Produce and the future customers of America
A wise produce manager once told me, “Always be extra-kind to kids. They are tomorrow’s customers.”
When a grocer is kid-friendly, it shows. Throughout my career, one particularly successful grocer I worked for knew this lesson well. Children under 12 received a free cookie in the bakery (a big one, by the way). Kids were welcome in many such ways, from entering the store and all the way to the check-out stands. Our chain also maintained a mechanical horse ride in every storefront lobby, and only charged a penny to ride.
As part of our management training series, our chain took a hard look at McDonald’s and how it developed such a strong customer service reputation. It’s not too hard to determine the reasons why, though, when you analyze the fact that the mega-burger chain not only sells consistent food, but has also enjoyed tremendous success featuring bright, colorful playgrounds and Happy Meals.
With ample marketing oomph behind this all, too. The philosophy is simple: Attract the kids, and their parents come along, as well. McDonald’s sells fun, and business is booming.
Not to mention, all those positive, sensory impressions last a lifetime. The kids grow up, and when this overgrown kid sees a bright yellow golden arch along the highway during lunchtime, it’s hard to resist.
Grocery stores and produce departments within should continue to learn from this simple, yet sophisticated, model. Many chains have toyed with providing a free apple or banana to the kids with at least some degree of success. (Which is a better choice than a sugary cookie, but I’m all for whatever works.) Why not offer both when the kids tag along with mom or dad while they grocery shop?
Funny thing is that there’s a gap between, say, 12 years old and the postcollege-aged shopper.
That’s why I think it’s a good idea for produce supervisors and managers to venture out of their stores, out of their comfort zones, say, two times a year, and visit a nearby high school and offer a produce presentation to the culinary arts programs.
The classes I’ve spoken to over the years always start out as you might expect: A mix of quiet, crazy, loud, funny, rowdy teens, wondering, “Who is this weird produce person, hauling in boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables?” Even before I began my talk, as I started to set everything up on the front, mirrored presentation table, the comments began. “What are those spikey-looking things? Is that a pomegranate? We grow tomatoes in our yard; not like that, though.”
Lots of comments, lots of questions. Even before I began talking. Tomorrow’s customers, folks.
I then jumped into general topics regarding fruit versus vegetables. I defined things such as local, conventional, organic and greenhouse. I took them through a typical path, describing how a load of apples, for example, begins. How it’s picked, packed and shipped. All the way to how the fruit flows through the supply chain to their own refrigerators at home.
Then I cut samples, starting with a familiar item (such as a newer apple variety), as well as a specialty item or two: kumquats, fennel, jicama. I demonstrated how to make a killer stir-fry with just a handful of produce items, telling the guys in the class that if they really want to impress a date, fix dinner.
That’s when the future customers paid extra-close attention.
