The demand for organic fresh fruits and vegetables continues to climb, as consumers become more conscious of how their food is raised and what they’re putting in their bodies.

Los Angeles-based World Variety Produce, which ships under the Melissa’s label, plans to supplement its top-selling year-round melon, the Dominican Republic-sourced Charentais, with several other melons that are more season-specific, said Robert Schueller, the company’s director of media relations.

As summer kicks into high gear, retailers will look to tropicals and melons as a way to help their produce departments stand out. And technology and merchandising innovations from suppliers and industry organizations will make those efforts easier than ever.

Consumer demand has grown for watermelon, particularly fresh-cut, over the past year, said Stephanie Barlow, senior director of communications for the Winter Springs, Fla.-based National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB).

“Health and wellness” has never been more important for Americans and for the suppliers of the foods they eat to help them meet their personal better-for-you goals.

During COVID, 30% of Americans made dietary changes they said they’d keep post-pandemic, according to FMI data. 

Millennials are thinking differently about their health than older generations, and the shift suggests some interesting potential opportunities for retailers, according to Barrington, Ill.-based consultancy Brick Meets Click. 

The grocery fresh perimeter is so diverse, there are many lenses for studying the evolution of health and wellness over the decades.

Grand Rapids, Mich.-based SpartanNash has inked a deal that will make it easier for the company to supply its retailer customers with specialty foods.

The roles technology can play in bringing consumers back to the perimeter — and keeping them there, and guaranteeing repeat visits — are countless.