If you wait for solutions to all your problems will flow downhill from a distant home office, you may be in for a long wait. Some of the best ideas sprout from those already around you, says columnist Armand Lobato.
Want to increase business? Start by taking exceptional care of the customers you already have. Otherwise, it’ll be costly to mend that relationship — if it can be done at all. Columnist Armand Lobato explains more.
Competition checks are an integral part of understanding your business and seeing how other stores are doing. Columnist Armand Lobato offers some observations to include in your checklist.
An impressive produce lineup at the front entrance can elevate customer expectations for what they’ll find further into the store, says columnist Armand Lobato.
Are you eating five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables a day? Produce department staff can easily surpass that while on the job and be better prepared to educate customers about items, says columnist Armand Lobato.
Adding these relatively simple showcases can compel customers to spend more time in the produce department — and raise the potential for purchases, says columnist Armand Lobato.
How much is a good produce professional worth? Columnist Armand Lobato takes a look at how labor market conditions and employee intangibles factor into pay.
Dumping produce onto a fixture may make for a quick and easy display, but that “shortcut” ultimately costs a department in terms of sales, increased shrink and lower customer satisfaction, says columnist Armand Lobato.
After a produce show ends, the work begins with developing your new contacts into strong business relationships — and there’s a surefire way to make a great early impression, columnist Armand Lobato explains.
Don’t miss out on sales because a customer wandered the store looking for an item they couldn’t find. Columnist Armand Lobato explains how your produce merchandising can help shoppers.
