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Gourmet News November 2014

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BY LUCAS WITMAN In a meeting of the Russian Cabi- net in August, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev an- nounced that his country will henceforth ban imports of all meat, seafood, fruit, vegetables, dairy and fresh prepared foods produced in the United States, Canada, EU, Australia and Nor- way for a period of one year. The move was ostensibly made in an effort to give the Russian agricul- ture sector an opportunity to bet- ter compete with foreign farmers and food producers and increase its global market share. However, the import ban implicitly serves as retaliation against these countries BY LUCAS WITMAN Finding success as a specialty food retailer can be a difficult proposition even under the best of circumstances, but in a market as competitive as Bend, Oregon, it takes something truly excep- tional to draw food shoppers into a retail space. The city of just over 76,000 residents contains at least 15 full-service grocery stores, as well as a bevy of spe- cialty markets. With so many available shopping options for the local populace to turn to, it is clear that any store that has sur- vived – and in fact thrived – for nearly 40 years, experiencing Revel in the Bounty of Central Oregon at Newport Avenue Market Continued on PAGE 5 UPDATE: Mixes SEE PAGE 13 MARKETWATCH: Caviar SEE PAGE 20 SPECIAL FEATURE: Cocktails SEE PAGE 17 Continued on PAGE 3 Continued on PAGE 6 Continued on PAGE 10 double digit sales growth for the past three, is doing something right. Case-in-point: Bend's New- port Avenue Market. "For us, it's all about the expe- rience. Anybody can shop online. It really comes down to being a food hub for our neighborhood and going after [the shoppers], whether it's the weekend visitors to Bend or the everyday Euro- pean-style shoppers," said Lauren Johnson, COO of Newport Av- enue Market. (Her honorary title is "Leader of the Pack.") "Being that food hub and creating a sense of excitement and a sense of fun is really what the experience is." For the team at Newport Av- enue Market, it is the elevated experience of shopping at the store more than anything else that brings shoppers through its doors. The market not only of- fers an opportunity for hungry shoppers to pick up a few gro- ceries, but it also serves as a meeting place where people in the community can come to- gether to catch up on one an- other's lives. And for visitors to Bend, the store serves as a re- gional showcase for Central Ore- gon's farmers, specialty food craftspeople and artists. Of course, Newport Avenue Market would not be as success- ful as it is if it did not offer an ex- pansive selection of high-quality, in-demand food and beverage items. The aisles of mainstream groceries at the store as well as its gourmet offerings make this a place where one can go to do a big weekly grocery shop or sim- ply stop in for a bottle of im- ported olive oil or a few farmstead cheeses. Newport Av- enue Market offers meat, seafood, baked goods, deli, cheese, produce, beer, wine, sushi, housewares and more. Study Analyzes 2014 Consumer Spending Habits U.S. Food Producers, Retailers, Consumers Brace for Impact of Russian Import Ban for the sanctions that were im- posed against Russia following the country's annexation earlier this year of the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine. Only a few months old, the Russian import ban is already yielding negative effects for many European farmers. According to the European commission, exports by companies in EU member countries to Russia of food and agricultural products were worth 5.1 billion euros ($6.5 billion) in 2013. This represents 4.2 percent of total agricultural exports from the EU. From German cabbage to Dutch pears to Italian tomatoes, agricultural products that were once destined for Moscow or St. Petersburg are now without a home, and farmers are left strug- gling, wondering what to do with their goods. The good news for European farmers is that the EU has already stepped in to offer assistance to those who have been negatively impacted by the Russian import ban. Almost immediately follow- ing Medvedev's announcement, the European Commission stated that it would provide 125 million euros in support to European farmers saddled with a glut of pro- duce that they cannot export to its BY LUCAS WITMAN On September 8, General Mills made the announcement that it has entered into an agreement to purchase Annie's Inc., the Cali- fornia-based natural and organic product manufacturer. A leading natural foods brand, Annie's had net sales of $204 million in the past fiscal year. The Board of Di- rectors of Annie's has unani- mously recommended that the company's stockholders accept Consumers React with Concern to News that General Mills Acquiring Annie's Homegrown the acquisition offer. "This acquisition will signifi- cantly expand our presence in the U.S. branded organic and natural foods industry, where sales have been growing at a 12 percent com- pound rate over the last 10 years," said Jeff Harmening, Executive Vice President and Chief Operat- ing Officer for General Mills. "Annie's competes in a number of attractive food categories, with particular strength in convenient meals and snacks – two of General Mills' priority platforms. Con- sumers know and trust Annie's purpose-driven culture and au- thentic brand. We believe that combining the Annie's product portfolio and go-to-market capa- bilities with General Mills' supply chain, sales and marketing resources will accelerate the growth of our organic and natural BY DAVID BERNARD Stocking the pantry is so old school. After decades of making up a shopping list and piling up the grocery cart with a two- week supply of food, American consumers have shifted gears and are presenting retailers with a moving target that shops in smaller amounts, on more days and at a wider category range of retailers. These trends and others, documented previ- ously by leading consumer re- search company, The Hartman Group, will get a fresh look when the company launches its "Food Shopping in America 2014" project in the coming weeks. The company performs the study every two years, which has proven plenty of time for new trends to emerge in the continually advancing technological environment that affects shoppers today. With the online marketplace bringing shopping opportunities to consumers on a continuous basis and with the increasing va- riety of brick-and-mortar food retailers available, consumers today carry more power than ever. (The Hartman Group refers to the explosion of food VOLUME 79, NUMBER 11 NOVEMBER 2014 n $7.00 TRADE SHOW BUZZ n Products and Players Set to Compete for Private Label Business at PLMA Store Brands Reality Trade Show PAGE 6 SUPPLIER BUSINESS n Simply Panache Supplies "A Party in a Jar" with Versatile Mango Mango Preserve PAGE 9 RETAILER NEWS n Lemonis Fischer Acquisition Company Completes Acquisition of Crumbs Bake Shop PAGE 10 SPECIALTY DISTRIBUTORS & BROKERS n Innovative Food Acquires Gourmet Meal Delivery Company The Fresh Diet Inc. PAGE 11 HOT PRODUCTS n Dave's Gourmet Oatmeal Cookie Butter PAGE 12 News ..............................................2 Ad Index .......................................23 Smorgasbord ................................23 www.gourmetnews.com G OURMET N EWS T H E B U S I N E S S N E W S P A P E R F O R T H E G O U R M E T I N D U S T R Y ®

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