Touting the totes
Who doesn’t love an extension?
Think about it. The extended vacation, the extended weekend. So much there to work with when you think about it. “Buy one, get one free,” is a favorite BOGO-type of value extension offering for customers (and becoming quite rare). However, even a marketing offering such as, “Buy one, get one at half-price” is better than nothing, right?
Produce managers engage in many versions of extension-style merchandising. We build duplicate displays in key areas of a store. Or, take the basic end-cap display: By adding a row of stocked shipper cartons in front of the display (called a “waterfall” or “spillover”), this becomes an instant and effective extension of the original.
The purpose is to convey to shoppers the image of abundance, of value. Or it is simply trying to draw their attention to a produce item that is on ad, seasonal, of exceptional quality; or perhaps the produce manager is “long” on the item — too much inventory — and they need to “sell it or smell it,” as the popular saying goes.
Know what else helps move fresh produce? Totes.
I admit, there was a time I personally loathed these things. Totes being the little bags that produce folks fill, usually as a part of the display. It meant a little more work. It was more time spent working a display that, at the time, seemed to yield no clear benefit other than it was just another program to cover, another task to perform. That’s all changed.
The difference? Yesteryear’s totes were marginally successful at best since consumers couldn’t see past the plain brown or white bags on display. Today’s totes? Clear.
Does it help drive sales? One old-time produce manager I know recently shed some light on the subject. He said, “Armand, I am amazed at how many sales we generate using the clear tote bags. We only use one or two sizes, but when we set up a display using the clear totes, wow!” In short, totes work.
Why? It’s hard to say. I’m guessing that customers are as rushed as ever. They know that they want for example, some fresh navel oranges. Fruit might not even be on their list. It’s an ongoing science to read consumers’ minds, but I imagine that it must go something like “Do I walk around trying to find some plastic bags that I have trouble peeling open, then pick out some oranges? Or, wait, here’s a handy selection of clear bags with six oranges already packed.”
Boom. That item goes into the cart. And they’re on their way.
Maybe good tote sales are a carryover from the throes of the pandemic. Remember, when some customers were wary of bulk selection and opted for packaged produce instead? Hard to say. All I know is, if a fresh produce item has great quality, is priced fairly and is attractively merchandised, chances are good that it’ll sell. I’m for whatever works.
Tote bags: A nice extension of any quality produce display.
Related: Read more columns by Armand Lobato
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.
