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produce department

What To Expect This September In Your Produce Department

Produce Alerts, News /

Summer is coming to a close, which means Fall is just around the corner! Your produce department will be fully stocked with some delicious and nutritious goodies, but there are some items that you need to watch out for.

Peddler’s Son has over 30 years of experience providing grocery retailers, restaurants, healthcare facilities, and schools with wholesale produce. With a 54,000 square foot warehouse and over 30 delivery trucks feeding all of Arizona, we’re the go-to source for produce distribution. Read our article below to learn what you can expect this month in your produce department.

Apples are in Fair Supply

The Washington apple market is going to remain strong for the remainder of Summer. It should only be tight when it comes to Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Gala, Red Delicious, and Granny Smith varieties. The best values right now are Fuji and Pink Lady apples. It’s also important to note that the heatwave and size of the new Washington crops have had a negative impact on apples. 

Avocados are in High Demand and Low Supply

Demand remains strong, too strong for the amount of supply available for avocados. This will undoubtedly result in an increase in pricing. Volumes out of Mexico continue to be on the lighter side with the size curve being the biggest concern for produce departments across America. 

Brussels Sprouts Remain in Fair Supply and Demand

Supplies continue to be light for Brussels Sprouts, while demand continues to be steady. Quality is still an issue for suppliers and supplies will continue to be very limited for a few weeks.

Honeydew Production is Very Limited

Production continues to be very limited, especially on smaller sizes. What’s mostly been harvested are larger sizes that are consistent across other grows of the melon. The market remains strong with the primary reason focusing on a large drop in honeydew production over the past 3 years. 

Shiitake Mushrooms are in Short Supply

Due to the uncontrollable rise in the cost of imported shiitake logs from China, supplies will be limited with constantly changing price points. Long delays to unloading shipments are also causing some interruptions with supplies along with a concerning labor shortage. 

Tomato Supply is Tight with Prices Trending Up

The pricing for tomatoes is trending up, while supplies are running tight due to the weather associated with Tropical Storm Fred. Fortunately, California supplies are running steady. However, produce departments must be cautious with grape and cherry tomatoes. 

Stock Your Produce Department with Peddler’s Son Wholesale Produce

Peddler’s Son has provided Arizona businesses with quality wholesale produce for over 30 years. We are committed to customer service, quality, and honest pricing to ensure our customers get the best products and provisions possible. As a family-owned wholesale produce distributor, we provide our services to everyone from the produce department to the hospital cafeteria. No matter your industry, Peddler’s Son is here for you! Contact us today and learn what a partnership with us can mean for your business.

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produce department

What to Expect This August in Your Produce Department

Uncategorized, Produce Alerts /

We just broke the halfway mark of the year, and we couldn’t be more excited about what’s in store for produce in August! Your produce department will be stocked full with some delicious and nutritious goodies, but there are a few bad apples to watch out for. 

Peddler’s Son has over 30 years of experience providing grocery retailers, restaurants, healthcare facilities, and schools with wholesale produce. With 54,000 square feet of warehouse space and over 30 delivery trucks feeding all of Arizona, we’re the go-to source for produce distribution. Read our article below to learn what you can expect this month in your produce department.

Apples

Inventories are reaching very low numbers while demand for apples remains high. It is possible we may experience some shortages in sizes and varieties, which may result in prices rising in your produce department. Golden, Reds, Honeycrisp, Granny, and Galas are the varieties that are being hit the hardest. Fortunately, Fuji is still widely available, so we recommend going to it for your apple needs. 

Berries

The main berries being hit this month are blackberries and raspberries. Blackberry prices are trending up with production coming out of California. However, growers are reporting challenges with all the heat in the West.  Raspberry prices are high but remain fairly stable. This is due to the tight supply which is expected to be even tighter in the next few weeks. Like blackberries, growers are experiencing challenges due to the heat.

Brussels Sprouts

Supplies continue to be light for Brussels Sprouts, while demand continues to be steady. Quality has improved from the previous month, but we’ll have to wait and see if it remains steady for the remainder of August.

Honeydew

Having a hard time finding any honeydew in your produce department? Well, production continues to remain very low at all growing regions with no end in sight. You might want to consider other melons as other varieties seem to be thriving.

Mushrooms

The mushroom industry continues to face a labor shortage, as well as cost inflation increases in raw materials. Additionally, the price increases in freights have significantly impacted the cost to mushroom producers. Pricing on mushrooms may increase at this time due to labor, transportation, and packaging costs. 

Potatoes

We are currently at the tail end of last year’s crop. Some shippers are in a gap for a couple of weeks due to a strain on supply. Additionally, FOBs are up another dollar entering the low $20s. Produce departments will see a decent supply of products, but a fair level of quality.

Tomatoes

Prices for all tomato varieties, except grape tomatoes, are trending up this week. Grape tomatoes are trending down. Growers are reporting some challenges with quality due to past weather conditions. However, produce departments can expect supplies and quality to pick up later in the month. 

Stock Your Produce Department with Peddler’s Son Wholesale Produce

Peddler’s Son has provided Arizona businesses with quality wholesale produce for over 30 years. We are committed to customer service, quality, and honest pricing to ensure our customers get the best products and provisions possible. As a family-owned wholesale produce distributor, we provide our services to everyone from the produce department to the hospital cafeteria. No matter your industry, Peddler’s Son is here for you! Contact us today and learn what a partnership with us can mean for your business.

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Produce

What to Expect in Your Produce Department in May

Uncategorized, Produce Alerts /

With a majority of crops in good supply and quality, we anticipate many grocery stores will be stocked with beautiful and delicious fruits and vegetables. However, there are a few things you should be aware of when ordering for your produce department this month.

Peddler’s Son has over 30 years of experience providing grocery retailers, restaurants, healthcare providers, and educational institutions with wholesale produce. With 54,000 square feet of warehouse and over 30 trucks feeding all of Arizona, we’ve got our finger on the pulse of the produce market. Read our article below to learn what you should expect this month in your produce department. 

Berries Continue to Be Tight

The price for most berries is trending up this week. While growers are reporting higher production numbers, the demand is high due to the short supply of berries from previous weeks. Another thing to consider is the fact that weather is continuing to impact crops in certain areas, such as Florida, California, and Georgia. 

Cauliflower Supply is Not Looking Promising

When you order products for your produce department, don’t be surprised to see a limited inventory of cauliflower. Growers are reporting short supplies due to cooler temperatures in the Salinas Valley. Fortunately, the available cauliflower they do have is reported to be of good quality. 

Cucumber Prices are Trending Up

Production out of Mexico and Florida isn’t meeting demands, which means prices for cucumbers are trending up. Production is expected to ramp up in the next couple of weeks, so we may see prices trending down sometime before the end of May.

Red Grape Supply and Quality is Looking Dubious

Red grapes continue to perform lower than expected. The slow market has caused older inventory to be priced lower and quality to tank. While there are good quality grapes on the market, they come at a higher price tag. Green grapes remain in high supply and quality.

Limes Remain a Concern for Produce Buyers

Large portions of Mexico are experiencing significant amounts of rain, resulting in quality and supply issues. With Cinco de Mayo approaching, demand is increasing and costs will surely rise. Fortunately, our source expects lime supply and quality will become stable by the end of May.

Peddler’s Son Excellence in Wholesale Produce 

Peddler’s Son has provided Arizona businesses with quality wholesale produce for over 30 years. We are committed to customer service, quality, and honest pricing to ensure our customers get the best products and provisions possible. As a family-owned wholesale produce distributor, we provide our services to everyone from the produce department to the hospital cafeteria. No matter your industry, Peddler’s Son is here for you! Contact us today and learn what a partnership with us can mean for your business.

What to Expect in Your Produce Department in May Read More »

COVID-19

365 Days of COVID-19: How Peddler’s Son Adapted to The Pandemic

News /

It has been a little over a year since the health crisis began sending shockwaves throughout the world. In the last 365 days, businesses and communities have readjusted their operations to keep their employees and customers safe per local and federal mandates, as well as CDC recommended guidelines. While the COVID-19 pandemic’s precedence is still on top of everyone’s minds, things are starting to look up. Vaccines are becoming more widely available in the United States and newly reported cases of infection are declining. Could this mean a return to normalcy for our communities? Only time will tell, but we’re extremely hopeful for our recovery.

At Peddler’s Son, we’ve seen firsthand how impactful the COVID-19 crisis has been on our clients and Arizona communities. But, we continued to serve them with the best service as safely as possible. That is why we’re proud to share with you the incredible efforts our team has accomplished to ensure businesses were cared for during these unprecedented times.  

The Day The World Caved In

Like many businesses in the United States, Peddler’s Son was blindsided by the COVID-19 pandemic. Vice President, Joe Palmisano reflects, “At the beginning of the week I was planning my next spring training game with clients, and by the end of the week I was making tough decisions on staff furloughs”. 

Peddler’s Son was stunned like other businesses in Arizona, but quickly realized we needed to shift from normal to “COVID enhanced” operations. As an essential business, closing our doors was not an option. Our clients and community need our services to ensure they feed their customers, patients, and students fresh meals every day. As a result, we assembled an Executive Task Force to answer the what, when, where, and hows of our adapted operations. From safety, distribution, human resources, and staffing, everything was on the table for our task force. 

COVID-19 Executive Task Force Heeded the Call

One of the most important things we knew we had to tackle was our workforce. As mentioned, at the beginning of the pandemic we conducted furloughs and salary cuts. This was a very hard decision for us, as we appreciate every member of our team for their hard work and enthusiasm for providing quality services. One of the first things our Executive Task Force knew they needed to do was answer for this. Subsequently, the task force was on top of emergency aid programs and was able to bring team members back to work if they desired. 

As employees returned to work, they still faced other challenges such as social distancing practices and greater emphasis on cleanliness. Jorganne Garcia, Peddler’s Son Human Resources Manager explains, “I knew it was important for everyone to understand what we were dealing with and most importantly, to know how to react if it ever happened to them.” As a result, the company has been fortunate enough not to encounter internal COVID-19 cases. 

Another important element our Executive Task Force had to answer was how to keep our drivers safe as they distributed essential products. We understood how vital food delivery is to our customers, especially during these socially distant times. We serve clients, such as those in healthcare and senior living facilities, who rely heavily on food delivery services. Moreover, as many as 40 trucks a day were on the road, meaning those drivers may interact with as many as 500 customers. 

We had to reevaluate our entire food distribution operation to ensure our drivers and clients were safe from the spread. This involved overnight sanitizing of all truck cabs, office space, and our facility’s common areas. Not to mention a weekly deep-clean for the entire premises. Also, we added significant driver education to increase and enhance how they deliver products to our clients. 

Gilbert Sanchez, Peddler’s Son Fleet and Facility Manager, explains “While some sites were more challenging than others when it came to deliveries, we knew our experienced team of drivers were ready to follow guidelines and remain safe.” Our efforts worked, as not a single one of our drivers reported symptoms or potential COVID-19 exposure in their daily duties. 

One thing we quickly learned was how willing our clients were to adapt their operations in the face of the pandemic. We saw how committed these businesses were in overcoming the challenges of the crisis to ensure they stayed afloat. That is why Peddler’s Son threw its life preserver out to ensure we helped in their success. We adjusted our delivery schedules and credit terms to be more flexible to their businesses needs. 

Before and After COVID-19, Peddler’s Son Has Your Business In Mind

While the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many of our operations, our mission remains the same – provide quality produce, provisions and delivery services to its clients. Under these unprecedented circumstances, we continue to grow partnerships, fuel communities and deliver success in everything we do. We’re proud to launch our “The Next 90 Now” series of quarterly videos where Joe and Ted share market trends and updates for the upcoming quarter. 
Contact Peddler’s Son today to learn what a partnership with us can mean for your business.

365 Days of COVID-19: How Peddler’s Son Adapted to The Pandemic Read More »

produce

April Trends in Your Produce Department

Produce Alerts, News /

It’s beginning to look like spring! With a majority of crops in good supply and quality, our sources are telling us that your grocery store is going to be full of delicious fruits and vegetables. However, there are a few things you need to keep in mind when ordering products for your produce department this month. 

Peddler’s Son has over 30 years of experience providing grocery retailers, restaurants, healthcare providers, and educational institutions with wholesale produce. With 54,000 square feet of warehouse and over 30 trucks feeding all of Arizona, we’ve got our finger on the pulse of the produce market. Read our article below to learn what you should expect this month in your produce department. 

The Price of Eggplants is Trending Down

While the quality and supply of eggplants are in good standing, there is a low demand for the vegetable. As a result, this is putting pressure on the cost and shifting price in grocery stores.

Berries Will Be Tight This Month

Due to the recent weather and Easter holiday, berry supplies will be extremely tight out of Mexico. Prices for blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries are trending up and growers don’t expect the market to come down for at least a few more weeks in April. 

Comparatively, strawberries are running slightly low this week. Supplies are winding down in Central Mexico and Florida, while California was impacted by rain and hail. Additionally, there was a lot of pressure on demand due to the Easter holiday. Now that the weather is forecasted to improve, pricing is expected to improve by next week.

Fluctuating Weather is Leading to Poor Carrot Supplies

Due to extremely cold temperatures, jumbo carrot supplies will be close to nonexistent for three to four weeks. Table carrots out of Arizona, California, and Georgia show greater opportunity but still face some supply issues. It’s also important to note the weather fluctuation is causing cello carrots to crack, thus stunting the product’s growth. 

Corn is in Limbo for Another Few Weeks

Corn hasn’t changed since our last update. Production is at a standstill due to the inclement weather over the last few months. This has led to a lower supply and quality that will be available in your produce department. However, it’s important to note production in California is projected to start in a couple of weeks. This development may affect the availability and quality in late April/early May.

Lime Availability and Quality Remains a Concern

Veracruz and large portions of Mexico are experiencing significant amounts of rain, resulting in quality and supply issues. This will have an impact on limes arriving at the border for the next week. Additionally, holy week ended on April 3rd, meaning growers are back to harvesting crops. We’re expecting to see a steady stream of limes in the produce department by mid-next week.

Peddler’s Son Excellence in Wholesale Produce 

Peddler’s Son has provided Arizona businesses with quality wholesale produce for over 30 years. We are committed to customer service, quality, and honest pricing to ensure our customers get the best products and provisions possible. As a family-owned wholesale produce distributor, we provide our services to everyone from the produce department to the hospital cafeteria. No matter your industry, Peddler’s Son is here for you! Contact us today and learn what a partnership with us can mean for your business.

April Trends in Your Produce Department Read More »

Food

Forecasting Food Service Trends Post-Pandemic

News /

Everyone is putting 2020 behind them, including the food and beverage industry. The industry has been forced to adapt to a new business environment and consumer behaviors as a result of the pandemic. Last year, consumer behavior underwent a major change, with families coming together through home-cooked meals and consuming healthy food more than ever. We also saw restaurants shift towards home deliveries, takeouts, and curated at-home dining experiences.

Experimentation and the creation of new food trends have always been a part of the food and beverage industry. COVID-19 only accelerated the creative spark that drove innovative ways for the industry to survive and thrive in a post-pandemic world. The trends around new products, technology, service, delivery, and overall food culture appears to be here to stay beyond 2021. 

Forecasting Food Service Trends 

Product Trends

Takeout services continue to expand and restaurants’ assurance that food won’t be compromised provides a sense of security for people who are ordering digitally. Containers and bags designed to seal ensures food isn’t exposed and alerts customers if the food has been opened. Among other product trends, are cashier shields, hand sanitizer kiosks, floor labels, face shields, and social distancing signs. 

Service Trends

The rise of ordering food online skyrocketed to include everything from 10-course meals to DIY meal kits and unique packages containing fresh ingredients. Restaurants looked to shift how they craft their menus specifically for delivery and takeout. Quality and convenience have become even more of a major factor for restaurants looking to maintain excellent customer experiences. Some additional service trends are drive-in restaurants, ghost/virtual kitchens, single-serving packaged meals for grab and go options, and curbside pick-up.

Delivery Trends

Third-party online food delivery apps such as Grubhub, Uber Eats, and DoorDash made online food delivery a $10 billion dollar business in 2019, and that value only increased during 2020. These services were extremely high in demand, and providing no-contact delivery eased hungry people’s concerns about interacting with strangers during the pandemic. Some additional delivery trends are grocery delivery, meal subscription services, co-op delivery, and even alcohol delivery. 

Restaurant Technology Trends

The F&B industry has made it a priority to ensure the health of employees and customers. The market has already seen new AI-based technologies that help food businesses better manage risk in their workforce. QR Code Menus giving customers the ability to view the menu from their smartphones took the place of restaurants handing out traditional menus.

To save time and reduce the interaction between guests and servers, individual checkout systems have been implemented in restaurants across the country. Some additional technologies that will be here to stay are customized apps from larger restaurant chains, UV lights installed at grocery entryways, and zero contact temperature checks to lower the risk of potentially sick customers. 

As the pandemic slowly takes a turn for the better, the F&B industry is doing everything they can do to survive, from developing new and creative service and delivery trends to creating helpful products and innovative technology. These trends are transforming the direction of the culinary world, too. 

Top Food Trends 2021

According to Kalsec global market research, the six trends expected to guide the global food industry in 2021 include:

  1. Functional Food And Beverages
  2. Celebrating Culture with Cuisine
  3. A Force for Good
  4. Innovation in Prepared and Takeout Meals
  5. Specific Spices and Ingredients 2.O
  6. Classics with a Modern Twist

Our friends in the restaurant industry had to adapt and look at creative ways to share their passion and art of food with their customers. As renowned chefs looked to social media to connect with their followers, the rise of independent chefs sharing their recipes and experiences with the world through Instagram and Youtube planted a stake in the ground.

Restaurants are looking to shift how they craft their menus to reflect daily specials, incorporating more vegetable-forward dishes, and international cuisine, where the focus on holistic eating and zero waste is a reflection of COVID-19. Sourcing local ingredients and eating healthier has become a priority for people becoming more conscious of what they eat. New methods of preserving food, such as salting, dehydrating, pickling, and fermenting are becoming more popular both in home kitchens and restaurants alike. 

Peddler’s Son Is Here For You

As a family-owned wholesale produce distributor since 1988, Peddler’s Son is here to help your business grow. We provide exceptional customer service through transparency and integrity while building valuable relationships with Arizona organizations with the best quality fresh produce and provisions. Contact us today to learn more about becoming a customer.

Forecasting Food Service Trends Post-Pandemic Read More »

fresh produce

January 2021 Fresh Produce Distribution Recap

Produce Alerts, Uncategorized /

January 2021 weather issues were the main obstacle when it came to fresh produce according to National Produce Consultants. Throughout the month of January, 14 fresh produce items were on alert, with ten of those items being impacted by either cool weather or hurricanes. 

Bananas, cantaloupe, celery, corn, and asparagus were the fresh produce items on alert all month long. Hurricanes affecting Central America impacted the production of bananas and cantaloupe. Florida was still trying to recover from a rough couple of months of hurricanes and cold weather, impacting not only corn production but also its quality. Parsley, the only fresh produce commodity on alert all month, was not impacted by weather. It was simply under pressure and behind schedule. 

The production of asparagus was in a transition period in Mexico from Baja to Caborca. While Culiacan, a new growing region in Mexico, eased off the pressure tomatoes were facing for a couple of weeks in January due to Florida still recovering. Raspberries were heavily impacted by cold weather in Mexico, resulting in increased prices and lower availability.

Other fresh produce items impacted by cold weather included red leaf, squash, strawberries, and honeydew. Honeydew sizes were one of the results of cold weather and sizing concerns were also present in mushrooms. Although the busiest time of the year for mushrooms is over, they’re still facing supply reduction and COVID-19 related problems. Finally, the market for green beans has stabilized after the holiday period and are now seeing good supply and demand.

Fresh Produce Watch

Items Affected By Hurricanes

Bananas – Cantaloupe – Corn – Tomatoes 

Items Affected By Cool Weather

Celery – Honeydew – Raspberries – Strawberries – Red Leaf – Squash

Other Issues

Parsley (Behind Schedule) – Asparagus (Transition) – Mushrooms (Sizing) – Green Beans (Supply Shortage)

To view the full reports click here.

What to Expect At Your Local Fresh Produce in February

Unfortunately, weather issues are expected to continue during the month of February. With a lot of regions suffering from cooler temperatures, both quality and supply issues will continue to be present for strawberries, squash, celery, and corn. 

Raspberries are expected to see an increase in price as they also continue to suffer from cold weather in Mexico. The situation with bananas will remain the same for the foreseeable future as both productions in Mexico and Ecuador recover. Supplies for cantaloupe will be on the lower side until production in the growing region of Zapaca in Guatemala returns. 

On the other hand, as Guatemala recovers from recent hurricanes, honeydew production will see relief come from Honduras, which will help Florida keep the market stable. Asparagus’ transition from Baja to Caborca will also end in the coming weeks, which will help bring the cost down and production up. 

Peddler’s Son Is Here For You

As a family-owned wholesale produce distributor since 1988, Peddler’s Son is here to help your business grow. We provide exceptional customer service through transparency and integrity while building valuable relationships with Arizona organizations with the best quality products. Contact us today to learn more about becoming a customer.

January 2021 Fresh Produce Distribution Recap Read More »

rebrand

Peddler’s Son: Top Wholesale Food Distributor Rebrands

News, Blog Post /

Say Hello to Our New Logo

Everything in life changes over time and company logos are no exception. As a long-time wholesale food distribution and delivery company in Arizona, Peddler’s Son has re-envisioned it’s look and logo. We loved our old logo, and know that you did too. And yet, this rebrand is pivotal for us to show our customers that we have grown into a more mature food delivery company. Today we are happy to introduce our new image and highlight our delivery services with our customers at heart.

Peddler's Son logo reveal gif

New Look, Same Quality Service

Established in 1988, we have gone through a few logo refreshes. We are proud of their look, but they did not completely tell Peddler’s Son story.

Peddler’s Son started with one flatbed truck offering 3 items, which included watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew, to shops around the Valley. Now, 32 years later we have grown to a 54,000 square foot warehouse, more than 3,000 SKUs, and 30 trucks connecting foodservice and supplies to customers all over Arizona. Today we have updated our company branding to be clearer about the products and services that come from Peddler’s Son. We are introducing our new logo and tagline to further distinguish Peddler’s Son as a company.

COVID-19

Not only do we want to reestablish the focus we have on customer service, but we also want people to know the array of products we carry and the categories of who we serve. From restaurants, healthcare cafeterias, government buildings, school menus, and hospitality kitchens, we’ve got the goods that you need. Peddler’s Son also proudly services caterers for special events.

New Mission and Vision

At Peddler’s Son, we believe in the philosophy of fresh! Rooted in homegrown service and growing partnerships that fuel our community. We are your trusted culinary partner delivering ingredients for life since 1988. Because when you grow, we grow! 

And our new mission and vision statements confirm this. 

MISSION: From the beginning, our mission has been to deliver unparalleled value built on quality, integrity, and transparency. We consider it a privilege to connect fresh produce and the finest provisions to our customers with service made simple. We are your trusted culinary partner delivering ingredients for life since 1988.

VISION: Grow Partnerships. Fuel Communities. Deliver Success.Throughout the years, we have maintained our quality standards in foodservice delivery bringing fine food and goods with quality customer service. We didn’t take this rebrand lightly, rethinking our vision for the company, mission statement, and tagline. Over the coming week, we will start using our new brand design in marketing materials, truck wraps, and website. If you follow us on social media, check out our Facebook and LinkedIn pages for weekly updates.

Your Foodservice Partner Rebrands

A partnership with Peddler’s Son is the missing ingredient. From fresh produce to specialty meats or imported flavors, our network of suppliers bring you the best items for your culinary creations. For over 30 years, we have been committed to delivering the freshest quality foods and products to our customers with service made simple. We’re not just your wholesale food delivery service, we are your business partner. You can count on us for expert advice and sourcing products that can make your business soar. Our team takes pride in customizing your orders for you, making your business run smoother.

Trusted Wholesale Food Delivery

At Peddler’s Son, we work with a variety of vendors to ensure they receive products that our customers want. Whether you are a local restaurant, hospital cafeteria food service provider, grocery store, or school, our team is committed to your wholesale foodservice delivery needs. Contact us today to learn what products and services we can provide you.

Peddler’s Son: Top Wholesale Food Distributor Rebrands Read More »

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