“What’s Next?” That is a question often posed to HLB Specialties by retailers who are constantly on the lookout for the next hot item for their produce departments.

While the company is eager to help its current and prospective retail partners discover the next “hot” item, the answer to “What’s Next?” is often elusive.

Tens of millions of Americans are very familiar with the Costco schematic, which has shoppers entering through electronics heading down the long runway to fresh foods and then heading back up the other vertical aisle past frozen foods and packaged foods, typical center-store products and seasonal merchandise dominating the center of the warehouse.

Pharmaceuticals meet you before checkout and home services are displayed before you exit the warehouse.

Avocados From Mexico and Rob Gronkowski have pulled out all the stops to get guac on every game day table this football season. Now, the always good duo is inviting fans to keep the good times going with the Gronkamole Challenge — a video event hosted by Gronk himself.

Are you tired of hearing all about possible freezes in growing areas, short product supplies, quality problems and elevated costs? Is all that negativity making it difficult to come up with those key lead items for produce ads? Well, not everything is shattering news. Let’s consider a much more positive view of items that are within reach to promote.

The original strategy for Costco Wholesale when the chain was launched four decades ago was largely based on creating a very efficient model to pass on savings to their customers, giving them the lowest price point possible, but always striving for top quality.