Take your hard squash merchandising to the next level
Photos courtesy Brian Dey
Greetings, produce professionals! Over the past few weeks we have covered merchandising techniques for the perennial fall favorite fruits, apples and pears, so for this week’s column we’ll round out the fall harvest by highlighting the incredibly colorful and wonderfully versatile category of hard squashes!
Historically, hard squash is often buried at the back of the department next to the potatoes and onions, but moving these to a higher-traffic area in your departments, especially at this time of the year, will do wonders for your sales.
A well merchandised display of hard squash is truly a thing of beauty. The colors that each variety has really do lend themselves to building just an absolutely stunning display.
There are different styles of merchandising hard squash. Some stores choose to set up displays with each variety separate from one another, and others utilize the tables and counters to create a beautiful picture of the varieties mixed in with one another, sort of like a farmer’s market setup.
Whichever way you choose, know that your end picture will be a beautiful array of colors, sizes and textures.
The timing is right to bulk up and expand on your hard squash displays. The cooler weather is here, the holidays are quickly approaching, and intentional merchandising is within your grasp; these variables together equal squash success! So let’s take a quick look at some keys to excellent hard squash merchandising.
Beyond the basics
Acorn, butternut and spaghetti, in most areas, are the three varieties that carry the hard squash category. However, there are many other squash varieties that would add a nice array of color and variety to your displays and likely entice your customers to try something new.
Unlike berries or leafy greens, for instance, hard squash is generally a low-risk item, so it lends itself to bigger displays and opportunities for introducing new varieties. Varieties like kabocha, delicata (my personal favorite) and honeynut have gotten some media exposure over the past couple of years and have gained in popularity with consumers. Carnival, sweet dumpling and red kuri are also finding their ways into more shopping carts. So more squash varieties are being consumed, not just looking pretty on your counters!
Educate and prepare
Each variety has its own shape, size and colors, and looking at a huge display could be confusing to some. Educating your customers on varieties you have in your display and how to prepare them and cook them is key. Try posting a hard squash variety chart on or by your display, or use variety-specific signage with pictures of the squash and price.
Once a customer identifies which variety they would like to try, they need to know how to cook it. Printing out and posting recipe ideas gives the customer confidence in how to prepare their squashes. There are a ton of hard squash recipe ideas online for evert variety you have on display. The possibilities for enjoying the different flavors of fall are endless, so share some of these ideas on your displays!
Build the basket
All of those recipes have other items to cook use, so cross-merchandising adds some convenience and ways to grow the basket size off your display. Brown sugar, maple syrup, olive oil, pasta and pasta sauce, quinoa and a myriad of fresh produce – garlic, onions, peppers, herbs, etc. – are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to cross-merchandising items for a customer to prepare their hard squash dishes with.
Now that’s convenient
While a bountiful bulk display of hard squash looks super cool and inviting, there are opportunities to capture some additional sales by having precut squashes available in your value-added sections.
While there are some companies that offer some varieties already cut up, cubing and cutting some up in-store (as long as you can do so within the proper food safety guidelines) is a great way to grow sales.
Some consumers might look at the cutting up hard squashes on their own as too much of a task, and some may actually be unable to do it. Cubed and halved butternut is by far the most popular of these in most areas, with acorn right behind it.
Create a festive entrance
If you are in an area that is conducive to doing outdoor or vestibule displays, this is a perfect item to lead consumers into your stores. The beautiful colors of squash will create a festive entrance and offer a welcoming display for the customer, not to mention add some impulse sales for your department.
So now it’s time for you to get out and build some super cool hard squash displays. Utilize the tips above to help you create your own successful squash masterpiece!
Brian Dey is the senior merchandiser and natural stores coordinator for Ephrata, Pa.-based wholesaler Four Seasons Produce. He’s an industry veteran with a serious passion for helping produce teams to achieve great presentation and results in their departments.
