We all know change is the only constant.
A quick result for a search AI adds: “From the Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus, who stated that change is central to the universe, to Bob Dylan, who said, ‘The times they are a changin.’”
The problem isn’t that change is a constant, so much as that we humans are reluctant to discard what is familiar and comfortable to embrace change.
I was thinking about this last week when The Packer’s Editor Emeritus Tom Karst posted a survey about which apple varieties people favored. Being the old-school fuddy-duddy, my favorite variety (jonathan) wasn’t even on the list. I’ll get back to this in a minute.
In the late ’80s, I was writing a weekly marketing bulletin with our produce director working within. It was the days of cranking out the weekly information for our produce managers. After a quick edit, the hard copy was bound for the print shop and our warehouse, where copies were stuffed into store mail bags along with the warehouse invoices.
During this serious writing moment, our only computer-tech person, Randy Delorenzo, poked his head into the office. Among other computer-related tidbits, Randy shared that “something” was coming down in the PC world soon — something called Windows — and he said it was going to have a big impact on every software we currently used.
I focused even harder on the bulletin before me but thought to myself: Nothing is going to replace my WordPerfect. Nothing could ever replace my Lotus 123.
I’m sure those thoughts echoed elsewhere too. Boy, were we all in for a big surprise.
But getting back to comparing apples with apples. In that same office in the same era, I was in the director’s office working at that lone, shared computer. Our company president, Jim Baldwin, poked his head into the office. It was very unusual to see the big guy roaming around, as outside of board meetings, we might see him just a couple of times a year.
Foremost on his mind, Jim said, “Mike, I was travelling this week, and I tasted an apple variety that I thought we should carry.”
After he shared his suggestion and left, Mike and I both looked at each other and thought the same thing: Jim? The president and CEO? What does he know about produce, let alone thinking we needed his opinion on carrying a new apple variety? Of course, we booked some right away, as a president’s suggestion is more like a mandate — an immediate one at that.
The variety that ol’ Jim suggested? It was the fuji apple.
Well, that goes to show how much he did know after all.
More importantly, it was shining a light about change and acceptance of that change to a couple of supposed produce veterans. It just goes to show that, like most people, all we know is that we don’t know.
Years later in another example, as a buyer for a big foodservice broadliner, I was talking to Sharon at the nearby Cooseman’s specialty produce distributor in Denver. “Armand, you really need to try carrying these portabella mushroom caps,” she said. “It’s a trending item.”
I was hesitant to do so, even after looking at the beautiful samples Sharon had sent. It didn’t make sense, I thought. Why would chefs buy the more-expensive mushroom caps, when all they had to do was buy the usual portabellas and simply pop off the stem? Did Sharon know something I didn’t? Reluctantly, I set up the item number and starting carrying the caps.
Within a few weeks sales soared, and the item barely cannibalized the regular portabella line.
There’s no fool like an old fool, or so I’ve heard. But I suspect if fools like me can learn a lesson in the process, well, I suppose there’s always hope.
Columnist and produce industry veteran Armand Lobato shares his insight and perspective.
(Photo courtesy of Armand Lobato)
(Photo courtesy of Armand Lobato)
by Armand Lobato, Dec 20, 2024