Produce managers wear a lot of hats.
They are, in essence, merchandisers, inventory control specialists, shrink monitors, clerk trainers and mentors. They are considered accomplished regarding product knowledge and commodity seasonality. This is just the tip of the management iceberg.
And like any profession that requires multiple hat-wearing, a good dose of common sense comes in handy as well.
Which reminds me of an old school lesson from years ago. Our science teacher challenged us to find ordinary objects when altered, magnified and projected on a screen. We thought this was an easy enough assignment, but there was a catch: The objects were positioned so they were not easy to identify. Silhouettes of things like thumbtacks, rubber bands, or paperclips looked nothing like what we knew them to be.
Rather, each was but an odd line or smudge on the screen, and it took a little detective work to discern one object from another.
I thought about this lesson occasionally when managing a produce department, or later supervising other produce managers when up against a challenge or issue that wasn’t so easily identified.
For example, when organic produce began taking a larger role, merchandised alongside conventional offerings in the early ’90s, this caused some produce managers to experience problems. Even though it appeared every other critical control point was covered (such as ordering closely, rotating and culling carefully) it seemed certain stores dropped a couple of gross profit margin points and had higher shrink. If managed properly, it should not have affected either measure.
Sometimes a good produce manager or supervisor just needs to consider all perspectives.
We finally discovered the margin “leak” after running some basic internal reports. Very few of the organic products were being rung up correctly, as the potential sales were far short of actual.
This wasn’t a produce manager issue so much as a front-end training shortfall, as even the experienced cashiers weren’t all aware of what to look for in organic produce identification (this was long before preprinted product labeling). After some brief meetings and weekly produce tests were set up, most of this issue was resolved.
It wasn’t that organic was a money-loser, but something which called for added training standards. Like the paper clip from science class, so to speak. The solution wasn’t obvious, but we found it.
Sometimes a good produce manager or supervisor just needs to consider all perspectives. Is productivity low “just because”? Or could it be due to the load arriving at an inopportune time? Are there inadequate produce carts available because other departments “steal” them away and should be reprimanded, or is the equipment so universally efficient it justifies the store acquiring more?
Of all the hats described, perhaps the most valuable hats a produce manager wears are for creative and critical thinking.
Armand Lobato works for the Idaho Potato Commission. His 40 years’ experience in the produce business span a range of foodservice and retail positions. E-mail [email protected].