Loblaw introduces Fresh Promise for produce: If it's not fresh, it's free

Canadian grocery retailer Loblaw Cos. Ltd. says its new Fresh Promise program assures customers that if they are not satisfied with produce purchased, it will be replaced and refunded within seven days, no questions asked.

The Fresh Promise applies to any fresh produce item purchased at Loblaws, Independent, Valu-mart and Zehrs locations, in-store and online, according to a news release.

"We want customers to walk out of our stores every day feeling like they got the right value for them, and our stores across the province have doubled down on this commitment with some exciting new programs," said Frank Gambioli, president of the Loblaw Super Market division. "We know how much freshness and quality play into value, and the Fresh Promise means that Canadians shopping in Loblaw grocery stores can be confident in the produce they are buying. Because if it's not fresh, it's free."

The company says the Fresh Promise means that customers can trust all produce at Loblaw grocery stores across Canada has been selected and handled with meticulous care to maintain optimal freshness from farm to store shelf. Once on the shelf, store teams are committed to routinely checking stock throughout the day to ensure it stays fresh for customers.

The Packer contacted Loblaw Canada to learn more about its Fresh Promise.

The Packer: In addition to store teams routinely checking produce stock, are there other measures in place to guarantee the consistent freshness of produce at the mentioned locations?

Our dedicated store teams routinely check produce quality on our shelves throughout the day — and we have many processes behind the scenes to ensure that we can offer the freshest possible produce for customers across Canada. These processes include crisping, trimming, keeping product wet as required, product rotation on the sales floor as well as maintaining a first-in, first-out inventory process.

Will customer feedback be incorporated into the Fresh Promise program? Are there any plans to track customer satisfaction?

Our teams consistently seek feedback from our customers on their shopping experience and grade ourselves weekly based on customer feedback. While some customers get an email asking about their experience, any customer can comment on their shopping experience through a survey, details of which can be found at the bottom of every receipt.

How is Loblaw educating customers about the Fresh Promise?

In addition to advertising this program on traditional and social media channels, our stores now feature signage that details our renewed commitment to providing the freshest products throughout the customer shopping experience. Customers will notice big bold window clings on the door as soon as they enter the store and signage on every end in each produce department. We’ve leveraged our owned media channels such as flyers, our website and social pages to educate our customers about our fresh promise. We’ve also activated a paid media campaign inclusive of radio, online videos and influencer partnerships to reach even more customers to share details of this program.

Where did the idea for this program originate, and what do you hope it will achieve?

Being the grocer of choice to millions of Canadians each week is a privilege and honor that our entire team takes seriously. We want our customers to walk out of our stores every day feeling like they got the right value for each item purchased and know that the most important aspects of value for our customers are freshness and quality. Our Fresh Promise means that Canadians shopping in Loblaw grocery stores can be confident in the produce they are buying.