Midwest Produce Expo tours Kansas City retailers
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Hen House Market, Hy-Vee and Cosentino’s Market hosted the Midwest Produce Expo retail tour group Aug. 16.
Pamela Riemenschneider, editor of Produce Retailer, led attendees through three stops at some of the top stores in the metro area.
Produce managers at each location spoke with the group about merchandising strategy, department layout, staff training and more.
Some of the major trends in grocery retail — from meal kits to produce butchers to juice bars and jackfruit — were on display.
Colorful heirloom tomatoes and prominent local produce displays with photos of growers’ families recalled marketing buzzwords like “authenticity” and “transparency.”
Each visit started with conversation with department staff.
“It was really nice to have a produce manager speak to us,” said Jocelyn Gerard, merchandising manager for Wenatchee, Wash.-based Stemilt Growers. “That’s valuable.”
Gerard noted positives at every location: strong cross-merchandising on a hatch chilis display at Hy-Vee, a fresh-cut-to-order station at Hen House, and a unique department format at Cosentino’s that catered to consumers looking for grab-and-go options.
Steven Genth, regional produce buyer for Phoenix-based Sprouts Farmers Market, said he was impressed by the stores and the way they invested to provide customers an experience, almost like they were shopping at a farmers market.
Produce Retailer and The Packer are Farm Journal Media Inc. publications.
