Produce industry headlines: July 6, 2026

Good afternoon! It’s Monday, July 6, 2026, go USA in the World Cup tonight vs. Belgium! Here’s what’s happening in produce and grocery today.

Read about how retail rivals fared during Prime Day, Costco grows with AI, consumers turn from fresh produce due to inflation, foodservice jobs retreat, cantaloupe and honeydew crop updates, and more.

As always, have something to share? Send us your feedback at news@bluebookservices.com.

Top Stories

Target and Walmart both did well during Amazon Prime Day event

According to Placer.ai data, Walmart and Target successfully used promotions to counter Amazon Prime Day.

Costco makes AI pricing change members did not see coming

Costco executives said on an earnings call the club retailer reported triple-digit growth in AI-sourced ecommerce traffic in the quarter.

Inflation squeezes the produce aisle: 33 percent of US shoppers cut back on fruits and veggies

The survey also found about 20 percent of respondents said they switched from fresh to frozen produce over the past year, and 9 percent said they changed to canned produce.

Restaurants and bars shed a lot of jobs in June

According to government data last week, restaurants and bars reversed their pre-summer job creation in June, cutting nearly 33,000 jobs in the month.

Cantaloupe and honeydew supply picking up

Growers say melon supplies are stabilizing after a spring of rough weather and other setbacks.

Avocados to become leading tropical fruit export in a decade

Avocados are poised to overtake pineapples to become the most internationally traded tropical fruit within a decade (excluding bananas), according to a new report.