For two years, October didn’t include the largest fresh produce and floral exposition in the Western Hemisphere … but that was then.
The atmosphere and our collective direction has shifted, Produce Marketing Association and United Fresh Produce Association are now the International Fresh Produce Association, and we have a new, but familiar, event at the end of October.
“The PMA” or “Fresh Summit” — as so many refer to the Global Show (or as we say internally, “The Big Show”) — is wildly successful, evidenced by throngs of members and attendees planning to join us in Orlando. Whether attendees call it by its new name or the old one, we are just ecstatic that we are back together again.
IFPA’s formation itself, plus its recent and future initiatives, could be considered one big Moon Shot — the nickname of Pres. John F. Kennedy’s 1962 goal of sending a man safely to the moon and back. The mission was accomplished in 1969, despite the lack of technology, the new National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA, program and inexperienced engineering staff of recent college graduates.
A variety of Moon Shots
The connection between NASA’s Moon Shot and IFPA’s Moon Shot is about all the challenges, both internally and externally. Also, IFPA’s recent recommendations to the White House Conference on Hunger, Health, and Nutrition have been called our industry’s Moon Shot.
Even after a great success, we have to keep vigilant to avoid a potential crash-and-burn. For example, the onboard explosion during the Apollo 13 mission in 1970 created almost insurmountable challenges, yet “failure was not an option,” the flight director said at the time. The astronauts didn’t make it to the moon, but they survived.
The mission was still considered a success because in the most stressful moments, people rallied together here on Earth and in space to work out solutions with improvised methods using the limited resources they had to achieve a monumental outcome for both NASA and the astronauts on board.
What will be your Moon Shot?
Back on Earth, our produce industry is undergoing massive changes and disruptions in many ways, including: Supply chain; labor and talent; climate change; and an almost undecipherable consumer with fluctuating expectations and experiences.
We’re grappling with those challenges, on top of more than a year of decreasing tonnage volume at retail, coupled with double-digit inflation. So, the critical issues are many. But the answers can be mixed, based on where you work along the supply chain.
Supermarket operators should keep these challenging questions in mind as the Global Show approaches:
- How has curbside pickup and home delivery impacted produce department performance? More than 40% of fresh produce sales are from impulse buys, attributed to in-store merchandising strategies. How has the digital shopping experience dampened impulse purchase opportunities with consumers?
- How has print and digital promotional activity changed during the high inflationary period? Many retailers have pulled back on promotions because of the inflated cost associated with many of the fresh produce categories, on top of tight supply side challenges. Are promotional ads and activity still the driver for tonnage and penny profit which retailers have depended on for decades? If not, how do we regain lost tonnage if promotional activity is going to remain at its current level?
- How has the tight labor market impacted all the above, and how are retailers rethinking the best use of the labor and talent they do have? Creative, out-of-the box thinking is needed at this time. We are beyond using compensation as the main solution. The talent and labor conversation must include work/life balance and work schedule flexibility. One example of a solution is a new program at Schnuck’s Markets that allows some workers to work at multiple stores locations, based on their availability and store-staffing needs. There are certainly other ideas which should be discussed and vetted. Retailers’ labor and talent strategy from two years ago won’t work as well today, in retaining and developing employees.
The great beyond
But, like the astronauts who collaborated among themselves but also sought support and solutions from those on Earth, we in the produce industry cannot do everything ourselves either. We must think differently about how and who we engage — who can help us make positive changes for all of us in the fresh produce and floral industry.
Plan your Global Show strategy ahead of time. Think about the opportunities beyond what you typically seek in an expo. Beyond the show floor is a plethora of experiences, from educational sessions, the State of the Industry General Session (a must-see) and evening receptions. Find and download the global show app by searching for “GPFS2022.”
Stop by and say hello at the IFPA booth on the expo floor. We would be thrilled to share with you many of the initiatives and programs we have planned for 2023 — our many Moon Shots.
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This column is part of a series by Joe Watson, who spent 30-plus years as the director of produce for Rouses Markets and was named Produce Retailer of the Year and honored as one of The Packer 25, both in 2014. Watson now serves as a vice president of retail, foodservice and wholesale for the International Fresh Produce Association.