CHICAGO—Finding ways to resonate with consumers, and the right new products they want, is the key to innovation for a panel of retailers who participated in United FreshMKT on June 14.
From the definition of local, to new store design, to reaching people through social media, Kevin Barry, director of produce and floral of Big Y Foods Inc., Amy Simeri McClellan vice president of sales and marketing for Martin’s Super Markets and Jeff Patterson, produce director for Niemann Foods Inc., said outlined their companies’ respective strategies for merchandising a unique experience.
The biggest trend to watch? Value-added produce.
Broccoli and cauliflower “rice” are in high demand from consumers, as well as any type of vegetable noodle, Barry said.
“It seems like the noodle engineers have figured out just how many ways you can cut a zucchini,” Barry said, and consumers love it.
Finding a way to merchandise convenience and meal solutions is essential, Patterson said. Consumers like the idea of a meal kit, so Patterson says he has store managers put together a meal solution station at the front of the store.
“It’s fast and easy and also representative of the front page of our weekly ad,” he said.
Social media is a big draw for these three retailers, but it’s not your basic Facebook run by an intern.
At Big Y, more than 130 people post to the company’s social media, Barry said.
Niemann Foods does social media-only giveaways and promotes its own in-store show called “Two Bald Guys,” a fun and interactive show where employees sample new things all over the store.
At Martin’s, produce is the star of social, McClellan said.
“Produce, in my opinion, is the most fun department in the store,” she said. “Because it is fun there’s a lot of stories to be told and I encourage everyone to be social with your produce. We get great results when we post produce topics on our social media.”
Martin’s specifically ties produce to its in-store dietitian program, and does promotions specifically tied to social media.
“We’ll do a Facebook Live post promoting Driscoll’s blackberries where our dietitian will talk about the flavor profile, and how to make a simple recipe with berries,” she said. “It got 20,000 views.”
Martin’s strategically posts, and increased its digital advertising budget to pay to promote at least one post per day, McClellan said.
“Social media is really about the content,” Patterson said. “The better the content, the more people are going to share it, and the more followers you’re going to get.”