Award-winning produce managers give advice on launching new products

Clockwise from top left: Ronnie Minteer, Michael Foint, Clay Williams, Paul Rosen and Steve Kaluahine participate in a United Fresh Live! education session moderated by Lisa Overman.

Five produce managers being recognized this year by the United Fresh Produce Association as some of the best in the nation listed partnerships, marketing investment and sampling as key factors in successful new product launches.

Each member of the group, which spoke during an education session at the United Fresh Live! virtual trade show, said sampling is mostly on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ronnie Minteer, produce manager for Hy-Vee in Springfield, Ill., mentioned that giving away whole pieces of fruit is still a way to prompt trial, but traditional active in-store sampling has been paused as food safety perceptions have become paramount amid the outbreak.

“You can’t eat a sample when you’ve got a mask on,” one member of the group said.

Paul Rosen, produce manager for Good Foods Store in Missoula, Mont., described a strong product, demo support and point-of-sale information as the “golden trifecta” for a launch.

“If the supplier can provide all those things, then it’s a good indication they’re there for the long haul also,” Rosen said. “A piece of it is working with, cultivating those partnerships.

“I’m also thinking of local producers in this way,” Rosen said. “I want to see them next year. I want to know that this terrific bok choy, these terrific radishes are going to be back again next year, so what can we do to partner to make sure that it works for them, works for us, that kind of conversation.”

Clay Williams, produce manager for Harps Food Stores in Fayetteville, Ark., noted that lowering the barriers to trial is another key opportunity.

“If you’re going to introduce a new item, we need to put it out in front, and it needs to be the hottest price on the market to entice those first-time buyers,” Williams said.

He added that, because introducing a new item often means losing an established one, the price point needs to be attractive for the retailer in the long run, too.

“A lot of us produce managers are really gross profit-oriented,” Williams said. “We have numbers that we have to hit and things like that. If you want to get in there and get a new item going, one thing is make it gross-friendly.

“If you get the backing by a produce manager, I think we’ve seen a lot of the brands that produce managers have been engaged on have been successful in the long term,” Williams said.

He recounted an example from when Harps switched from one packaged tomato to another; the move initially faced resistance from produce managers, who protested the company moving out its top item in the category for something new. The supplier made the transition easier by starting with a low price for the shopper and providing lots of extra product for samples.

Steve Kaluahine, produce manager for Gelson’s Market in Rancho Mission Viejo, Calif., described sampling and point-of-sale material as two key components in a new product launch.

Michael Foint, produce manager for Big Y Foods in Amherst, Mass., also mentioned signage as key, particularly making a positive difference for local items, including the success of a partnership with a nearby student farm.

“The collaboration with the university was just probably the key to everything,” Foint said.

Minteer also mentioned partnership between supplier and retailer as essential, along with steady availability.

“We want to make sure that we’re able to maintain in-stock status so if they buy it one time they can come back and get it again,” Minteer said. “That’s how we establish staples in our department, making sure that stuff is always available for them.”

The group also mentioned the success of the Cosmic Crisp apple, which was boosted by a multi-million dollar marketing campaign supported by the whole Washington apple industry. Minteer noted people were already asking for the apples before they were even available, so his store did a big display as soon as the fruit arrived, along with putting them in the ad and sampling them.

“They’ll get excited for stuff if they know about it,” Minteer said.

To get to know more of the produce managers recognized by the United Fresh Produce Association this year, check out these exclusive interviews.

Award-winning produce managers give advice on launching new products

Tags

Latest News