Despite the barrage of technology, data analysis and in-depth surveys, you must admit: The supermarket gig is a simple business.
That is to say, grocery stores routinely cover the five P’s of marketing: product, placement, price, promotion and people. Like any goods under the supermarket roof, the produce manager’s direction matches up to the P’s: Receive the produce, prep the produce, promote the produce, price the produce to sell and make sure people are in position to handle all five aspects, including interacting well with customers in a friendly, positive manner.
Like I said: Simple, right?
Related: Produce managers: keep focus on managing, not buying
This customer service-angle story is inspired (like several over the years) from a visit to my friendly neighborhood, big-box home improvement store. I seem to spend a great deal of time there on weekends. In fact, I measure how long any project will last by counting how many shopping trips it takes to get all the things I need.
On a recent visit, I needed a specific plumbing part. Three of the plumbing whatnots to be exact. The website said that my store had six in stock. Perfect. When I arrived, I only found two on the shelf. “Sorry, that’s all we have, I’m afraid,” said the not-so-helpful clerk, who I had to pry away from flirting with his lady friend at the service desk. Coming from a retail background, I know a little of how replenishment cycles work. I asked him, quite politely, to follow me to the plumbing aisle.
“See the product number?” I said, holding up one of the whatnots. “The pick slot [the customer-level shelf] is now depleted, all right. But if you look in the reserve shelving above — wow, there it is. Dare I say? I see two boxes marked with that very same number!”
“Well, I’ll be,” the clerk said, acting surprised. He dragged the giant ladder over and retrieved the item. You’d think he had learned something in the moment, but I wasn’t so sure — having a desired product in the right place, at an acceptable price and the people (seller and customer) meeting to seal the deal.
My message, relating all this to fresh produce? Just like my plumbing whatnot experience — get it on the shelf.
In many shopping trips to grocers over the years, I’ve had to bug clerks to do what they should be doing in the first place, without being prodded. Please, get the fresh produce from the load I can see clearly staged behind the swinging doors out to where waiting shoppers are eager to purchase and be on their merry way. It’s not so much to ask.
It all comes down to how strong, or weak, the individual store and department management team are. Taking care of customers must be priority No. 1. A strong produce manager and seasoned clerks should recognize the needs at hand. Low or empty shelves? Produce that is clearly distressed and in need of replacement? Get it taken care of, now. Unfortunately, clerks too often think in terms of their own stocking or task priorities, instead of thinking — and seeing — through the customers’ eyes. That’s a costly and preventable mistake.
If you have it, get it on the shelf. Very quickly. Very clear. Very simple.
