“If only my store manager knew…”
So began a labor-related line I heard from many produce managers over the years as I visited stores in my supervisor days — especially as spring uncoiled into full summer mode in the produce aisle.
Here’s what store managers should know about summer produce:
1. Labor is a crucial component in setting up a produce department.
Produce is naturally labor-intensive at every point of the year but becomes especially so in the summer.
Every morning a produce setup involves cleaning up, rotating and stocking fresh cherry displays and doing the same for the grape displays, for the fresh corn display, the berry section, the cut melon set and more.
All this, not to mention setting up the wet rack for a fresh start to the day.
Extra labor must be in the plan. Without it, you never get off to a good start, and thus, the produce manager and clerks struggle to get a handle on setting and maintaining displays.
You can't make a great impression on customers if you have an understaffed department at the busiest, most bountiful time of the year for produce.
2. Labor is vital for maintaining optimum sales.
When a department is dialed in with a great start to the day, and all the key summer commodities are fresh, bountiful and appealing to shoppers, a funny thing happens — lots of sales follow.
What keeps those purchases going and the cash register ringing with lots of fresh produce sales is enough hands on deck to keep the displays clean, culled, rotated and stocked so that the middle-of-the-day, the mid-afternoon or the evening shopper is met with equally impressive arrays of fresh produce offerings.
In fact (besides weekends), most sales occur in the 3-9 p.m. time slot. If you staff it, shoppers will come — and buy.
3. Added labor is a key factor in training, in product handling, receiving and care.
A wise produce director once said, “Untrained people throw money away.” He was right.
A little extra time scheduled to train newer clerks goes a long way, especially with how summer product (which needs a lot of TLC) is received, prepped, handled, rotated and stocked.
4. Added summer produce labor is a worthwhile investment.
With an aggressive investment, a premium produce stand results in optimum sales growth, which in turn generates maximum gross profit. Properly managed, this also means minimal shrink.
Shirk the investment and you may see some sales bump, but it won’t be nearly what it could be, and with the highest shrink month of the year on the horizon (August), any profits realized could bleed away before your eyes.
5. Experienced produce managers know what they need to succeed.
Ask them. Work with them. Especially in the summer, adequately staffed, they can turn a store into a positive, profitable gold mine.
Armand Lobato works for the Idaho Potato Commission. His 40 years’ experience in the produce business span a range of foodservice and retail positions.