Our sector genuinely needs to find solutions to ensure we’re compensated for our organic goods, as any misidentification at the point of sale results in significant losses. — VICTOR SAVANELLO
Regarding the education of consumers, Penfield notes, “I think it’s important to make the connection between the product we’re selling and where it comes from.” A significant component of Wegmans social media strat - egy is online shopping, pre - dominantly driven by younger customers. Gaylord’s objective is to “supply as much product as possible online.” Carrots on Campus? Four out of Sendik’s 18 outlets are in the “Fresh2Go” com - pact format. Located on the Marquette University campus in Milwaukee is a 4,000-square- foot Fresh2Go, boasting a 16-lin - ear-foot produce display. While initially planning the Marquette outlet, Penfield pondered, “What do college kids eat?” To his delight, he discov - ered that Marquette scholars bought items such as asparagus
leader, but new entrants like Sweet Tango and Wild Twist have met with great success, meeting Penfield’s essential standards. Sendik’s social media team has repeatedly conveyed the narrative, and educational videos continuously play across Sendik’s stores. Products with great taste profiles are likewise featured in Sendik’s: “Escape the Ordinary” campaign. “The aim isn’t just to put an apple out there for $2.99,” explains Penfield. “We try to tell that story highlighting its origin, the farmer and the journey of the fruit.” Post-pandemic, Sendik’s resumed its in-store sampling, an approach Penfield’s team dubs “the power of the knife,” ad - dressing the pivotal query: “What does this apple taste like?” For Penfield, “There is noth - ing more exciting than introduc- ing a new apple — and then the next week you sell two pallets of
and Brussels sprouts, not just staple products like lem - ons and apples. “We’ll try some different things — and it’s surprising how much college students today have the perception of what produce actually is.” Taste For IFPA’s 2022 Innovation winners, flavorful products are paramount. At Wegmans, the “pursuit of taste” de - fines what constitutes a successful produce department. Gaylord, who collaborates with a myriad of growers and numerous suppliers, emphasizes the importance of prod - uct taste. When introducing new produce at Sendik’s, Penfield applies two criteria. First, “What does it look like? Because people are going to buy with their eyes; it goes back to that old edict.” Yet, this is immediately followed by the taste factor. “You can have the most beautiful apple in the world. But if it’s not a great eating experience, nobody’s going to buy it again.” In recent times, the Honeycrisp apple has been a
an apple that you’ve never sold before.” The influx of various apple and grape varieties draws scrutiny from Savanello. In his apple acquisition discus - sions, the question arises: Why the array of varieties? Savanello pinpoints that roughly 80% of apple sales are Honeycrisp. However, “We’ve got these expansive displays of other varieties that contribute 3%, 5% and 6% of apple sales.” Merchandising space’s profitability merits closer inspection. “We have 100 different apple types with varied attributes. Should we just be offering a red, a green and a yellow, and possibly a blush apple and leave it at that? Or should we incorporate all these variants?” He observes a discrepancy in how the apple and grape sectors manage their flavorsome varieties. From an in - dustry viewpoint, “I really think we need to assess it and discern the ideal model — and then adhere to it.” Contrasts in approaches are evident. For grapes, SpartanNash stocks a white or green, and a red and a black variety, plus occasionally Cotton Candy or Moscato grapes. Savanello makes note that the grape sector has gener -
22 Vision Magazine
October/November 2023
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