The power of produce merchandising
The incredible work we’ve shared in recent months through our Produce Artist Award Series should be a reminder to all organizations: give every opportunity you can to those people who bring passion and vision to their work, and the results of their efforts will far surpass anything you will ever pay them.
Going above and beyond, testing new ideas and strategies, adding creative extras ... They all sound great in theory, but the day-to-day often gets in the way. When you have those people who, despite the unending to-do list, continue to go above and beyond, remember that they’re special and consider how you can recognize that reality.
We had a chance to recognize quite a few such people Dec. 9, through our results webinar for the fall season of our Produce Artist Award Series. We actually went about 15 minutes over the scheduled hour because, well, I wanted to include as many photos (and as many people) as possible in the presentation.
You know what? It was worth it! It just makes sense to put in a little extra time and effort to shout out to the folks who do the same every single day and make remarkable contributions to the bottom line along the way.
The power of produce merchandising is one of those things that’s easier to show than to tell, which is why we love to feature display photos that produce managers and merchandisers send us for the contest. It’s so inspiring to see the time, energy and heart that so many in this industry put into their work.
We know that people in roles throughout the produce industry bring great passion to their jobs, but it is especially valuable when the folks who are working in stores bring that kind of enthusiasm. After all, they’re the touchpoint with the consumer!
Produce managers and merchandisers are the difference between doing good business in your produce departments and doing great business.
Consumers will more or less always buy the produce they plan on purchasing; we buy because it’s good for us and we know we should; we buy because certain items are our favorites; we buy because we read in a magazine that this vegetable or that fruit is the new trendy thing; and on and on.
That glorious impulse purchase, however ... that is largely dependent on the creativity and zeal of produce managers and the merchandisers. They highlight what’s in season. They add recipes to displays. They put complementary items together to inspire meal ideas and increase convenience. They drive interest with larger displays and strategic deals.
And, by the way, they do it all while being responsible for a bunch of other things: staffing and inventory and sanitation, planning and training and store openings, and much more.
So as I said at the top, take any opportunity you have to invest in the inspired produce managers and merchandisers out there. They’re worth it.
Ashley Nickle is editor of PMG. E-mail her at anickle@farmjournal.com.
Watch the fall Produce Artist Award Series webinar here.
