Earlier this summer, Yokota Air Base Commissary produce manager Jude Leong noticed an unusual culinary combination trending on TikTok: watermelon and mustard.
He wondered if merchandising them together in the store, with signage that referenced the trend, would prompt shoppers to buy, so he got the go-ahead from his supervisor and created the display pictured below.
Instead of putting full bottles of mustard next to whole watermelons, Leong asked the deli manager for packets of mustard to include with the fresh-cut melon slices to make the trend an easy one to try.
"We sold it so quickly I needed more," Leong said.
The final verdict from shoppers on the watermelon-mustard combination was mixed, but the display spurred lots of interest and engagement at the point of sale, sold more than expected, and led to follow-up conversations with shoppers on their next trips about what their opinion was after trying the trend.
Leong noted that he is always looking for opportunities to merchandise creatively in the store. He enjoys watching how customers react to displays and talking with them during their visits, he said.
Produce has shown up in several TikTok trends this year, and Leong expects those opportunities to continue to pop up. He anticipates that more grocery stores will be trying to take advantage.
"I think now it's going to be a race, who's going to be the first one," Leong said with a laugh.