Armand Lobato

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I’m a produce writer, but not a very good poet. In school I didn’t grade well in the world of couplets, stanzas, prose and ballads. Still, I’m inspired by the art. More about this later.
There’s something unique about a retail produce crew. Unlike other grocery store departments, produce is different.
Sometimes, training others means teaching those we also answer to.
The produce aisle is but one department in the grocery business. And, by all appearances, when a customer navigates through a store, it’s a peaceful place.
No one likes to play catch up. In fact, once you fall behind on something, it is far more difficult to recover. And stressful.
Fewer business practices are more important than punctuality.
Staff, order, prep and stock the produce department so that whatever decision is reached, it’s because the offerings are so fresh, the stock level so nice, that in that moment any decision is a good decision.
It’s quite a commitment to attempt offering a clean and fresh produce department when shopping traffic heats up.
Everyone’s time is valuable. You never want to go into a meeting flatfooted.
So, what exactly is a normal work week for a produce manager? It depends.