It’s the holiday season.
Those words are enough to strike some level of fear in most people as they sort through busy schedules, gift lists, travel plans and encounters with family that are not far removed from the chaotic but memorable scenes from the popular 1989 film “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”
The difference? In the produce aisle we are the last stop on holiday plans. Customers flood into the grocery store with mere days or even hours to spare.
Special meals are a key part of the celebration, and fresh produce is at the heart of it all. Here are a few thoughts on the subject.
Planning
The entire store will be in overdrive mode for the holidays. However, you can argue successfully for added display space in the produce department perimeters, lobby or outdoors since fresh produce is in high demand and profitable yet bulky and requiring plenty of room for added sales.
Draw up an aggressive holiday-themed merchandising plan a few weeks ahead of time and discuss with your store manager to secure that additional display space.
Vegetables to consider
Vegetables are the hot button for holiday needs and require careful, anticipated orders. Keep in mind that items such as green onions, parsley, celery, carrots, tomatoes, summer squashes, mushrooms and more will be in high demand.
It is hard to be long on these relish-tray staples, so it is safe to widen out and stay one day ahead on orders.
As for side-dish vegetables, consider that potatoes, broccoli, green beans, carrots, sweet potatoes, cauliflower and more will require spillover or large secondary display space to accommodate the added demand.
Green salads will require added leafy greens, cucumbers, radishes and tomato displays be expanded, too.
Fruits to consider
Fruits such as berries for desserts, cranberries, melons and apples for Waldorf salad, citrus for libations or zest, mangos, kiwi and pineapple are just a few examples of fresh fruit that will provide increased sales during the holidays, especially if you build added display space.
Quality thoughts? Show some confidence. As with all produce, order expecting the best, not fearing the worst.
Herbs and specialty produce
One of the overlooked holiday categories is fresh herbs. Sales will spike, especially with poultry herbs such as sage, savory and thyme, tarragon for potato side dishes, and chives, mint and basil for garnish and pesto.
Stay ahead when ordering this category to minimize out-of-stocks. Specialty produce sales will also increase for gourmet touches and visual appeal.
Miscellaneous added sales
Value-added salads and other vegetable offerings will move exceptionally well for the holidays, and incremental sales will increase on items like dry package dips and refrigerated jar dressings as well as fruit and vegetable trays and of course fruit baskets.
In-shell nuts, nut meats and glaze-candied fruit remain steady and popular holiday items, too.
Labor needs
Leading up to the holidays, develop an aggressive labor plan. Write your schedules well ahead of time, and work with your store manager to ensure you have enough hands on deck to keep up with stocking needs.
Also, consider bringing in an overnight shift or two each day leading up to the holiday to stay ahead. These shifts are invaluable to take care of tasks such as breaking down loads, rotating the cooler, building displays, and doing vital prep work such as crisping and trimming for each day’s needs.
This will keep your produce clerks on the sales floor during the day when every minute counts, instead of falling behind or digging through pallets in the back room.
A topic all its own, the fruit basket continues to be a welcome and popular last-minute fresh gift. The more planning and labor you devote to it, the better the sales.
Other notes
At the end of each holiday, many chains recommend that their produce managers put together a list of what worked, what did not, and what could be improved for next year’s holiday season. Do it.
Assemble things such as a copy of the ad, a copy of your labor schedule (with notes as to what worked or what could be improved upon), a copy of your order guide (also with notations of what you were short or long on per day), and of course a copy of your merchandising plan. Include your exit strategy to reduce orders and clean up post-holiday.
The more detailed the notes, the better off you’ll be next season when you retrieve them from your files to make next year’s marketing plan.
Holidays in the produce aisle can be overwhelming and stressful. But with careful planning, ordering, merchandising, and scheduling, ‘yule’ be able to handle it in stride.