OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — The 2025 AWG Innovation Showcase on March 24-26 featured vendor insights on innovative solutions, new concepts, latest trends and strategies to drive retail success in the grocery industry.
On the expo floor, fresh produce suppliers discussed their newest products and strategies to enhance fresh produce sales.
The cooperative's annual AWG Innovations Showcase brings together shareholders, vendor partners and industry leaders to explore new ideas, products and strategies for retail success, Triplett said.
This event is unique, he said, because it doubles as a shareholder meeting, providing members with an opportunity to engage with AWG's biggest vendor partners.
“This is our largest show without question,” Triplett said. “We do divisional, regional shows, but this is the one show that is total companywide, once a year.”
The showcase features innovations across multiple categories, from fresh produce to hard lines and nonfood retail items. While there's a strong focus on hard lines, Triplett noted that produce vendors also bring new ideas to the table, including line extensions and creative approaches to tomatoes, salads and other fresh offerings.
“Members take away new ideas, concepts and different ways to create sales and opportunities and resources,” he said.
“These are really innovative flavors,” Austin said. He explained that Dole collaborates with a San Francisco-based flavor development company to identify trends across industries including fast casual dining, quick service restaurants and even the chip aisle.
“We look at what's going on in those areas and flavors that are sort of in that space," he said. "Are they ready to transfer over to retail? And if they are, we vet them with consumer testing.”
Austin said Dole's bold, trend-forward flavors ensure their salads not only sound appealing but deliver exceptional taste, keeping Dole at the forefront of innovation in the fresh produce category.
The guacamole kits, Eisner said, include 12 avocados paired with serrano peppers and offer a fresh and flavorful twist for consumers looking for convenience.
On the sweeter side, Eisner featured the company's new dessert sauces in strawberry, pistachio and caramel flavors, to name a few. “We've always had our clean snacks,” Eisner said, “but these sauces are a step further — a new, indulgent offering.”
Of its tree-ripened mangoes, Eisner said: “By leaving them on the tree to ripen, you retain all that extra juice and sweetness.” Although the tree-ripened mangoes are more expensive, Eisner said, “They're worth it,” because of the superior taste profile.
For those seeking something unique, Melissa's Produce offers items like pink pineapples, square watermelons and exotic Kiwano melons. “Kiwano is a Spanish melon with green, seedy flesh — similar to a cucumber — and people often use it in sauces or over ice cream,” Eisner said.
“Our season should start earlier than last year but still go just as late," he said. "We're expecting a good volume in May and June, with a longer season extending through July, August and September. This is largely due to a cold, wet spring, which has stretched out the bloom period."
Mountain View is focused on several key programs, including its Candy Peach program, which kicks off in June. Additionally, Easter featured its two-count bags program and marketing display pieces — particularly valuable for smaller stores looking to maximize shelf space.
For retailers seeking premium grapes, Easter said Estate Vineyard Grapes have drawn interest.
“People are really interested in bringing in a premium grape, and our Estate Vineyards program delivers that," he said.
“We're excited for the upcoming season and our partnership with AWG members, helping to grow their business in both the stone fruit and grape categories," Kevin Steiner added.
“Since this is an innovation showcase, we try to bring the latest and greatest of what we're doing” highlighting Red Sun Farms' commitment to cutting-edge advancements," he said.
Paivarint said the company is conducting approximately 400 grower trials for peppers and tomatoes, focusing on new genetics and materials. Among the innovations highlighted was a bioengineered purple tomato, introduced to the market two years ago after Food and Drug Administration approval. Now in its second year of production in Virginia, Paivarint says the purple tomato incorporates two genes from the snapdragon flower, resulting in high anthocyanin levels — a powerful antioxidant comparable to what is found in blueberries.
“We're pretty excited about that going to market for the second year,” he said.
“In our category, it's kind of a shift. Potatoes are traditionally associated with cold weather and holiday dishes, but baby potatoes have been gaining popularity for over a decade, especially during the warmer months,” Brekken said.
Brekken highlighted upcoming promotions with AWG and other customers that include Tasteful Selections Creamer Potatoes and the 24-ounce American Blend Mesh Pillow Pack, ideal for Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Veteran's Day celebrations, Brekken said. Additionally, the American Chop House value-added tray is set to feature prominently in markets nationwide during these holidays.
Brekken said the company is also proud to showcase the newly redesigned Best Choice label.
“They did a wonderful job, not only in protecting the product but also with the updated design, information and color scheme,” he said, adding that RPE is the first vendor to feature this label across the country.
Brekken said RPE remains a “one-stop shop" for potatoes, onions, sweetpotatoes and more, and he hinted at expanded offerings for onions and sweetpotatoes in the future. He also noted the rising demand for organic products, acknowledging that while organics may still represent a smaller portion of the market, their popularity is steadily increasing.
“We have a whole organic-specific section with value items here, and it's a trend that's not slowing down," he said.
Courtney Bourdas Henn said the event provided a valuable platform for showcasing their partnerships with AWG, including a $4.99 deal on 4-pound bags of navel oranges running through June, and a web blast special for AWG, also with navel oranges.
“We're here to showcase a wide variety of our varietals — cara cara oranges, minneola tangelos and blood oranges, plus Sunkist organic options including mandarins and lemons, alongside conventional citrus favorites," Bourdas Henn said.
New merchandising solutions were also a focus, including eye-catching towers designed to meet the need of retailers with clean floor policies or limited space.
“Those towers are great because they can either sit on the floor or be placed on top of something, maintaining a nice free flow to stores,” Bourdas Henn said.
The flexible, space-saving designs, along with vibrant new bin headers, are intended to help stores showcase citrus in a way that maximizes impact while accommodating varying layouts and policies, Bourdas Henn said.
“We're trying to highlight spring freshness,” Taulbee said. “We want to show how you can dress up everyday veggies using our products.”
Taylor Farms is offering a variety of options to elevate classic vegetables, such as a Broccoli Ceasar Roast Kit and French Onion Green Beans Roast Kit, to help consumers add variety and flavor to their meals, Taulbee said.
In addition, Taylor Farms is reintroducing its popular chop kits and promoting grab-and-go snack packs, which Taulbee said are especially relevant for the summer when kids are out of school and families are spending time outdoors. These quick and easy options are ideal for busy, active days, Taulbee said.
“We've introduced a new jalapeño-flavored no-shell pistachio, which is exciting,” Patel said. “In addition, we've recently launched an unsalted pistachio variety, which has been gaining attention.”
In addition to salted and unsalted, there's even a lightly salted option designed to cater to consumers who prefer a middle ground between fully salted and unsalted pistachios, Patel said, adding that it's ideal for those who want a more subtle flavor, making it versatile for various uses including baking and snacking.
Fresh produce suppliers discussed their newest products and strategies to enhance sales at the 2025 AWG Innovation Showcase on March 24-26.
(Photo: Jill Dutton)
(Photo: Jill Dutton)
by Jill Dutton, Mar 26, 2025