NEW YORK — Before there was Wegmans’ Astor Place Manhattan market, the Rochester, N.Y.-based grocer opened its first urban New York store at 21 Flushing Ave. in Brooklyn. The Packer explored the store’s colorful produce department as part of The New York Produce Show’s retail tours, Dec. 12.
While its Brooklyn store has the second-smallest footprint of any Wegmans, it is consistently in the top 10 for produce sales.
“We do the most sales per square inch of any store in the world,” said Wegmans’ Alex Sceery, who led the store tour.
In produce, Wegmans plays to seasonality and color.
“We want to put front and center what’s in season,” Sceery said. In December, that means asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, green beans and more. “We also add nice pops of color throughout produce,” he said.
At Wegmans’ bustling Brooklyn store, the grocer also appeals to shoppers willing to pay more for convenience and those who prefer to make dishes from scratch. So, a striking display of avocados, onions and tomatoes is adjacent to a refrigerated pico and guacamole case, for shoppers looking to grab and go.
“New Yorkers are so busy, they’re willing to pay a little extra to have someone do the work for them,” said Sceery. Case in point: Wegmans’ $6 single-serve organic juices are very popular, and the grocer can’t keep its juice shots on the shelf, says Sceery. “They sell out immediately.”
Value-added vegetables like shaved Brussels sprouts and prepped baby broccoli are also in demand, said Sceery.
While Wegmans’ Astor Place and Brooklyn stores are only 2 miles apart, the shoppers are very different, Sceery said. As an example, the Astor Place store moves through a pallet of pomegranates every day, but in Brooklyn pomegranates are more of a specialty item.
Wegmans creates colorblocks in every display. In apples, that means placing baskets in the center of an apple display to highlight a different color apple in the center.
“Organic is very important to our customers,” said Sceery, who uses signage to call out organic options.
Storytelling is also a compelling merchandising strategy in produce. Sceery points to a display of apples, cheese, cider and caramel dip as one of the grocer’s “little stories.”
“This is the hardest-working section in the store,” said Sceery, pointing to the berry case.
Sceery says Wegmans makes sure the team tries all the produce in the store, so they can talk to customers about the product.
