Kroger CEO Greg Foran made clear on the company's latest earnings call that its push to lower prices is not a short-term initiative — it's a multiyear program built around relentless cost reduction across sourcing, procurement, and headcount. In Q2, on-shelf availability hit an all-time high and pickup orders were the best ever, giving the retailer early proof points that the strategy is working. Foran also noted that Kroger's private-label pricing advantage over competitors improved over the last quarter.

For produce suppliers, the stakes are high. Kroger has signaled it will squeeze cost of goods across the board and is not shy about walking away from vendors who don't deliver better deals. The retailer is also adding 600-plus natural and organic items, which reflects where it sees category growth — but those gains will come alongside tighter margin expectations.

Watch for Kroger to use its sourcing leverage most aggressively during high-supply windows when commodity pricing gives buyers room to push. Category managers selling into Kroger should be stress-testing their cost structures now.

California's 2026 table grape season started two to three weeks ahead of schedule thanks to record-warm winter and spring conditions, and that lead has held through harvest. The problem is that an early start means an early finish — most shippers aim to carry fruit through Thanksgiving, but the calendar math is working against them. Supplies are expected to tighten sharply this fall, with green varieties tightening first and more severely than reds.

September is the peak demand month for grapes in the U.S. — roughly 50% higher than July or December, according to shippers cited in the piece — making the timing squeeze especially consequential. Peruvian imports, which typically fill the late-season gap, are also running 7 to 15 days early and are projected 5% below last season due to El Niño-related productivity losses. That means both domestic supply and the import bridge are compressed simultaneously.

Retailers and buyers should watch October and November closely for availability gaps. The early California-to-Peru handover is the central risk this fall, and programs built around historical seasonal timing may need to be adjusted.

Florida orange growers are shifting their strategy this season, actively prioritizing fresh market shipments over processed juice — a notable departure from historical norms. Growers like Feek Family Citrus say they want to move more fruit fresh and are taking better care of their groves to support that goal. The crop is expected to be slightly larger than last year's, with good Brix and ratios, though early sizes will be small before ramping up in January and February.

The timing looks favorable for Florida fresh oranges. California is finishing its citrus season, Chile is wrapping up its last shipments, and South Africa's remaining fruit skews large — meaning Florida won't face much competition on small-count fruit. Demand is expected to be solid, with pricing projected similar to last year. Picking starts the week of September 21.

For category managers building citrus programs this fall, Florida fresh availability is worth building into plans earlier than usual. The combination of intentional grower strategy and light competition on small sizes could make Florida a more reliable option this season than in recent years.

El Niño-driven heat is altering the trajectory of multiple Peruvian fruit categories at once. Mandarins were the first to feel it: warmer conditions prevented external color development, making fruit ineligible for the U.S. market and forcing massive redirects to Latin America — Peru shipped 270 containers to Mexico in a single week in July, compared to 71 during the same week last year. That surge put serious pressure on Latin American markets.

Table grapes haven't started harvest yet, but growers are already concerned. Northern Peru is seeing smaller fruit and some production losses, while the south looks more stable. Harvest is expected to start earlier than usual, which creates overlap with California's still-active season — a headache for buyers trying to manage both origins simultaneously. Blueberries are also accelerating, with warmer conditions pulling forward the start of that crop as well.

For buyers sourcing from Peru this fall, the big watch item is whether early harvests translate to compressed supply windows or pricing volatility. The U.S. remains Peru's most important grape market, and any further El Niño disruption could ripple directly into North American availability.

The U.S. fresh produce market is showing sharp divergence this week. Peruvian blueberry imports through Miami, Philadelphia, and New York are increasing seasonally, with prices moving higher — large berries are trading at $42–$44 per 12-pint flat and organic at $60–$62. Domestic blueberry movement from Michigan, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia is declining as those seasons wind down.

Strawberries are telling the opposite story. California's Salinas-Watsonville and Santa Maria regions are seeing prices fall sharply, with conventional flats at $12–$14. Cucumber markets are also under pressure, with medium sizes declining significantly in Texas while Otay Mesa prices are higher. Avocado markets are mostly steady and asparagus remains actively traded with prices holding firm.

For buyers managing multiple categories, this week's data underscores how differently individual commodities are behaving even within the same market environment. The blueberry price uptick is worth tracking closely given the broader El Niño-driven questions around Peru's season volume.

DoorDash and Costco announced that Costco is now available for same-day delivery through DoorDash at all U.S. warehouse locations — a nationwide launch that makes Costco one of the most significant grocery additions to the platform. Members can shop more than 4,000 products, including fresh groceries and Kirkland Signature items, directly through the DoorDash app. With this addition, DoorDash now partners with 8 of the 10 largest food retailers in North America.

For the produce industry, this matters because it puts Costco's bulk fresh produce — a category the warehouse club has been expanding — in front of delivery-oriented shoppers who previously couldn't access it on-demand. Costco already ranked among the most-searched retailers not yet available on DoorDash, suggesting pent-up demand is real.

This launch comes alongside a separate Uber Eats expansion of Costco delivery to 47 states announced the same week, meaning Costco fresh produce is now accessible through two major delivery platforms simultaneously. Category managers and growers supplying Costco should be aware that delivery channel volume could add a new layer of demand volatility on top of in-warehouse sales.