THE MERCHANDISERMAY/JUNE 2018

PRODUCE MERCHANDISING TIPS & TRICKS FROM FOUR SEASONS PRODUCE

Looking for more merchandising tips? Contact your sales rep or merchandiser: www.fsproduce.com

Have you ever seen a giant display of jumbo artichokes? If you live outside of California, then the answer is probably no.

There are many consumers who do not even know how to prepare, cook or eat an artichoke, and some stores might not even carry them for that reason. Plus, most “chokes” that are on display in stores might be the smaller 24 or 30ct sizes, and, aside from the most dedicated artichoke enthusiast, might deter customers from buying due to the work involved and lower yield of heart.

But what might change a consumers mind and entice them to buy one is seeing and physically holding one, of these awe-some jumbo artichokes. The sheer size alone will get the even most timid of shoppers to try one. A jumbo artichoke (a 12ct) is a work of art on display. It is a definite talking point in the departments, as customers will be amazed at the impressive size and overall look of the artichokes.

Artichokes are definitely an impulse sale, so merchandise these in higher visibility areas. Be sure your staff can talk about the many ways to prepare and cook artichokes to cus-tomers, as many will have questions on how to do so. Offer recipe ideas whenever possible. You can find a plethora of these at oceanmist.com.

MR. ART E. CHOKE

So get your customers excited about artichokes, and carry these whenever available! Take a risk. Go large with your displays. You will be amazed with how your store will sell these and introduce the consumer to new things! For artichoke merchandising tips, contact your Four Seasons Merchandiser.

CHECK OUT THESE DISPLAYS:https://spark.adobe.com/page/pPLo9vJhaKbjX/

• Artichokes can be steamed, boiled, grilled, roasted, baked and braised

• An artichoke is actually a flower bud that has not yet bloomed and is a member of the thistle family.

• California supplies 100% of the US crop.

SOME COOL ARTICHOKE FACTS:• Castroville, CA is also known as the artichoke capital of the world and holds the Castroville Artichoke Festival each year

• Marilyn Monroe was the first California Artichoke Queen.

• A single artichoke plant can yield up to 20 chokes each year.

Ahhh, the pineapple…

One of the quintessential tropical treats of the Produce Department, but sometimes one of the most overlooked. While avocados and mangoes now rule the tropical fruit sales world in most trading areas, pineapples are a still great commodity to promote and one of the easiest and diverse in the category to merchandise.

Generally speaking, they also provide a nice value to the customer. Pines can be merchandised whole, cored, in rings over-wrapped, chunked and for the summer months especially, cut into 1” slices that are great for grilling. A large, clean and waterfall-ed display of pines is really impressive to see, and one that consumers can rarely walk by without picking one up.

A FEW PINEAPPLE MERCHANDISING TIPS:• Whole pineapples do best merchandised outside of refrigeration. Being a tropical fruit, this lets the fruit naturally ripen.

• Any processed pineapples (cored, chunked etc) should be merchandised in refrigeration. When cutting fruit in store, be sure to follow all food safety guidelines.

• Place pineapples in high traffic areas. Large displays of pineapples will do best. It is a relatively lower risk shrink item compared to berries and grapes.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: PERFECT PINES

QUICK TIP: Want to add some fun to your pineapple displays? Then make some pineapple faces by cutting fruit in half, and create eyes, a nose and a mouth using a variety of different fruit. Citrus, berries and grapes all provide the creative look that fit onto these “faces”. Very cool, adds a little flair and generally puts a smile on customers faces.

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Amaze kids and parents alike with a “Floating Strawberry”! These are simple and fun, and seeing these on display will have your customers will think you have magic hands! Although some customers might get the trick right off the bat, there will be some that truly are amazed and can’t figure out how it’s done. • Take a cantaloupe or honey dew, cut it in half and scoop out the cavity• Overwrap fruit, pulling taut so the top of the melon is clear of any wrinkles.• Take a strawberry, place it above the open cavity and rewrap again, making sure all creases in the top are gone• Place on your cantaloupe displays or in your grab and go cases and watch the amazement begin There you have it! You are now a Produce Magician!

Fun with Fruit- The Floating Strawberry -

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Fun with Fruit- The Floating Strawberry -

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MERCHANDISING ASPARAGUS:“SPEAR” HEADING SALES INTO SPRING!Asparagus is a great lead-in item to your produce departments, as it is a volume driving commodity that screams “Springtime”!

A large asparagus display is a telltale sign that warmer weather is here, and it provides great potential for nice dollar rings when merchandised and cared for correctly. Asparagus displays requires a little more care and attention than some other displays do as proper care and maintenance will be key factors in getting the most shelf life out of your displays. Use the tips below to help maximize your sales and profits.

MERCHANDISING BEST PRACTICES:• Asparagus is best merchandised in a small tubs or containers with shallow water as this will maximize shelf life. It is also a good practice to make sure the water is changed daily to prevent stagnant water.

• Cull asparagus by removing any shriveled or limp stalks. For the best results, you can also trim a very thin layer off of the ends to allow the vegetable to absorb more water.

• Never put asparagus in displays that are misted as this will start to decay the tips. Always keep the tips dry. This will go for backroom handling as well. Keep separate from icy and wet product with the potential to drip down into the boxes.

• Merchandise colorful products next to asparagus to make displays “pop”. Tomatoes, lemons, colored peppers, strawberries etc. all add a nice visual against the background of green.

• Create larger impact displays of fresh asparagus in high traffic areas of your departments and increase facings in your cases for the added exposure.

• When available, offer both green and white asparagus in your departments. White asparagus is a good talking topic for your customers and looks great next to the green asparagus!

• Asparagus can be green, white or purple. White asparagus is harvested just as the tips start to show from the ground. The lack of sunlight and pigmentation gives it the clean white color. White asparagus is extremely labor intensive to grow and harvest.

• Asparagus spears grow from a crown planted about a foot deep in sandy soil.

• Asparagus belongs to the lily family, grouped together with onions, garlic, & tulips

• The top producing states for asparagus are California, Michigan, & Washington

• Under ideal conditions, an asparagus spear can grow up to 10 inches in 24 hours!

• Asparagus is a power packed nutritional vegetable, being high in Vitamin A, C, E and K. Also rich in copper, and is a very low-calorie vegetable

So get out and promote this high volume Springtime vegetable! “Spear” head your department sales with a great impact display of fresh asparagus!

SOME COOL FACTS ABOUT ASPARAGUS:

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For the month of June, Four Seasons Produce has again partnered with Naturipe to bring you a display contest featuring Organic Nature label strawberries. Look for more details as we move closer to Memorial Day.

Start thinking of your next display winner, and talk with your Four Seasons Merchandiser as well to see if they are available to assist you with your masterpiece!

Naturipe Organic Strawberry Display Contest

With the stone fruit category now starting to roll in, it is a good time to remind your staff to pay extra attention to culling and proper storing practices of stone fruit.

All varieties of peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots and apricots will store and display longer, and most impor-tantly, eat better outside when stored and merchan-dised outside of the 36 to 50 degree “kill zone”.

STONE FRUIT SEASON IS STARTING!

Be sure to cull often as well, as stone fruit is very fragile and bruises easily. Remember, rotation should be decided by ripeness of the fruit, not necessarily when the product is received.

For more stone fruit storage best practices informa-tion, please contact your Four Seasons Merchandiser!

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QUICK TIP!Offer pre-made

“Veggie Kabobs” in your departments for a

cool, quick premade meal option for consumers to buy! Easy to make and an added value to the

customer!

G E A R U P F O RGRILLING SEASON!

Spring is finally here! Warmer weather means it’s time to dust off those grills and get ready for some outdoor cooking and entertaining. With the change of weather comes a change in meal ideas and planning, and nice weather is always a reason to grill and enjoy the outdoors!

Remember, Summer holidays are prime grilling times! With Memorial Day right around the corner and July 4th not too far off, set up your sections now in the anticipation of the busy months ahead!

Setting up grilling sections in your departments is a great way to build sales across the store. There are so many tie ins you can include with displays. Olive oil, pepper, balsamic vinegar, honey, hot sauce, brown and cinnamon sugar, lemons, limes, corn skewers and of course charcoal... the possibilities are endless. Create a one stop shops for all of your customers grilling needs!

DON’T FORGET: Tofu’s and Tofurkey products: Brats, Italian Sausages, Keilbasas, and Chicken are great grill items for the vegetarians!

MAKE SURE YOU’RE ALWAYS IN STOCK ON. . .

Customers will be looking to buy products they can put on the grill, and having the right items racked and ready in your departments is key to maximizing sales during the warmer months.

PHONE: 1.800.422.8384 | FAX: 1.717.721.2597 | www.fsproduce.com

• Avocado• Peaches• Nectarines• Pineapples• Pears• Bananas• Mangoes

VEGGIES:FRUIT:• Artichoke• Asparagus• Brussels Sprouts• Portabella Mushrooms• Corn• Eggplant• Cauliflower

• Peppers• Tomatoes• Onions• Summer Squashes• Potatoes

Naturipe Organic Strawberry Display Contest

STONE FRUIT SEASON IS STARTING!

GRILLING FRUIT

GRILLING TIPS:

WAIT, YOU CAN GRILL FRUIT?Yes, you can grill fruit, and it actually tastes AMAZING! Impress friends and family by adding grilled

fruits to salads, sides, desserts, and more! Try throwing these popular fruits on your grill:

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AVOCADOSJust brush with oil and/or lime juice and throw on

the grill. Grilling gives avo-cados a smoky flavor, and they just look awesome!

MANGOSSlice lengthwise a little off-center, avoiding the seed. For a fun twist, try drizzling with lime juice, and add a little bit of salt,

chile powder, and lime zest!

BANANASCut ripe, but firm bananas in half lengthwise and

leave the peel on!

PINEAPPLESThey have a great flavor, especially

when drizzled with honey or hot sauce!

PEACHES & NECTARINESA perfect dessert that taste

incredible with brown sugar or cinnamon! To prevent sticking,

brush with butter or oil. PEARSPair with a savory dish, like pork chops, or as a sweet treat, by simply adding

vanilla ice cream.

• Clean grill grate, preheat the grate, and rub with olive oil so the f ruit doesn’t stick when grilled!• For grill marks that are instagram-worthy, don’t turn f ruit more than once on the grill.• Use f irm, almost ripe f ruit on medium-low heat.• Skewers are perfect for grilling smaller f ruits, like berries.