What’s the point of creating a breath-taking produce department when the produce is picked up by an Instacart shopper?
It may be a leap to say that produce department managers face an existential crisis, but what does the future look like for in-store merchandising?
Here is how I put the question to the LinkedIn Fresh Produce Retailer/Merchandiser Group.
Here is an excerpt from one thoughtful response:
“I think that online will eliminate the need for proper merchandising since most marketing teams will probably schedule photoshoots and take phenomenal pictures of produce items to post online. However, I am a little afraid that such photographic perfection can lead to higher customers expectations and possible disappointment when weather and growing conditions may affect quality, sizing, etc.. As for the impulse buy, I believe what Uber Eats and other platforms have done in the checkout process; providing you with additional recommendations to buy based on your basket.”
TK: Will there be another career track for the online marketing of fresh produce? Will the rivalry between in-store and digital-oriented marketing staff create new innovations or a muddled approach to meet consumer needs? More importantly, will the industry see equal or better results with digital compared with in-store?
Speaking of retail promotions, here is a strawberry retail promotion chart for the past few months, compared with year-ago levels.
