When Produce Becomes Art: The Magic of Merchandising
Today I would like to start my column with a thank you to all the farm workers, growers, produce shippers, brokers, buyers, distributors, salespeople, warehouse workers, truck drivers and everyone else who has a hand in making sure the finest Melissa’s organic produce arrives at your store every day for you to enjoy. Without them, life would be more boring and shopping far more mundane - and certainly less delicious! But of course, there’s even more to this picture.
Do you make a list before you shop? Have you ever picked up something that wasn't on your list? That is most likely due to great merchandising by a passionate person at the store where you shop. Produce merchandising can change how you feel when you walk into a store. Without a word, it can affect your behavior and even inspire you to buy some organic produce you hadn't planned on buying.
Merchandising can provide a change in perspective on a busy day - it can make us feel something and remind us that there is beauty and art in the world, even in our local produce departments. I think we all want to be “wowed,” and sometimes producing a beautiful display can do just that. If you haven't experienced “wow” in your shopping experience, you may want to find a new place to shop! If you have, then yahoo for you - you know exactly what I’m talking about.
In July I had the opportunity to create and moderate a panel discussion for the Organic Produce Summit entitled Merchandising Magic: The Power of Wow on Operations, Profitability & Customer Engagement. I had a fantastic band of merchandising magicians - James Morrell, Jeff Fairchild, Kat Britt, and Jonathan Steffy - who have inspired customers year-over-year, from the East Coast to the West Coast and everywhere in between. They shared fun tips, best practices, and their favorite stories of how they brought produce displays to life. We spoke to a packed room of over 300 people and had the attendees buzzing as they left to learn more and walk the summit show floor - and that’s exactly what I did, too.
During my show floor walk, I came upon Melissa’s booth and stopped to meet and chat with some of the folks there: Carlos Preciado, Matt Bergholz,and Lee Crenshaw.
As I admired the display they had created, we talked about the panel topic from the morning and about Melissa's group of merchandisers, who help their retail customers bring a little “wow” into their stores. We also shared stories about how I worked with Joe Hernandez and his team to get Melissa's organic program up and running many years ago. It was nice to meet some of the team, admire their work, and take a walk down memory lane.
So - next time you're shopping for Melissa's organic produce, and you find yourself stopped or wowed by the display, perhaps it will inspire a thankful thought of everyone who was involved in bringing this food from the field to your store and your home. And once you’re home with that produce you were inspired to buy, you may wake up one morning and realize that the art, beauty, intoxicating scent, and soft, smooth feel of an organic orange honeydew melon are just what you need today to know everything will be OK in the day to come.
