Scott Schuette, vice president of produce for Downers Grove, Ill.-based Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, provided some insight leading up to fall for our pumpkins merchandising feature. Here's more of his perspective on making the most of this unique produce item this season.
Q: When do you typically start showcasing pumpkins in your produce departments?
A: The Midwest customer is crazy about having pumpkins on their front porch as early as possible. (Back in Arizona, having pumpkins in August was not possible due to the extreme heat. Cooler weather in other areas permits getting into the fall season and mode much earlier). Fall is a popular time of year that many customers traditionally celebrate by decorating the inside and outside of their homes with hints of fall. Last year, Mother Nature allowed us to have carving pumpkins in the middle of August. This year, we are planning to have local grown pumpkins in early September. This season, we plan to have pie pumpkins for baking through Thanksgiving and into December, pending Mother Nature.
Q: What kind of pumpkins typically move the best, and has that changed over the last five years?
A: The pie pumpkin has become the top performer of the season. It is a multi-purpose item that is used for both décor and meals throughout two to three months. Five years ago, we used to procure pie pumpkins by the case and pallet. Today, we procure pie pumpkins by full bins and full truckloads. Pie pumpkins are where the dollars are at for us.
Q: Do you normally merchandise pumpkins for use in cooking or for decoration?
A: To capture maximum sales, we merchandise for both cooking and décor customer uses. Our outside patio “Pumpkin Patch” and vestibule entry into the store are used to set the fall theme when a customer enters the store. This creates a subliminal message to customers that stays with them during their shopping experience. Once into the produce department, customers are reminded a second time about the fall season by seeing pie pumpkins, mini pumpkins and a selection of heirloom pumpkins.
Q: What are some of the most creative ways you’ve seen store/produce teams use pumpkins?
A: Our stores have done a great job with creating the true, old school, “farmers market” pumpkin patch outside of the store at the customer point of entry. The displays are extremely large and colorful, making them a popular destination for families to use as a photographic backdrop to their pictures and selfies. Using straw bales, bundles of corn stalks, scarecrows, massive amounts of large carving pumpkins, pie pumpkins, heirloom pumpkins, mini pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn, and all-season hard squash varieties makes up this exciting display.
Q: What are some other produce items that can be cross-merchandised with pumpkins?
Fall harvest for us means merchandising pumpkins with other popular first of season items. New-crop, local-grown Michigan apples, caramel apple dip, and shelf-stable apple cider are all popular cross-merchandising items with pumpkins. Pie pumpkins have also done well being merchandised (with) some key baking ingredients, such as brown sugar and ground cinnamon and nutmeg.
Q: What kind of effect can a great pumpkin display have on the department as a whole?
A: A great “pumpkin patch” is the entertainment that customers love to see and will remember. Going the extra mile to build an eye-catching pumpkin patch sets the tone for fall and gets customers thinking about what they need in order to be ready for this exciting time of year. It gets the creative wheels spinning and creates some very impactful incremental sales opportunities. (With summer stone fruit and melons winding down soon, we need all of the extra sales possible!)
For more pumpkin merchandising perspective, check out insight from Schuette and eight other produce retail professionals in our recent feature story.
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