How about them apples?

This is a reprint from PMG magazine from August 2017

From the Garden of Eden to today’s refrigerator fruit drawer, the good old apple is a consistent heavyweight in the produce department. The humble apple even takes part in many of our phrases, such as this apple tidbit published in 1913 in “Rustic Speech and Folklore”: “Ait a happle avore gwain to bed, An’ you’ll make the doctor beg his bread.”

You may recognize this, as the precursor to the more familiar, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

Nothing announces the advent of fall more profoundly than the arrival of new crop apples. Healthy, flavorful, and definitely one of the ‘sexier’ categories, apples have it all. Here’s a few thoughts to usher the new crop into your produce department.

Variety vs. Selection

Talk about produce terminology: these two terms are not the same.

Variety is how many apple stock-keeping-units you stock: red delicious, golden delicious, granny smith, gala, fuji, braeburn, cameo, Honeycrisp, Ambrosia, mcintosh, cortland, rome — not to mention the scores of heirloom, local or proprietary apple varieties that come into the market each season. The more varieties you carry, the better perception of your produce department. After all, you want to be the produce stand that makes neighbors proclaim, “I shop at XYZ chain — they have everything!”

Selection, on the other hand, is how many apples are offered for sale per variety. The best impression is to widen out, not deep on each variety. Depending on your space allotment, try to devote an end cap or equivalent for the high-volume varieties, such as fuji, gala or red delicious. On subsequent apple varieties, strive to give each at least 24 inches of linear space. Or more.

Variety will capture the customer’s eye. Selection will help build your basket size.

Merchandising & Handling

Fall is the natural point for an apple harvest theme. Consider using varying-sized bushel baskets or related farm crates, bins, shipper cartons or similar props to call attention to your displays.

You can try using the baskets as a backdrop or as a step-down tier type of display, for just a couple of examples. Avoid stocking too much product by using false bottoms (dummying up) in the bases of your displays. This will also help keep the apple displays fresh and easy to rotate.

No apple merchandising scheme would be complete without mentioning color breaks! Apples naturally come in a spectrum of shades and hues of numerous colors. Utilize this by merchandising green next to red, red next to gold. Contrasting colors will get maximum attention.

The apple category is without a doubt, a leader in sales, tonnage and gross profit. Promote at least one apple variety each week as a lead or secondary ad slot (in both conventional and organic segments) to keep the volume rolling.

Try to be consistent in sale offerings (as in per pound vs. per each) to minimize customer confusion. Promote the bag apples too. Stress the value comparison in bagged product to a per-pound level to demonstrate the value, and offer a range of bag sizes (3#, 5#) to meet varying customer needs.

Hand-stacking apples is an ideal way to show off the fruit’s natural beauty, and to show off “the good side” of an apple’s blush. Bulk-stocking apples is another acceptable method too, as it conveys a more natural look. The ideal apple display will be consistently full, clean and level.

Any way you stack ‘em, stress to your crew to always handle apples gently, as they bruise easily. Never drop cases or dump product onto a display. Whenever possible, display apples in non-misted, refrigerated cases. Otherwise, strive to order frequently, and rotate your displays once (or more) times each day to ensure freshness.

Signage

Signs are called ‘the silent salesman’ for a reason. But only if they’re done right. Besides offering the basics (variety, price), try to instill these points in your signs for best sales results.

Nutrition – If a Honeycrisp is especially high in potassium (it is) say so! Customers appreciate knowing if one variety has a particular nutrient, is high in fiber or low in calories.
Point of Origin – Locally grown? Domestic? Imported? List the point of origin as accurately as possible.
Best for…Some signs convey something like, ‘Did You Know…Golden Delicious make an excellent pie apple?’ or ‘Great for fruit salads,’ or, ‘Smaller size is perfect for kid’s lunchbox!’ Posting a central, apple chart helps. But there’s nothing like a single, strong message per display to make a point, and a sale.
Flavor – Of course. Any message will help, calling out attributes such as ‘Sweet, tangy, tart’ for flavor - as well as texture; ‘firm, crisp, soft.’ Help plant the flavor message.

Sampling

Flavor leads us right into the heart of any apple eating experience. Give them a taste of the goods. Arrange to have a different apple sampled each week (via your self-serve, passive sample trays, or coordinate with your active, in-store demo team. Coach the demo clerk to recite a few selling points about each apple for best results. Sampling sells!

Sales and gross profits

A wide range of apples, displayed well and kept fresh, are like so many gleaming jewels in a case. Keep your orders tight, your displays full, culled and carefully stocked. Your produce department will have a steady stream of strong sales, high gross profits and satisfied customers.

Yeah. How do you like them apples?

Armand Lobato works for the Idaho Potato Commission. His 40 years of experience in the produce business span a range of foodservice and retail positions.