Oct 31, 2018

It’s Time to Find the Class of 2019 By Tim Hodson

Today is the first day that we begin accepting nominations for GPN’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2019.

This is the eighth year that GPN has recognized the next generation of the horticulture industry. And now we are looking for the “The Next 40.” We want to recognize the industry’s next group of young superstars and have them join our previous eight classes.

Anyone in the horticulture industry under the age of 40 (as of Jan. 31, 2019) is eligible to be nominated for GPN’s 40 Under 40. The Class of 2019 will represent the entire spectrum of our industry — growers, garden center retailers, breeders, researchers, marketers, academics and so many more — so please let us know who think should be a member of our next class and why.

To nominate an individual, just go to https://gpnmag.com/40-under-40-nomination and fill out the online form.

The deadline for nominations is Jan. 21, 2019.

If you have any questions about the nomination process, please feel free to contact me.

— Tim

Walmart Looks to Enhance Holiday Shopping Experience

Walmart is looking to make Christmas shopping even easier for its customers this holiday season. The mass merchant plans to offer faster checkout at its stores and easier navigation with digital maps indicating exact locations of products, as it gears up to grab a larger share of shoppers’ gift budgets this holiday season. Walmart’s new “Check out with Me” feature will allow customers to bypass the checkout lines and pay for items in the department where they are shopping. Walmart tested the feature in the lawn and garden department of 350 stores earlier this year. The company will also stock a broader assortment of toys, electronics, fashion and home products in its stores and on its revamped website, which the retailer is hoping will boost 2018 sales.

More Retailers Choose to Remain Closed on Thanksgiving

According to bestblackfriday.com, more and more retailers are choosing not to open their doors on Thanksgiving Day this year. Costco, Home Depot, Sam’s Club, Lowe’s, Blain’s Farm & Fleet and Tractor Supply Co. are just some of the big box retailers who plan to keep their doors closed on Turkey Day. Many analysts are attributing this move to the fact that some of the stores were seeing decreased sales on Thanksgiving Thursday while online sales continue to increase. In 2017, the National Retail Federation estimated than nearly 175 million people shopped in stores and online over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend (which includes Cyber Monday).

Whole Foods CEO Co-Authors ‘Plant-Centered’ Cookbook

Whole Foods Market’s co-founder and CEO John Mackey has co-written a new book, The Whole Foods Cookbook: 120 Delicious and Healthy Plant-Centered. Like Mackey’s previous book, The Whole Foods Diet, the new cookbook equips readers with the recipes, knowledge, skills and confidence needed to create nutritious and delicious meals using whole, plant-based ingredients. “One of the healthiest lifestyle choices you can make is to cook your own food,” Mackey said. “The recipes in this book are meant to educate and inspire readers to embrace the health benefits of a nutrient-rich, plant-centered lifestyle and to enjoy delicious and simple meals in the process.”