Supermarket Perimeter - January 2022 - 56

Produce: Display building
exceptionally well, especially during periods of high consumption, such
as during California avocado season in the spring and summer, holidays
and the Super Bowl.
The California Avocado Commission creates customized marketing
programs for retailers that can include display bins, display contests,
sales contests and custom signage.
Because avocado sales peak in summertime when California
avocados are available, some retailers use the group's display bins
around the American summer holidays from Memorial Day through
Labor Day, and others bring them in as soon as they transition to the
California origin and keep them up all season long.
Gelson's in Southern California and Mollie Stones in Northern
California are among the retailers that do a great job building displays,
DeLyser said.
Many locations, many opportunities
The Orlando-based National Mango Board's retail strategy is to get
mangos out of the " exotic " category and position them as a mainstream
fruit, said Manuel Michel, the board's executive director.
" We talk to our retailer partners about adjusting their merchandising
sets to give mangos a more visible and consistent position in the
produce department, " he said. " The consumer cannot purchase a
mango if they cannot find them. "
Innovative placement throughout the perimeter of the store is a
successful best practice that many retailers activate, said Tammy Wiard,
the board's senior retail program manager. That's because mangos can
be featured not only in produce but as an ingredient in the bakery, deli,
meat and seafood sections.
Secondary displays are an excellent way to showcase mangos inside
or outside of the produce department, Wiard said. The National Mango
Board offers seasonal display bins at no charge to retailers, and the
growth of mango consumption warrants incremental display space.
" It's simple: bigger displays give the retailer the opportunity to move
more mangos, increasing the bottom line, " she said.
Fresh-cut displays are also a way to feature mangos in a different way
to the consumers. Retailers can utilize refrigerated end caps to feature
fresh-cut, and some stores have mobile refrigerated displays that can be
moved around the store, even to the checkout area.
Cross-marketing is also an important consideration when building
produce displays, especially with a fruit as versatile as mangos,
Wiard said.
" We know, through internal and external insights, that there is
considerable cross shopping with mangos and avocados, citrus and
stone fruit. We educate and encourage our retail clients to create merch
sets that place mangos adjacent to these high traffic fruit. "
Back to basics
Sticking to the fundamentals is a good place to start when it comes
to building a successful fresh produce display. A clean and neat
display, for instance, " engages the customer instantly, " said Greg
Dunne, produce operations manager for San Diego-based retailer
Barons Market.
" It's interactive and fun and encourages the customer to use all five
senses, " he said. " They see bright, colorful displays, smell fresh fruit, pick
up an avocado to check for ripeness, listen to the produce manager talk
about what's in season, and oftentimes ask the produce manager for a
taste of produce. "
Also essential, he added: signage that indicates price, type, and
interesting notes about where the produce came from or if it's " first of
the season. "
Barons produce department employees are constantly bringing out
fresh product to make sure its displays look full and eye-catching to the
customer, Dunne said.
When it comes to promotions, new or seasonal produce is always a
hit. And the most important way to encourage the customer to buy is
simply by talking to them about what makes a particular item special.
" Talking with our customers about what's new and what's in season
gets them very enthusiastic about produce. They're always asking us,
'What do you have today?' "
Just as important as good retailer-customer relations, Dunne said, are
solid retailer-supplier relationships.
" Good communication with our vendors is important so that our
buyers know exactly which labels and which products are expected to
be delivered that day, " he said. " We ensure that our vendors supply us
with fresh, good quality products, and then we take over building the
right display for our stores. Our produce team has the ultimate creative
control in display-building. "
Good displays are important year-round, but some times of the year
stand out, Dunne said. Barons produce employees love building exciting
displays around the holidays, for example. For the 4th of July, Barons
builds great corn and watermelon displays, and for Halloween, it's all
about the pumpkin patches. For Valentine's Day, Barons builds displays
of hand-dipped long-stem strawberries.
Sometimes, it's a particular fruit or vegetable that stirs the team's
creative display-building juices, Dunne said.
" When we get unique items like fresh young coconut, organic
heirloom tomatoes or locally grown figs, we always put that front and
center in the department. "
56 - JANUARY 2022
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Supermarket Perimeter - January 2022

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