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Restaurant Daily News Sunday, May 21, 2017 9 8 department and discount stores, gas sta- tions, drug stores, specialty retail stores, supermarkets and online retail. All retail categories improve year over year in the 2016 holiday shopping season, while online retail continues to dominate. With mall traffic dwindling, less crowded stores are not hurting customer satisfac- tion either. "As traditional outlets such as Sears, Macy's and JCPenney shed properties, shoppers may experience better service in the stores that remain," says David VanAmburg, ACSI Managing Director. "Although this is obviously not ideal or sustainable in the long run, fewer cus- tomers mean shorter lines, faster check- out and more attention from sales staff." Supermarkets improve customer sat- isfaction by 6.8 percent to 78, aided by falling food prices, higher quality and better service. Trader Joe's rises to the top (+4 percent to 86). Publix is up 2 per- cent to 84, followed by ALDI, H-E-B and Wegmans at 83. Whole Foods climbs 11 percent to 81, ahead of Hy-Vee, Kroger and ShopRite (all 79). Meijer (+5 percent) matches Target (+10 percent) at 78, followed by BI-LO (+4 percent to 77). The newly merged Ahold Delhaize posts an ACSI score of 76 to tie with SUPERVALU. Albertsons follows at 75, well below its score in the drug store category. Walmart ACSI (Cont'd. from p. 1) and Giant Eagle are each up 10 percent, but remain in a tie for last place at 74. Customer satisfaction with drug stores rises 6.8 percent to 78. Kmart pharmacy leads at 84, in part because many customers that were less than satis- fied have left. Albertsons Companies, which includes Safeway, comes in sec- ond place at 83. The merged company hits its stride in 2016 with a 20-percent gain. Kroger is stable at 81 while Target is the only pharmacy to fall, down 1 per- cent to just above the average at 79. Rite Aid improves 13 percent to 78, while CVS, Walgreens and Walmart round out the low end at 76. Department and discount stores gain 5.4 percent to 78. Dillard's takes first place, up 4 percent to an ACSI score of 83. In second place, JCPenney is the biggest gainer, up 11 percent to 82. Nordstrom is the only department store to deteriorate in customer satisfac- tion, slipping 2 percent into a three-way tie with Dollar Tree and Belk at 80. Kohl's, Macy's and Target all advance to 79, and Dollar General rises to 78. Meijer matches Sears at 77, followed by Ross at 76. Customer satisfaction with Walmart surges 9 percent as the company's renewed attention to customer service via "holiday helpers" to expedite checkout lines and aid shoppers pays off. Despite the ACSI gain, however, Walmart contin- ues to anchor the low end of the industry with an ACSI score of 72. COLUMBIA VALLEY FAMILY FARMS INTRODUCES FOSTER'S PICKLED CARROTS A saying we have all heard a thousand times: "The customer is always right!" Columbia Valley Family Farms takes the opinions of its customers to heart. They have been asking for a new product, and the company has answered loud and clear. With great excitement, it presents new Foster's Pickled Carrots. It contains five inches of crisp, crunch, snap and zest. Extending an already great line of pickled items, Columbia Valley Family Farms is proud of this new savory devel- opment. The feedback from the United States and Canada has been overwhelm- ingly positive; retailers and consumers alike have expressed their delight in Foster's Pickled Carrots. Through the careful implementation of tested steps and procedures, the com- pany provides the excellence its cus- tomers have come to expect over the last 30 years. The produce it uses is harvest- ed daily and immediately shipped from the field to the fresh packing lines or to the processing plant for pickling. With only a short drive between the field and the packing facility, it guarantees a fresh product ready to be enjoyed by the con- sumer. "Growing the raw product in our own fields gives us an advantage. The consumer can buy our asparagus, green beans or carrots knowing that it's been processed fresh and placed into the jar for pickling within 24 hours," says Kevin Filbrun, President and Chief Executive Officer. Columbia Valley Family Farms Inc. is nestled in the heart of Washington's fertile Columbia Basin. Owners Kevin Filbrun and Bryan Lynch have a passion for agriculture and are family oriented brothers who have been farming for almost three decades. They are active in the local community through serving on the boards of the Washington State Asparagus Commission and Northwest Farm Credit Services. They also donate time, talent and resources to charities, and provide support for youth missions to foreign countries. Their suc- cess can be attributed to operating with integrity and implementing sus- tainable farming programs. These definitive traits, used throughout years of farming, are now being taught to an eager fourth genera- tion who are learning the impor- tance of providing a quality prod- uct. Foster's Pickled Products are built on excellence, tradition and sustainability. Its asparagus, green beans and carrots are 100 percent natural, pro- viding you with exceptional quality and a crisp, tangy taste. From its family farm in Eastern Washington to your home, it insists on quality every step of the way. Fosters Pickled Products are packed with years of experience and sealed with a vision for the future. For more information, go to www.fosters asparagus.com or call 855.261.6395. ORGANIC CHOCOLATE CHIPS FROM CLASEN QUALITY CHOCOLATE Clasen Quality Chocolate, a U.S.-based manufacturer of chocolate and confec- tionery coatings, has recently launched a new brand of organic baking chocolate called Artisan Kettle™ Organic Chocolate. Artisan Kettle Organic Chocolate Chips and Baking Bars are made in Wisconsin, with organic, Fair Trade Certified™ cocoa from small-scale, fam- ily farmers in South America. Artisan Kettle blends its selectively sourced cacao with only a few, simple ingredients to create the best tasting organic choco- late there is to offer. The brand's unique recipes and connection to the far off places the cocoa comes from make this product truly special, and especially deli- cious. Available in Bittersweet, Semisweet, Milk Chocolate and White Chocolate, each variety of the chips is sold in stand-up, reclosable bags. The baking bars are available in Unsweetened Cocoa, Bittersweet, Semisweet and Milk Chocolate. All varieties are: QAI Organic Certified; made with Fair Trade USA Certified ingredi- ents; naturally gluten free; made with only non-GMO ingredients; Orthodox Union – Kosher Pareve and Kosher Dairy; and Unsweetened, Semisweet and Bittersweet varieties are allergen free. With all of these benefits and a suggested retail price of under $5.00, Artisan Kettle Baking Chocolate is an excel- lent value compared to organ- ic baking chocolate available in stores today. The company also recently intro- duced a brand of nonorganic baking chocolate called Kitchen Hearth™. Available in choco- late and chocolate-flavored varieties of chips and bark coat- ing, this brand offers outstand- ing value to bakers on a budget. Both brands are available at select retailers, and available for new distribution nationwide now. The company takes great pride in its excellent customer service and welcomes the opportunity to partner with retailers of all sizes. For more information, go to www.clasen.us or www.artisankettle organic.com or call 608.467.3728. FRUIT BLISS EXPANDS WITH ADDITION OF REHYDRATED TOMATOES, GOLDENBERRIES Fruit Bliss is proud to announce the expansion of its dried fruit line to include #deliciouslyjuicy rehydrated tomatoes and goldenberries. "After the success of our dates, figs, plums and apricots, we are thrilled to add tomatoes and goldenberries to our offer- ings," said Susan Leone, Founder and Owner of Fruit Bliss. "Our products are great for snacking and using in a wide array of recipes, from smoothies to baked goods, and now in pizza, pasta, sand- wiches and salads." Fruit Bliss' tomatoes are grown in Turkey, while the goldenberries come from Peru. These fruits are picked at the height of ripeness and dried, then exported to Turkey, where they under- go a rehydrating process that leaves them juicier and sweeter than tradition- al dried fruit. Like all of Fruit Bliss' products, the tomatoes and goldenberries are just fruit (yes, tomatoes are a fruit!) and water – no added sugar, preservatives or GMOs. They will be available in 4-ounce (toma- toes) and 5-ounce pouches (goldenberries) at super- markets around the country. "Compared with other dried fruits, ours are juicy and naturally sweet, with no sulfites or other chemicals," said Leone, a Brooklyn mom who decided to start Fruit Bliss to fill the gap in 100 percent healthy snacks on the supermarket shelves. "Fruit Bliss is literally dried fruit reinvented and a truly healthy snack or addition to many dishes." About Fruit Bliss Established in 2011, Fruit Bliss' pouches and snack-size minis are sold nationally and can be found in Whole Foods, Safeway, Sprouts, King's, Rosauers, Jimbo's Naturally, Kowalski's Markets and many other regional natural food stores. Fruit Bliss is the first com- pany to bring rehydrated dried fruits, a common snack and cooking ingredient throughout Europe, to the United States. For more information, call 646.225.6565, go to www.fruitbliss.com or email info@fruitbliss.com.