Features

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Aldi: Reshaping Grocery Retail
31 Mar 2025 18 minute read

Aldi: Reshaping Grocery Retail

In the highly competitive and crowded grocery retail space, Aldi has long been known as a no frills, low-price leader. Photo courtesy of Aldi, Inc.

By Karen Raugust
Spotlight: Analyzing Demand and Market Development in Carrots
30 Mar 2025 13 minute read

Spotlight: Analyzing Demand and Market Development in Carrots

Whether you’re a fan of the usual orange coloring or other hues, carrots are a mainstay in vegetable sales.

By Poonkulali Thangavelu
Spotlight: Sweet Cherries- Gems of the Produce Aisle
30 Mar 2025 13 minute read

Spotlight: Sweet Cherries- Gems of the Produce Aisle

Cherries are an eagerly awaited sweet treat for suppliers, retailers, and consumers. Photo courtesy of CMI Orchards, LLC.

By Amy S. Landes

Columns

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A Closer Look: Demand for fresh and convenient surges
01 Apr 2025 4 minute read

A Closer Look: Demand for fresh and convenient surges

As 2024 winds down, inflation is easing. It’s even better news for food. As of August, food inflation was just 0.9 percent higher year-over-year. And then there’s fruits and vegetables, where prices fell 0.5 percent year-over-year. But it’s not good news for all of the food industry. Because inflation is cumulative, it’s still somewhere around […]

By Greg Johnson
Food for Thought: Improving fruit and vegetable consumption, one customer at a time
01 Apr 2025 6 minute read

Food for Thought: Improving fruit and vegetable consumption, one customer at a time

Easy ways to increase fruit and vegetable buys at retail from a registered dietitian.

By Thu Huynh
Food for Thought: Seed Development and Breeding
01 Apr 2025 5 minute read

Food for Thought: Seed Development and Breeding

New technologies continue to open the door to accelerated breeding techniques. Learn why this is crucial to future of fresh produce.

By Jill Overdorf, The Produce Ambassador
CEO’s Perspective

Innovation, Change, and Progress

Leading Through Change: Blue Book’s Legacy of Innovation and Momentum

Kirk Soule

Weekend Interview

– a weekly feature –

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Credit & Finance

– a bimonthly feature –

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Deconstructing 2024 Data Trends: An analysis using Blue Book data
30 Mar 2025 14 minute read

Deconstructing 2024 Data Trends: An analysis using Blue Book data

Leading into 2024, inflationary pressures and high interest rates were top of mind. And while some easing has taken place, these challenges continue to persist through the first quarter of 2025.

By Bill Zentner
How to Develop a Credit Policy: Protection is the name of the game
28 Mar 2025 13 minute read

How to Develop a Credit Policy: Protection is the name of the game

How can companies dealing in fresh produce reduce risk and protect their financial health? One way is to create a formal credit policy.

By Annemarie Mannion
Your Blue Book Credit Score: Why it matters
28 Mar 2025 16 minute read

Your Blue Book Credit Score: Why it matters

Based on our daily interactions with the trade, nearly all say they pay close attention to Blue Book scores.

By Bill Zentner

Applied Technology

– a bimonthly feature –

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Taking Technology to the Next Level for Growers: Q&A with John Deere’s Greg Christensen
30 Mar 2025 9 minute read

Taking Technology to the Next Level for Growers: Q&A with John Deere’s Greg Christensen

New high-tech equipment for growers from a recognized name. Photo courtesy of John Deere.

By Taryn Pfalzgraf
AI and Produce Sales: ChatGPT, other tools are marketers’ friends
28 Mar 2025 19 minute read

AI and Produce Sales: ChatGPT, other tools are marketers’ friends

In simple terms, AI may seem the stuff of science fiction; to fruit and vegetable marketers, on the other hand, ChatGPT and other such AI algorithms have become essential tools.

By Jim Offner
Get Smart: Unraveling the mysteries of AI
28 Mar 2025 25 minute read

Get Smart: Unraveling the mysteries of AI

Although AI tools aren’t omnipresent across the industry yet, they’re popping up in both big and small operations.

By Jim Offner

Claims, Collections & Dispute Resolution

– a bimonthly feature –

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Produce Pointers: Payments and set-offs
28 Mar 2025 3 minute read

Produce Pointers: Payments and set-offs

When are set-offs acceptable?

By Cliff Sieloff
Fact Checking Good Arrival: True or false
28 Mar 2025 10 minute read

Fact Checking Good Arrival: True or false

How well do you know your “good arrival” facts? Let’s find out.

By Doug Nelson
Reefer Carriers and PACA: What freight folks need to know
28 Mar 2025 21 minute read

Reefer Carriers and PACA: What freight folks need to know

How does PACA apply to reefer carriers and freight brokers handling fresh produce?

By Doug Nelson

News and analysis you need.

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Hear from our customers

Chenail

How Chenail Leverages Blue Book to Propel Its Growth.

“It helps people understand what kind of positioning you have in the market that you occupy, what kind of payment history you have, how you treat with troubles when you have troubles. It’s the best reference there is out there for people to understand who you are without knowing you.”

Tony Bono Image-min
Canadawide

How George Pitsikoulis of Canadawide Uses Blue Book as a Critical Tool for Business Success.

“Blue Book is the reference for our business, for the industry at large in regards to knowledge about commodities, the people we’re dealing with, and doing our due diligence. There’s no other tool that can replace it. The experience has been amazing from the very beginning.”