With a blast of cold as part of a Polar Vortex hitting parts of North America this week, what is this meaning for produce?
"We're not seeing shopping for food items affected much. Demand seems about normal for this time of year," said Tim Mansfield of Sun Orchard Fruit Co. in Burt, NY. Alongside movement, so far logistics also don't seem to be much of a concern. "So far, so good. It usually takes more snow to make a difference, at least from our perspective. Now a retailer receiving a hundred loads a day, they may have a different perspective," he adds.
North of the border, Jeff Richardson of Great Lakes Greenhouses Inc. in Leamington, Ontario adds that winter storms, icy roads and snow can all make trucking and freight delivery much harder and lead to slower or delayed shipments. Also on watch are the geographic implications when storm hits in that rural or remote areas might be hit harder in terms of receiving deliveries and challenges with restock while urban centers with multiple stores may manage better.
© U.S. National Weather Service
Preparing for a storm
All eyes are on fresh produce shipments though which he says have been known to be cut by a significant percentage when storms hit and leads to reduced availability nationally in some cases. Part of this depends on how prepared retailers are in planning ahead, stockpiling supply, adding in multi-supplier strategies, planning shipping routes accordingly and in turn, how this is communicated to customers.
Then there are also shopping patterns on watch, especially at this time of the holidays. "Also to watch during inclement weather is behavioral changes before the storm—consumers reacting to forecasters and media warnings by shopping earlier or hoarding essentials and how that affects stores and supply," he says.
In turn this shifts regular shopping patterns which now include holiday shopping and the shock of winter weather. "You're watching how the usual increased demand for holiday shopping collides with weather-driven supply stress, creating a unique strain on grocery supply and consumer behavior," he says.
For more information:
Tim Mansfield
Sun Orchard Fruit Co.
https://www.sunorchardapples.com/
Jeff Richardson
Great Lakes Greenhouses Inc.
https://greatlakesg.com/
