While the United States is still many months away from a potential end to the pandemic, encouraging signs are emerging of a return to life before COVID-19. Some of the many changes that were made to help cope with and defeat the virus will disappear, while others will stay in place for much longer – perhaps forever.
Within the supermarket industry, one can certainly envision hand-cleaning stations and grocery cart sanitizing programs as part of life beyond the pandemic. Similarly, it is easy to imagine that a certain percentage of attendees at ballgames, concerts, movies and other crowded venues will continue to wear masks.
What does this return to “normal” mean for independent retailers, and specifically what does it mean for produce departments and produce managers? What, if any, changes that we have seen over recent months will become a routine part of every produce clerk’s day?
To predict the answers, a first step may be to examine what drives consumers to purchase fresh produce in the first place.
Typically, produce consumerism over the past 20 years has followed the same patterns. First, interest in new fruits and vegetables has been generated through cultural assimilation, where produce from around the world has found its way to mainstream American supermarket shelves. Produce that was once unfamiliar now has a regular place among more traditionally available fruits and vegetables.
Second, consumers have been significantly influenced by the “Giada Effect” – a reference to American-Italian chef and Food Network personality Giada De Laurentiis.
The growth of cooking channels, baking shows and other food-centric programming has delivered not only new techniques but also spurred a growth in ingredient shopping.
One only has to look at fresh herb sales over the past few years to see the impact of kitchen programming on today’s produce shopper.
Next, restaurants have had a most significant impact on what a consumer is willing or unwilling to buy in the produce aisle. No one really enjoyed asparagus – until Chef Robert at the local eatery prepared an asparagus galette that was simply unforgettable. Restaurants have shaped palettes, and palettes shape shopping lists.
Finally, home-meal solutions such as Hello Fresh and others have given home cooks the confidence to try new ingredients, new preparations and new cooking techniques.
The pandemic has had an impact on each of these shopping influences. Restaurants in 2020, and deep into 2021, will have a minimal effect on shopping patterns for obvious reasons – many are closed or at least scaled back. Home delivery of meal solutions plateaued during COVID-19, primarily due to the per-meal cost during these times of economic hardship.
On the flip side, the “Giada Effect” has been felt even stronger as trapped consumers watch cooking shows on network and cable television, on streaming services, on social media and on platforms like YouTube.
As a result, produce managers should be prepared for increased display sizes of fresh basil, thyme, Meyer lemons and shallots in their produce departments.
As the industry begins to move through 2021, another, and potentially more powerful, player has begun to materialize in the produce influence game. For months, consumers have been steeped in a culture of concern regarding health and safety – and rightfully so.
It is not a stretch to imagine that many produce decisions in the future will be shaped by the consumer’s desire to remain healthy and safe. The question is: How do these purchasing decisions translate at the produce department level?
From a safety standpoint, consumers are making fewer in-person grocery runs – and some have eliminated in-person shopping altogether in favor of delivery services, although many shoppers don’t prefer that approach. Instead of buying two apples three times a week, consumers are looking at purchasing larger quantities to ensure fewer trips. While this trend lends itself well to apples and potatoes, it does not translate as easily to fresh-cut or berries.
In addition, the growth of bagged and clamshell produce is indicative of this priority for better food safety (or the perception thereof) – and, for better or worse, that is a change that is likely to remain for quite some time. To accommodate this trend, some retailers have swapped out items, like bulk green beans, exclusively for bagged.
What other commodities could be on the chopping block? How will produce managers make their departments colorful and enticing with so many items wrapped in plastic?
As the industry responds to post-pandemic produce shopping from a health perspective, two areas of focus emerge, both of which can and should impact today’s produce department.
First up is the organic dilemma. How is the consumer trend for fewer trips and larger packs reconciled with the organic shopper’s general disdain for plastic and packaging? Recent data suggests that casual organic shoppers are most concerned with the affordability of the product and not as stringent about packaging. Pure organic shoppers, on the other hand, are overwhelmingly bulk organic buyers – a factor which presents an issue for not only “bulk packs,” but also for front-end integrity.
The answer most likely lies in sustainable packaging and inventive solutions for moving organic produce correctly through the register.
Second, the pandemic has created a universal mindset regarding the paramount importance of health and safety. The ability to fight off infections and viruses of all types will be front and center in the battle to remain healthy – and produce departments are in a prime position to offer help. What is displayed on wet walls and dry cases can assist in the battle to ward off illness.
The age-old adages – “an apple a day,” for example – ring true more than ever, as does a mother’s admonition to “eat your vegetables.”
In today’s world, these directives carry more significance. Many fresh fruits and vegetables can help boost the body’s immune systems and subsequently help to fight off infections. Some of these items are commonplace; blueberries, red peppers, spinach and broccoli are amazing immunity boosters. But there are other, less traditional infection-fighters as well. Fresh ginger, fresh garlic and turmeric are all leaders in the fight against infection, as are sweet potatoes, kiwifruit and – of course – all varieties of citrus.
While it is profitable to market broccoli, blueberries and red peppers with aggressive retails and impressive displays, retailers should also market these commodities for their health benefits.
Imagine a retail world where produce departments are set up based not on color breaks and category but on the health properties of each fruit and vegetable. Departments would include sections for heart-healthy vegetables, for infection-fighters, and even for produce items that help reduce blood pressure.
There is nothing good about a pandemic, and I am hopeful that another one never occurs. However, as with all things, there are lessons to be learned if the retail produce industry takes the time to reflect on what has been and envision what can be.
Steve Patt is a part of the leadership team for Tourtellot and Co. He has worked for or with independent grocers for nearly 50 years.