years and underperformed during the pandemic, Sprouts Farmers Market seems to be turning around with same-store sales growth improving in 2022.

The Fresh Market, Inc. had been on a major expansion streak before putting the brakes on store openings, in part due to increased competition for its higher-end, farmers market-style format.