Bristol Farms last week began offering four SKUs of vertically farmed produce from Plenty Unlimited as that company expands its operations into Southern California.
Carson, California-based Bristol Farms is carrying pre-packaged, pesticide-free Baby Arugula, Baby Kale, Crispy Lettuce, and Mizuna Mix (a blend of baby bok choy and Japanese mustard greens) at all 14 locations. This marks the first time Bristol Farms has carried indoor, vertically grown produce.
South San Francisco-based Plenty approached the upscale, regional retailer almost two years ago looking for an exclusive partner to launch its product in Southern California, Scott Wiggans, produce director at Bristol Farms, told SFA News Daily.
“When we heard that Plenty was investing in a state-of-the-art facility in Compton, [California], we realized that this would be a great way to introduce Southern California to indoor vertically farmed salads,” he said.
Plenty’s Compton facility, which is scheduled to open soon, is only 13 miles from Bristol Farms’ distribution center in Carson, he said, allowing the retail to significantly reduce its own carbon footprint and cut transportation emissions. Until the Compton facility opens, Bristol Farms will receive Produce from Plenty’s South San Francisco farm.
Plenty has a proprietary platform that enables it to produce up to 350 times more produce per acre than conventional farms, using a fraction of land and water, the company said. Its technology creates the ideal environment for each individual plant, allowing it to grow produce with peak-season flavor year-round. Plenty also operates an indoor plant science research facility in Laramie, Wyoming, and what it described as the world’s largest indoor vertical farm campus near Richmond, Virginia.
“Once we got the opportunity to tour the Compton facility and see all the amazing technology and the benefits of indoor vertical farming, we were sold on the Plenty brand,” said Wiggans. “We look forward to letting our customers taste the difference that this type of growing allows.”
Bristol is offering the Plenty items for $4.99 per 4.5-ounce package as an everyday low price, and at $3.99 on promotion. Margins will be on par with similar items, Wiggans said.
The retailer’s marketing team is partnering with Plenty to promote the line, including supporting the launch with point-of-sale signage, demonstrations, and a “Meet the Founder” feature on Bristol Farms’ website, as well as emails, blogs, and social media posts. Bristol Farms is also planning special events in October and January, Wiggans said.
“We are excited to begin our expansion to Southern California and have Bristol Farms introduce Plenty's delicious, pesticide-free produce to its shoppers,” said Dana Worth, senior vice president of commercial at Plenty, in a statement. “We can and will stabilize our food system with the help of committed partners like Bristol Farms and discerning consumers who take pride in what they eat.”
Related: Plenty Builds Largest Vertical Farm Campus; Slideshow: Bristol Farms, Instacart to Launch Connected Store.
from Industry Operations https://ift.tt/jFgOwbm
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