We know you create amazing works of art in your customers' and your produce departments. We've seen it. We've taken photos of your beautiful displays during random store visits, not just nationwide, but worldwide.
But we want to see your best. And you deserve a reward, regardless of whether you win in one of the categories in the next contest, which has a submission deadline of June 16.
That's why we're conducting a random drawing of all contest participants to give away a $50 Amazon gift card.
Also, we have a surprise new judge to add to our judging panel, who has grocery retail merchandising and nutrition (ahem, like produce) experience.
How to enter the contest
Send us six to 10 photos of your store produce displays, along with your name, job title, company and city/state/country. To enter the spring 2023 Produce Artist Awards contest, send it to [email protected] by Friday, June 16.
Send pictures of all kinds of produce, but keep in mind the next contest's seasonal categories include:
- Berries
- Mangoes
- Melons
- Sweet Corn
- Vidalia Onions
- Melons
- Best Produce Merchandiser or Specialist
- Best Produce Manager
Other winnings
Category winners get to be the topic of discussion in the Winner Webinar, where the judges discuss why your display is awesome. Your display photos will be featured in stories online, in print and on social media, with your name and company getting all the credit.
Winners of the Best Produce Manager and Best Produce Merchandiser/Specialist awards also get a variety of prizes mailed to them. Yes, prizes!
And: You get allll the bragging rights.
What do winning displays look like?
Well, it depends on your store, its parameters and which category we're talking about. In the winter 2023 contest, Stephen Daly won Best Produce Merchandiser or Specialist. He's a produce specialist at Military Produce Group, based in Newport News, Va.
Daly has 21 years of produce experience, including nine years as a produce manager for Safeway supermarkets before he joined the Military Produce Group.
“I am very passionate with what I do for the produce industry, along with providing my produce managers with the knowledge I've learned over the years of being a successful produce specialist/manager,” Daly said. “I take great pride in building nice, clean, impactful displays for each of my locations so that the patrons have the best of the best when shopping within my commissaries.”
See some of his work:
(Photo: Courtesy of Stephen Daly of Military Produce Group)
(Photo: Courtesy of Stephen Daly of Military Produce Group)
(Photo: Courtesy of Stephen Daly of Military Produce Group)
Ruben Flores was the runner-up winner of the Best Merchandiser/Specialist category in that same winter 2023 contest. He's the produce merchandiser at El Rio Grande Latin Market in Dallas. He also used to work in produce at Central Market, in Plano, Texas, and Whole Foods Market locations in Texas.
Here are a couple of his entries:
(Photo: Courtesy of Ruben Flores of El Rio Grande Latin Market)
(Photo: Courtesy of Ruben Flores of El Rio Grande Latin Market)
Don't forget: Send your photos to [email protected] ASAP!