Retail & FoodService

Esri announces that Hy-Vee, a midwestern grocery store chain with more than $7.7 billion in sales and 233 retail stores, is expanding its use of the Esri mapping platform to enhance its site selection and real estate decision making. The company's adoption of location analytics to combine demographic and psychographic data brings deep spatial insight to business data. This will enable the Real Estate Department to better align capital expenditures with market opportunities. …

According to the California Avocado Commission 2012 Avocado Menu Trak Survey*, 32.9% of foodservice menus mentioned avocado, an increase of +11.5% over 2009 and +48.2% over 2005.  Not surprising to Fresh California Avocado lovers, one of the most common avocado menu mentions is on salad greens. …

At the recent SIAL Canada food and beverage show, held in Toronto April 30 to May 2, Melissa Wilson, principal at Technomic, a global consulting and research firm for the food industry, discussed foodservice trends in Canada. …

After participating in a pilot program at schools around the country, many students and school foodservice directors agree: The Rock and Roll Beef Wrap is delicious and nutritious. The same goes for Spy Thai Beef, Sweet Potato Beef Mash-up, Wrangler’s Beef Chili and Sweet and Sloppy Joes. …

The Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC) has announced the creation of a milk class for mozzarella cheese to be used on fresh pizzas. The new 3(d) class was approved by the Canadian Milk Supply Management Committee (CMSMC) and will take effect June 1st. This new class will lower costs for restaurants that prepare and cook pizzas on site and help grow the market segment for mozzarella cheese in Canada. …