Highlights
- Observations on asparagus merchandising from produce retail veterans Mike O'Brien, Joe Watson and Armand Lobato.
- Best practices for asparagus and artichoke presentation from merchandising master Brian Dey.
- Asparagus merchandising inspiration from the Produce Artist Award Series.
Category quick hits
Check out the video above to enjoy some great category conversation with the industry expert panelists from our Produce Artist Award Series Spring 2021 Results webinar. Lobato's 40-year-plus retail career has spanned the produce manager, buyer, supervisor and other roles, and O'Brien and Watson both won Produce Retailer of the Year in their tenures as produce retail executives.
Quick takeaways on the asparagus category:
- Asparagus signals spring! Having it up front at the right time is important for being seasonally relevant to your shoppers.
- If asparagus isn't in refrigeration, water or ice is necessary to keep it from drying out. Think of this item like cut flowers in that regard, one of our experts suggested.
- Use cross-merchandising to signal recipe ideas. Lemons and olive oils are a few popular examples.
Presentation best practices
Read a deep-dive column from Brian here about how to make the most of artichokes and asparagus in your departments. Here's a rundown of what to expect.
- Artichoke and asparagus handling and care.
- Perspective on ideal sizes of asparagus and artichokes to offer.
- Basket-building opportunities.
Display inspiration
If you're looking for even more beautiful asparagus displays (and there are some top-notch ones in Brian's column also), check out this video of displays that have been submitted for our Produce Artist Award Series.