The produce department, for all its multiple facets, categories and nuances, is a simple business.
We pack, promote, package, price and generally place produce prominently for all its worth. That just about covers the five P’s of marketing, I believe.
Besides emphasizing sales, produce is an honorable profession. Produce consumption isn’t as much as it should be, and fewer products are healthier for us than eating fresh.
The people within the industry remain key to promoting produce. Jerry Kramer, an NFL Hall of Fame guard for the storied Green Bay Packers in the ’60s, once described a photo of players in his book, “Instant Replay,” of linemen engaged in a moment of brute strength: “Football is a simple game, really. Sometimes you just lower your head and push.”
Ours is indeed a business that doesn’t necessarily depend on corporate-generated schematics or computer-driven data points (although these are certainly helpful tools). More often, running a successful produce operation relies upon a produce manager’s experience, sound critical thinking, and plain old common sense.
For example, we once came out of a big, mixed-color bell pepper ad. We were long on product, and as a result every store in the chain received one or two pallets on a forced distribution — something no produce manager likes, but hey, it happens. One thing that’s for sure: You can’t sell product that’s sitting idle in a warehouse.
Related: More insight from Armand Lobato
Most of the few stores I visited that week had these excess peppers sitting in a cooler, and grumpy managers filled my ear with complaints. The first store I visited, however, had taken a proactive approach. He already built additional, prominent displays; even at regular price, estimated he would clean up and sell the peppers within a couple of days. No big deal (although we suggested keeping the peppers at the discounted, ad price).
Unlike the gloomy Gus managers, he basically “lowered his head and pushed,” merchandising his way out of the long inventory situation and generating additional sales.
That’s always the best way to approach such a challenge. Push product while it’s still top quality and saleable. The universal produce mantra of “pile it high and watch it fly” is a commonsense approach, even if it isn’t mentioned in produce manager training manuals or on the weekly schematic.
Besides, customers react well to eye-catching, pushed product displays. These convey a message of valued, high-quality, nutritious and seasonal offerings, sparking meal-solution ideas. (In this case, sauteed peppers for numerous applications and even stuffed peppers, among others.) Suggestive selling, sampling and commonsense merchandising works.
Again, the worst action taken is doing nothing while product ages, sitting in the cooler.
A hesitant or timid leader is bound to fail. Shelby Foote, the late Civil War author and historian, spoke in an interview, mentioning a well-organized yet wholly ineffective Union general, George McClellan. Foote said that one day McClellan led the Army of the Potomac to a certain river, and the massive army stalled for some time while McClellan pondered aloud about how deep the river might be at that point.
Frustrated at the delay, future general George Armstrong Custer boldly rode his horse into the otherwise placid river, where the water level reached up to cover his stirrups. He turned and (not without a good amount of sarcasm) shouted to McClellan on the shore, “This is how deep the river is, general!” Duh, right? When in doubt, lower your head and push.
“Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Armand Lobato works for the Idaho Potato Commission. His 40 years of experience in the produce business span a range of foodservice and retail positions.