Armand Lobato

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One task that is loaded with details in a produce remodel? Signing.
I once called on a young produce manager who showed loads of potential but lacked direction in his career.
One of the big focal points of those managing a retail operation is to have plenty of stock on hand to maximize sales.
There’s a reason that produce managers’ gray-metal back room desks are so small. That’s not your primary workspace.
Produce buyers as a rule tend to naturally run a lean inventory. Like in the stores, the thinking is, “Just enough inventory until the next delivery” — with enough safety stock on hand just in case.
I visit a full range of stores, from the quiet produce stands that depend on evening and weekend business to keep them afloat, to the megastores, and everything in between.
I like how technology plays an ever-increasing role in produce retailing. Take, for example, ad displays.
Summer is several months away, but if there’s one message I think about now, it’s “game on!”
“We’re kicking your load.” Delivering that message to a produce buyer is the toughest part of the job for quality assurance personnel.
There’s no bigger sales lift in the spring than Easter week.