A dozen Dunnes Stores locations in Ireland will be letting shoppers chop their own pineapples this summer with the help of a high-tech machine from Fyffes.
The new device produces a cut-and-cored pineapple in just 20 seconds, according to a news release.
The machine “gives shoppers the opportunity to slice their pineapples on the go and at no added cost beyond the recommended retail price of the pineapple itself,” Fyffes Ireland marketing manager Emma Hunt-Duffy said in the release.
Normally fresh-cut produce items cost more than their bulk counterparts, but the pineapple cutting machines take labor out of the equation.
The novelty of the machines figures to be a positive for both shoppers and stores, as the shopper gets a unique experience and the stores get loyalty and word-of-mouth benefit.
Elevating the experience
Retailers in the U.S. have also been looking to create memorable in-store experiences, as e-commerce popularity grows and competition for shoppers remains fierce.
Produce butchers have popped up throughout the country, including at Roche Bros. in Massachusetts and Coborn’s in Minnesota.
Lucky’s Market in Florida has a Sip and Stroll program in which visitors can drink a beer or glass of wine while they shop.
Wegmans recently told the Buffalo News that it will be ending its child-care service but adding activities that families can do together, including in-store yoga, cooking classes and movie nights.
Consulting firm CBRE noted in its 11 projections for the future of grocery that in-store experience is only going to become more important in coming years, as consumer packaged goods companies will be increasingly capable of selling direct to consumers.