Mark Garcia, The Common Market, Frederick, MD
1. What do you love most about your job?
Connecting people to produce, being part of that customer’s produce buying experience. Whether it be seeking a healthier lifestyle, trying new produce, supporting local farmers, or supporting sustainable practices, having conversations with customers and being able to satisfy their needs is an amazing feeling.
2. What’s your biggest challenge as a retail produce manager?
Getting customers to shop outside of their comfort zone. Customers tend to get into habit shopping, getting them to try new things and taste new flavors is always a challenge. There are so many options to choose from these days and customers are always in such a hurry, getting them to slow down and try gold kiwis, pattypan squash, local heirloom tomatoes, produce with incredible flavor that may not be on the weekly shopping list.
3. What has changed most in the produce department during your time in retail?
Convenience and value added product. Customers are seeking out options that can be prepared quickly or can be eaten on the go, those categories continue to grow in each section of the produce department.
4. What’s your favorite fruit? Vegetable?
Wow, I guess it depends on when you ask me. As a produce manager, knowing the seasons and just having the knowledge and experience and tasting things year after year, you kind of become spoiled. I have definitely been accused of being a produce snob. Right now orange honeydew is unbelievably sweet, grilling fairytale eggplant certainly makes the dinner plate complete.
5. What do you think are the most important things we can do to raise fruit and vegetable consumption?
I think making produce more accessible in more places. We need to work harder to make sure schools have fresh produce available for every student, also seek out those public places where produce is not readily available. When is the last time you saw someone eating an apple at an airport?
Few can have more of an influence on sales than the people we have working on the front lines, in our stores, interacting with consumers every day.
Every month, Produce Retailer Magazine will feature some of the best merchandisers, managers and clerks helping make produce the most sought-after department in grocery retail.
We’re starting this series with winners of the 2016 Retail Produce Manager Awards, sponsored by Dole Food Co. and administered by the United Fresh Produce Association.