Salads/Salad Mixes

Commodity Overview

Salad mixes are a category unto themselves, appealing to a different type of customer than those who purchase salad ingredients. Salad mix shoppers are looking for a time-saving option that helps them create a healthy meal. Keep this demographic in mind when promoting them and improve your bottom line.

Varieties

Arugula

Mesclun/Spring Mix

Coleslaw

Iceberg-based Mix

European Blend

Chopped Romaine

Retail Price Data is based on USDA Specialty Crops Market News surveys. Data collection ends on the report date and encompasses ad pricing good from the Saturday before the report release date through the following Friday. Weekly data - from over 400 retailers, comprising more than 30,000 individual stores with online weekly advertised features - covers over 250 produce items. Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

USDA Specialty Crops Market News publishes FOB and Movement data on a daily and weekly basis. Pricing and volume information is aggregated by commodity and published weekly, subject to any source-data adjustments. Commodity data is further processed based on origin (domestic vs imports) and type (regular vs. organic). Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

Facts

Salad mixes offer up the health benefits of their ingredients, which vary from mix to mix. Romaine or leaf-lettuce-based salad mixes offer a denser mix of nutrients than iceberg-based salad mixes.
Mesclun greens and romaine have a low energy density. They have a low calorie count compared to their serving size. Mesclun greens contain 5% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. Mesclun greens and romaine both contain iron and calcium.

Sales Strategies

Salad mixes offer up some obvious cross-merchandising choices, including salad dressing, croutons, cheese, berries and other salad vegetables.
Salad mixes are available year-round. Include them in promotions throughout the year.
Fall: Include salad mixes in back-to-school promotions as an option for school and work lunch boxes.
Winter: Promote salad mixes as a base for salads to grace the holiday table, saving consumers time during the busy season.
Spring: Include salad mixes in Mother’s Day and Easter promotions as an easy starting point for salads.
Summer: Add salad mixes to summertime grilling promotions as a quick way to round out a grilled meal.
Offer samples of different types of salad mixes to promote not just the salad mixes but different types of salad dressings as well.

Dynamic Displays

Lots of options are important to keep salad mixes moving. Offer mixes from spring mix to Caesar salad.
Bagged salads are most popular, but some consumers prefer to purchase their salad mix in a clamshell.
Offer single-serve bowls complete with salad dressing and cheese to consumers looking for healthy lunch options.
Keep displays well-stocked and keep an eye on the use-by dates of product.
Give salad mixes their own display case with other convenience foods, such as coleslaw, shredded lettuce and broccoli florets.
Keep salad mix displays close to other salad vegetables to encourage consumers to add their own favorites to the mix.

Food Service

Salad mixes can cut preparation time in a big way. Start with a prepared salad mix and add other ingredients to create a signature salad all your own.
Use bagged salads to provide a base for your salad bar. Consider mixing together several types of salad mixes to create a heartier and more interesting option.
Consider adding a from-scratch dressing to your dressed-up salad mix.

In the Backroom

Shipping
20-lb. cartons, 4 5-lb. bags 20-lb. cartons, 2 10-lb. bags 3-, 6-, 9-, 12-, 18- and 24-count cartons (total) 3-lb. bulk carton, mesclun RPC – 6411, 6416, 6419, 6428 Consumer packs Salads are offered in many lettuce and vegetable combinations. Packaging varies from 3.5-oz. bags to 5-lb. bags.

Grades
See grades for individual products.

Handling
Temperature: 33 F, 0.6 C Relative humidity: 90-95% Mist: mesclun, lightly; do not mist wrapped product Typical shelf life: 10 to 19 days

Bubba's Produce Co Inc

Overview (2) (0) (5)

Business Type:

Wholesaler

Location HQ:

New Orleans, 70117 Louisiana

Berries:

Raspberries, Strawberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Clementines / Mandarins / Tangerines

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples, Figs, Grapes

B & R Stores Inc

Overview (1) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Retailer, Nursery/Florist

Location HQ:

Lincoln, 68503 Nebraska

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples, Asian Pears

Stone Fruit:

Apricots

Tropical Fruit:

Avocados, Bananas

Cooking Vegetables:

Artichokes, Asparagus, Beets

Garnand Marketing LLC

Overview (8) (0) (6)

Business Type:

Broker, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Twin Falls, 83301 Idaho

Cooking Vegetables:

Leeks, Napa Cabbage, Italian Parsley, Cilantro, Parsley, Flowering Kale

Salad Vegetables:

Broccoli, Celery, Celery Hearts, Onions, Green

Fresh Direct Produce Ltd

Overview (4) (0) (1)

Business Type:

Shipper, Importer, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Vancouver, V6A 2K6 British Columbia

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Clementines / Mandarins / Tangerines

Twin Peaks Distributing Inc

Overview (6) (0) (1)

Business Type:

Broker, Exporter, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

South San Francisco, 94080 California

Berries:

Raspberries, Strawberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Clementines / Mandarins / Tangerines

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples, Grapes

Melons:

Cantaloupe

Vegetable Fresh Inc

Overview (3) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Chicago, 60616 Illinois

Berries:

Strawberries

Citrus:

Limes

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples, Grapes

Melons:

Cantaloupe, Watermelon

Tropical Fruit:

Coconuts, Mangoes, Pineapple

Cooking Vegetables:

Beets

Ingles Produce Inc

Overview (1) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Broker

Location HQ:

Boca Raton, 33432 Florida

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Specialty Berries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges

C & C Produce Inc

Overview (7) (5) (9)

Business Type:

Shipper, Wholesaler, Other

Location HQ:

Kansas City, 64116 Missouri

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries

Citrus:

Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Oranges

Deciduous Fruit:

Apples, Grapes, Pears

Bonsai Produce and Distribution Inc

Overview (5) (0) (2)

Business Type:

Broker, Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Austell, 30168-7891 Georgia

Melons:

Cantaloupe

Salad Vegetables:

Broccoli, Celery, Onions, Green

Cooking Vegetables:

Napa Cabbage

Berries:

Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Gold Raspberries, Red Raspberries

Best Fresh Produce Inc

Overview (1) (0) (0)

Business Type:

Wholesaler

Location HQ:

Los Angeles, 90021 California

Citrus:

Lemons, Oranges

Deciduous Fruit:

Figs, Grapes, Pomegranates

Stone Fruit:

Apricots, Cherries, Nectarines, Plums

Tropical Fruit:

Avocados

Salads/Salad Mixes