Predawn summer thoughts of a produce manager

Summer officially began June 21. 

Seasonally however, in the produce aisle, summer began many weeks earlier. As a produce manager, I preferred to arrive in the wee hours of the morning, sometimes an hour or two before my scheduled shift. Only a faint hint of light on the horizon suggested that a new day was approaching. Traffic lights reflected against the vacant pavement in intersections below. Coffee shops and all-night diners seemed to be the only signs of life that early, their neon “Open” signs burning, with a few, sleepless souls inside.

So many things were on my mind as I approached, miles from my store.

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I thought about my opening clerk already setting the wet rack. Were they ahead of the game? What were the sales from the previous day? Did our load arrive overnight, just get there or, worse, hadn’t yet pulled into the dock? Any out-of-stocks? I wondered how the closing clerk had done the night before. Were my directions followed from the previous day? Was the department well stocked and rotated? Or did the front-end manager steal my evening clerks to help in the checkstand for hours, leaving the produce department in a mess?

I considered all the work ahead. Managing a produce department in the summer is all about precise, accelerated execution. Far more tasks in the morning are required before the store opens than in, say, mid-January. Summer mornings don’t just include setting the wet rack. They involve setting up all the high-volume, extra-perishables, such as the grape section, fresh cherries, cut fruit, strawberries and all the other high-volume, high-demand berries and seasonal, local product. All of these need a fresh cleaning, rotation and stocking every morning. Fresh corn is often an item that people think an easy setup. It isn’t. Corn dries out quickly and is a messy task. Table mats or surfaces must be scrubbed, and corn requires at least a light trim and arranging to look presentable, peeling back husks on the top layer for a representation of the vibrant colors and quality beneath. I thought about how many cases would need a full trim and overwrap to clean up the older stock.

And, of course, summer means handling the biggest category of all: stone fruit.

Depending on the maturity, space allocation and more, stone fruit (peaches, plums, nectarines, etc.) requires extra-careful handling and stocking. There’s simply too much invested to handle stone fruit any other way. I thought about all the things that would affect my morning progress. It could go smoothly or (usually) challenging in some way with stone fruit: how much inventory I had, what the quality was like and more.

Then, my thoughts turned to the “usual” tasks that my crew and I had to manage that day. Which always began with a quick straightening and culling of the entire department. Making my usual assessment and to-do list of specifics, including sanitation, rotation, price changes and any merchandising changes. I thought about what product was due in that day and breaking down the load. Or if we had to tend to outdoor displays right away such as restocking melon bins, or how soon I could tackle the front lobby displays. I expected to encounter issues. Obstacles were always waiting, such as blocked aisles, sick calls or … something. So, I just hoped for the best. I considered which crewmembers were working, who was off or away on vacation, and when the store manager was expected. I had to get my inventory accounted for right away, see what ad or other priority items were available (or not). Then, write an order as soon as I could, so I could jump back into helping maintain stock conditions. So many things on my mind.

Being a creature of habit, I always parked my car in the exact same spot. I remember ringing the employee entrance bell near the locked front door. Waiting. Standing quietly in the breaking dawn. Knowing I’d have to hit the ground running, rolled up apron and knife sheath tucked under my arm, and sipping the last of my extra-strong coffee. And, truth be told, despite all the challenges, looking forward to the day ahead.