At last week's Global Produce & Floral Show, Oppy officially announced their partnership with Blue Diamond Growers, a cooperative of almond growers in California. The goal of the partnership is to drive almond consumption in the fresh produce aisle. So far, almonds have mainly been available in the center of the store, in the snacking aisle. However, a new line of almond products has been developed specifically for the fresh produce shopper. To differentiate the two categories, almonds in the new line don't contain any added oils or artificial flavorings. "We are excited to provide this satisfying and very delicious new snacking option from the No. 1 almond brand to shoppers in the produce aisle," says Karin Gardner with Oppy.
Promoting the new almond blends in Atlanta.
In the U.S., consumption of almonds is about three times higher than the next most popular tree nut variety and although almonds are a healthy nut, their share in the produce department is very limited. "After years of research, Blue Diamond Growers has developed a concept that is centered around finding a place for almonds in the produce aisle," commented Gardner. The new line, consisting of six different flavors, will be brought to the produce department as it offers a great opportunity to not only increase consumption of almonds but also support retailers with incremental growth in the nut category.
The different flavors include Oven Roasted Honey, Lightly Salted, Sea Salt & Black Pepper, Whole Natural almonds, as well as Toasted Almonds & Cherries and Sea Salt Almonds & Blueberries. The latter two are available in 7 oz. resealable stand-up bags while the other four flavors come in 8 oz. packaging. "The style of the bag is unique as it has a clear window that enables consumers to see how fresh the almonds are, creating consumer confidence," shared Gardner.
Kelsey Van Lissum, Karin Gardner, Jason Fong, Kevin Batt, and Carl Immenhausen at last week's Global Show in Atlanta.
New partnerships for Oppy
Oppy and Blue Diamond have entered an exclusive partnership with both companies working together in the process of bringing the new line to market. While Oppy has partnerships with many different companies, the tree nut category is new. In recent years, several new partnerships were started, resulting in an expansion of commodities. A more recent example of a markedly new collaboration is UP Vertical Farms. Initially, the partnership was based on bringing leafy green blends to market but has now expanded into salad kits. Four salad kits are available in the market and several more are in the background, waiting for their moment of launch.
Another partnership that brought something very different to Oppy's portfolio is a collaboration with G&M Farms. It has allowed for two exclusive proprietary blueberry varieties to be added to Oppy's berry line: Pink Cosmo and Hunkaberry. "These partnerships allow us to expand into different and fun commodities but also help in securing supply," commented Gardner. With that in mind, a joint venture with table grape grower and shipper Sun Grape USA was announced earlier this year. "Oppy had long been a leader in the import grape program; now we can offer robust year-round programs through Sun Grape California – An Oppy Company."
For more information:
Karin Gardner
Oppy
Tel: (+1) 206-499-7440
[email protected]
www.oppy.com