Armand Lobato

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Pumping up or building massive produce displays is not uncommon during the holidays.
The produce world was saddened last week to learn of the passing of Frieda Rapaport Caplan, founder of Frieda’s Inc., Los Alamitos, Calif.
My store’s produce department seems to get worse all the time. The place was a shambles again today. It was nearly midday and the crew was just starting to get caught up.
“The last 150 feet from storeroom to display is the toughest leg.”
A good produce manager, like a shrewd chess player, must always be thinking several steps ahead when it comes to the long-term outlook.
One thing that irked me as a produce manager was when a clerk would say, “I’m going to take a break,” and their allotted 15 minutes dragged on and on.
Cut fruit programs have tremendous potential — but what I see all too often isn’t quite what retailers had in mind for this concept.
It was ugly. It was all at once curious, sad, remarkable, shocking and sobering.
As we delve ever deeper into the coronavirus COVID-19 situation, food distributors and retailers are discovering this pandemic may unfortunately be with us for at least the immediate future.
I observe the produce clerks in my neighborhood store and the profiles and demeanor are much the same. The crews go about their stocking as usual in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.