Shipping Reports

Monthly Shipping Report | April 2014

April 28, 2014

COUNCIL UPDATE

  • A call for nominations for 3-year terms beginning January 1, 2015 was mailed. The regions with a position opening up are Region 1; all states except CA & PA (one position), Region 2; PA (one position) and Region 4; Importer (one position). Please consider being a part of the Council. USDA and the Mushroom Council encourage all eligible producers, including women, minorities and individuals with disabilities to participate in the nominations and seek nomination to serve on the Council. Nominations are due by May 1.
  • Ballots will be mailed on June 2 and are due no later than June 30
  • The next Council meeting is being held on May 14-15, 2014 in Chicago. If you are interested in attending, please contact [email protected] so we can make sure that you are accommodated.
  • Grower meetings are being held in June. Look for more information to follow soon.
    • June 4 – Hilton Garden Inn Hilton Garden Inn, 6070 Monterey Road, Gilroy, CA
      RSVP to [email protected]
    • June 27 – Hilton Garden Inn , 815 E. Baltimore Pike, Kennett Square, PA
      RSVP to [email protected]

SHIPMENT SUMMARY

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To see current charts click here.

MARKETING SUMMARY

Mushroom Council Marketing Summary – March 2014

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  • March consumer media highlights feature mushrooms in articles about Blendability, immunity, versatility and weight management. Click on the links below to view the full stories.
  • The Council exhibited at and attended several conferences in March to engage with health professionals and educate them about mushrooms’ culinary and nutrition benefits.
    • Partnership for Healthier America (PHA) Building a Healthier Future Summit – March 12-14: Council representatives attended the PHA Summit in Washington, D.C. to meet with like-minded partners and thought-leaders to discuss ways to combat childhood obesity. Additionally, the Council hosted a booth to bring Blendability to life for attendees through sampling and resources.
      • Notably, the Council met with Morrison Healthcare to continue conversations on future partnerships that could bring more mushrooms and mushroom marketing to their healthcare operations.
      • The Council is furthering efforts to join the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF) as part of the commitment to help reduce childhood obesity.
    • Culinary Institute of America’s (CIA) Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives (HKHL) – March 13-16: The Council sponsored and attended the CIA conference in Napa Valley, CA to engage with “food-forward health professionals” – physicians, nurses and other health-care professionals who have self-identified as wanting to learn more about cooking techniques and strategies for healthy eating. The conference brought together 600 health professionals and chefs to discuss the importance of cooking for our nation’s wellbeing.
      • Mushrooms were ubiquitous throughout the four day conference with attendees getting a taste of mushroom versatility, flavor and nutrition through recipe samples at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Onsite activities included mushroom food-specific activities featuring numerous varieties and applications across at least ten recipes, including both meat and plant-based Blendability.
      • During the conference, the Wall Street Journal shared a multiple-page spread titled, “A Prescription for Delicious/Health Food for Foodies” detailing the purpose and objectives of HKHL and notably called out mushrooms as a “culinary prescription,” suggesting that mushrooms are at the cross-section of culinary, nutrition, versatility and accessibility.
      • Initial attendee feedback showed that they learned new mushroom applications and cooking tips (including plant-based and meat Blendability) and wanted recipes and expert knowledge on mushroom preparation from washing to chopping and roasting.
      • Stemming from previous collaborations, there is now a Maximize Meals with Mushrooms page on the CIA website that features Council videos, recipes, preparation tips and nutrition information. These resources were shared
  • Council-promoted Facebook posts in March brought attention to Blendability, celebrated the start of spring and continued to drive awareness around Meatless/Mushroom Mondays. Combined paid posts received 6,107 likes, 1,016 shares and 61 comments – approximately two times February results.

Post by The Mushroom Channel.

PAID SUPPORT: This post received 213 shares in February

Post by The Mushroom Channel.

ORANIC: This post received 1,051 likes in February

  • Through the Mushroom Mondays weekly e-newsletter and Facebook tab, the Council continues to increase exposure among meatless/vegetarian and flexitarian audiences.
    • The latest Mushroom Monday e-newsletter went out to 576 subscribers (an increase of 85 new subscribers since February) with average click and open rates of 4.2 percent and 42.9 percent respectively.
    • Monthly Mushroom Monday Facebook posts reached over 100,000 people and generated a total of 2,667 likes and 894 shares.
    • To date, the featured Mushroom Monday Pinterest board has 3,184 followers and 109 repins.
  • The Mushroom Council sponsored a blogger brunch on March 15th at the International Association of Culinary Professionals conference. Alongside co-sponsors Jarlsberg Cheese, Cutco Cutlery and Safest Choice Eggs, the Council collaborated with registered dietitian Jackie Newgent to serve her mushroom turkey blendability sausage to bring the concept to life at breakfast for 32 attendees.
    • The brunch inspired a high level of social conversation with a total of 202 tweets over the weekend. The hashtag #BrunchLovers utilized by 56 unique users resulted in nearly 160,000 impressions. Within that conversation the Mushroom Channel Twitter handle was directly mentioned in 54 percent of the tweets (110 in total).

 

  • In honor of National Nutrition Month, the Council partnered with the Mamavation parent weight loss community to host a Mushroom Makeover challenge with 15 blogger ambassadors. Participants were tasked with making over at least four meals per week with mushrooms. Kicking off the campaign with Mushroom Makeover recipes on their personal blogs, the #MushroomMakeover hashtag brought the conversation to life across social channels.
    • As of Mach 31st, the campaign generated in 70 blog posts, more than 2,300 tweets and almost 300 Instagram posts. Conversations utilizing the #MushroomMakeover hashtag garnered 2.5 million impressions on Twitter alone.
    • Additionally, recipes created in conjunction with the challenge will be added to the Council database.
    • A complete challenge recap will be available in the May shipment report.

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  • In addition to social interaction with foodservice outlets, the Council is partnering with food bloggers to highlight mushrooms on the menus on the Mushroom Channel blog.
    • Ingredients Inc. went to California Pizza Kitchen and shared her experience with a number of mushroom menu items (read here).
    • We Are Not Martha described the grilled mushroom burger at Five Guys (read here).
  • National Registered Dietitian Day was March 12th and the Council engaged one-on-one with RDs who have historically shared their love for mushrooms. Celebrating the occasion, the Council created and promoted a “RDs Love Mushrooms” Pinterest board, which curated delicious and nutrition recipes directly created by this audience of RDs. The board featured 30 mushroom recipes and accumulated 3,153 followers and 166 repins.

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For more detailed social analytics download the NEW Social Analytics Report here.

On the Horizon

  • The Council attended the Oldways Supermarket RD Symposium in Scottsdale, Arizona (April 2-4) to engage with retail dietitians. Updates will be provided in the May shipment report.
  • May is “Celiac Awareness Month” and the Council will be engaging gluten-free experts to share messaging across Council platforms.

 

FOODSERVICE SUMMARY

Marketing Summary
Mushrooms continue to be a hot item in foodservice. In the last 30 days, the Mushroom Council has been talking to chains about promotions, conducting menu development sessions on blendability and speaking in front of audiences of college foodservice directors, non-commercial operators and R&D directors of major food companies.

Menu Directions 2014Menu Directions Conference: Along with Chef Jehangir Mehta, the Council presented at this year’s Menu Directions Conference sponsored by Foodservice Director magazine. Approximately 200 non-commercial operators were in attendance and the Council spoke on the opportunities around blendability while Chef Mehta demonstrated how to create the mushroom-beef burger, called the Graffiti Burger, that he menus at his two New York City restaurants. Not only did we hear that our message is getting across—as both Swedish Medical Center and Capital One told us that they have introduced meat-mushroom blends—but we know that our talk resonated with the audience as many colleges asked us to bring blendability to their campuses. In terms of audience evaluation, we were one of 9 presenters and achieved a 96% good/excellent rating score exceeding the average of 89.5%. What’s more, the Council’s presentation received more “Excellent” ratings than any other speaker.

RCA Annual Conference & Culinology ExpoResearch Chefs Conference: The Council also presented to Research Chefs Association’s national conference demonstrating the importance of blendability and how companies have taken a concept from prototype/scratch stage to commercialization. The Council presented with Michael Chang from Southwest Minnesota State, who had his culinology students create blendable items, as well as Kevin Anderson who showed the commercialization component while Chef Jehangir showed the scratch version of blendability.

Graffiti BurgerThe Art of Mushroom Dinner: While Chef Mehta was in the Northwest, he and celebrity chef Maxim Billet, co-author of the Modernist Cookbook, opened Chef Billet’s new venue with a mushroom dinner for Seattle-based chefs and food professionals. The menu consisted of Radish on Baguette with Maitake Butter, the Graffiti Burger (see picture on right) with Enoki Fries and Mushroom Stem Ketchup, Pho with Short Ribs, Enoki Noodles and Mushroom Bouillon, Portabella Tart filled with Duck Chili and Goat Cheese, Scallops with King Oyster, Organic Chicken with Pickled Beech Mushrooms, Sweet Onion, Gruyere Jus and Crispy Trumpets and ending with a dessert Tartlette of Caramelized Shiitake and Hazelnut Frangipane.

NACUFS Regional Meetings: The Council has been working one-on-one with a number of leading universities. This year, the Council expanded those efforts to attend two of the NACUFS regional meeting where we were able to showcase blending. In the West region which was attended by college foodservice directors from Hawaii to Utah, we featured an Umami Table where chefs from University of Southern California served mushroom-cod sliders, mushroom-lamb sliders, mushroom-pulled pork BBQ and a mushroom vegetarian slider. At Rutgers, during the Mid-Atlantic and New England regional, the Council served blended Meatballs and Tacos to a number of universities who requested we come to their campus.

Commercial: While the college and university market continued to heat up, there was a lot of activity on the commercial chain front. The Council held two new menu development sessions with large companies and sponsored a nutritional and cooking Immersion with a major company in the entertainment business. Black Angus is launching their Shareable Mushroom Platter with a server contest and other chains introduced new mushroom menu items. First Watch, a midscale breakfast chain followed up their Frittata Rustica and their Resolution Hash, both made with “house-roasted crimini mushrooms” with their Veg’d Out Omelet with criminis, zucchini, onion, tomato, broccoli and Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Cracker Barrel launched their “Flavor in Full Bloom” spring menu with Smothered Steak and Eggs with Mushrooms and Steak and Egg Beaters with Mushroom Sauce. P.F. Chang introduced a new Firecreacker Chicken with wok-fired pineapple, Chinese broccoli, Fresno Peppers and, of course, Asian mushrooms while Ruby Tuesday featured a new Shrimp Po Boy Flatbread with fried shrimp, Parmesan cream sauce and a blend of mushrooms-peppers and onions.

Meat Companies: The Council continues to talk to several different meat companies about blendability while helping develop protocepts for chains, colleges and schools

SCHOOL NUTRITION SUMMARY

  • New Orleans Public Schools and Cincinnati Public Schools hosted Mushroom Mania student events in March. The New Orleans promotion included a variety of blended entrees on the menu, mushroom arts and crafts and a mushroom themed skit by elementary school students. The Cincinnati promotion featured mushroom blended burgers and fresh mushrooms on the salad bar along with Mushroom Mania posters. Case studies from both promotions will be shared with the influencer media.
  • Advance Pierre has joined JTM to provide mushroom blended burgers for the National School Lunch Program by introducing two mushroom blended grilled burgers with Child Nutrition labels.
  • Mushroom Council advertising continued in School Nutrition Magazine, CSI Food Pro e-blasts and on the School Nutrition Website to grow demand for USDA mushrooms and Fresh mushrooms in the National School Lunch Program before the busy March ordering period.
  • The monthly E-Blast and blog posts highlighting mushrooms to promote student athletic performance were shared with our school nutrition networks.
  • Communications with school meat processors have increased; one new company is developing mushroom blended products for an upcoming urban pilot.
  • The Council plans to sponsor the Culinary Institute’s Healthy Flavors Healthy Kids conference in May.
  • Council School Nutrition resources can be found here.

 

RETAIL SUMMARY

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The Topline report week ending 02/23/14 was sent to the industry on 4/08/14; click here to access the report online.
Topline Retail Report – Highlights (4 and 52 Weeks Ending 2/23/2014)

Spotlight – Notable and Newsworthy

  • In the 52 week period, Portabella mushrooms have increased their share of Browns to 31.0%, a +4.2 point increase over prior year at 25.8%
  • White mushrooms continue to make a comeback and posted a positive dollar gain during the current 4 week period at +1.0 %. See below for more information on these category trends

Total Mushrooms – 4 Weeks

  • The Total U.S. dollar sales trend of +3.5% lagged Total Produce’s growth trend (+4.9%) by -1.4 points
  • The West Region led in dollar growth rate at +5.9%. Great Lakes came in second, at +5.0%
  • On a Market basis, Chicago posted strong dollar growth at +15.3%. Six Markets posted declines; New Orleans/Mobile posted the largest decline at -6.9%
  • Volume in pounds for the Total U.S. increased by +2.9%. Great Lakes led with the largest Regional increase in volume at +7.7%. South Central posted the only decrease, at -1.4%
  • At the Market level, Chicago showed the largest increase in volume at +17.8%

Segment/Variety – 4 Weeks

  • Total U.S. dollar sales of the White segment grew +1.0%, while Brown mushrooms grew +7.8% overall
  • Creminis showed an increase at +1.8%, while Portabellas posted strong growth, up +25.0%
  • On a Regional basis, Southeast showed the largest White segment gain at +3.9%. South Central was the only Region to post a decline, at -1.3%
  • The Brown segment saw double-digit dollar sales growth in five of eight Regions with Great Lakes leading at +16.7%
  • At the Market level, White segment dollar trends were mixed with 22 of 50 Markets posting gains. Albany posted the largest gain at +17.0%, while New Orleans/Mobile posted the largest decrease at -14.8%. In the Brown segment, 43 of 50 Markets posted strong gains, including Grand Rapids (+34.6%) and Denver (+27.7%)
  • Total U.S. volume in pounds for the White segment was flat at +0.4%, while the Brown segment saw overall volume growth of +8.6%, driven by Portabella mushrooms at +39.7%
  • On a Regional basis, the White segment delivered the strongest volume gain in the Southeast at +3.8%, while South Central posted the largest White segment volume decline at -4.9%
  • In the Brown segment, Great Lakes led Regional volume growth at +27.0%. Southeast showed the only decrease at -1.4%

Total Mushrooms – 52 Weeks

  • The Total U.S. dollar sales trend of +3.3% lagged Total Produce’s growth trend of +6.6% by -3.3 points
  • Plains (7.0% dollar share) led the Regions with the top dollar sales trend of +6.4%, while Northeast holds the largest dollar share (20.8%) and grew +0.9%. All Regions posted gains
  • Most Markets experienced dollar growth, notably Kansas City (+10.1%), Omaha (+10.1%), and
  • Chicago (+8.0%)

Total U.S. mushroom volume in pounds grew +3.4%

  • All Regions delivered volume growth, led by West at +5.1% and Plains at +4.8%
  • Only three of 50 Markets saw downward volume trends, including Sacramento (-3.2%) and San Francisco (-3.1%)

Segment/Variety – 52 Weeks

  • Total U.S. dollar sales for the White segment was flat, with California (+2.5%) and Southeast (+2.1%) posting the largest gains. In the Brown segment, dollar sales were up +8.7% in Total U.S. Six Regions posted positive trends with four Regions in the double-digits
    • Brown segment dollar trends were driven by Portabella mushrooms, which hold a 31.0% dollar share of Browns and delivered sales growth of +30.2%
  • At the Market level, dollar sales trends in the White segment varied, ranging from an increase of +5.9% in Sacramento to a -4.9% decline in Seattle
  • The Brown segment saw very strong dollar sales gains across 43 of 50 Markets, with Denver leading at +34.1%. Sacramento showed a decline of -7.0%
  • Total U.S. volume in pounds of White mushrooms grew +1.1%, with gains seen in Northeast (+4.0%), Plains (+2.5%), West (+1.7%), California (+1.3%) and Southeast (+1.3%). Total U.S. volume in pounds of Brown mushrooms grew +9.6%, led by South Central, with growth of +21.9%
    • Brown segment volume growth trends were driven by Portabella mushrooms which have a 28.7% volume share of Browns and delivered volume growth of +36.8%
  • As with dollars, the Market level volume trends for the White segment were mixed, with 25 Markets trending upward including New York (+8.5%) and Boston (+5.3%)
  • The volume trend of Brown mushrooms fared better, with only five Markets trending downward. Sacramento (-12.8%) and San Francisco (-12.6%) posted the largest losses
    • Strong volume growth in the Brown segment occurred in these Markets: Salt Lake City (+29.6%), Kansas City (+28.7%), Louisville (+28.1%) and Houston (+27.4%)

Industry Tools

  • Market Insights Retail Sales Tool: 
    • If you are interested in signing up for the Market Insights Retail Sales Tool contact Cheryl to register.
  • Blue Print for Profit:
    • An updated Blueprint for Profit is available here.
  • Swap It or Top It Retail Display Contest:
    • Information was shared with the industry on February 19, 2014. Materials for the contest can be found here.
    • Retail Display Contest kit orders are due April 30th. Encourage customers to sign up for the FREE POS KITS at retail.swapitortopit.com/ to participate in the summer contest and be entered to win up to 21 prizes totaling $10,000.

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