New Jersey produce long a mainstay at Incollingo's
New Jersey produce long a mainstay at Incollingo's
PENNS GROVE, NJ -- With a cool spring pushing back the start of the New Jersey vegetable season by 10 days to two weeks so far this year, Boston lettuce, asparagus and hothouse tomatoes were about the only Jersey items in the produce department at the Incollingo's Family Market store here in mid-May.
But that will all change as spring turns into summer, when this store will put Jersey produce items figuratively -- and literally -- front and center.
The 1,300-square-foot produce department is a key part of this 17,600-square-foot store, and within the department, the center island display is perhaps the prime location for showcasing quality produce, good deals or both.
It is this island display that will feature all of New Jersey's bounty when the season gets rolling in June.
"The center island will all be local products when the season gets going," said Edward (Cookie) Incollingo Jr., one of the owners of this three-store chain in the southwestern part of the state, right near the Delaware River and the city of Wilmington, DE.
That center island and the rest of the produce department will also sport colorful point-of-purchase materials, which it obtains from Bozzuto's Inc. via the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. Bozzuto's, headquartered in Cheshire, CT, has been the retailer' s primary supplier since January of this year.
Like any modern supermarket, the produce department here is stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables from around the world to satisfy the expectations of today's consumers, who seem to want their favorite items all year long. But as a supermarket with New Jersey roots, Incollingo's knows that during the summer months, it also has to give its customers the local items they demand.
"Produce -- around here it's very important, said Mr. Incollingo. "People around here do know their produce. They know what's going on. He added, "These people would much rather have local product, and we like to feature local product.
Local produce may be in especially good demand this year, not only because consumers traditionally look for it but also because of the high cost of fuel, which has pushed freight rates higher and which subsequently gives local product a distinct advantage.
"We're going to look hard at the local deal this year because of the high freight rates, said Jim DiMatteo, a merchandiser at Bozzuto's who works with the Incollingo's chain. "We're going to dig a little deeper this year. We're really going to try to use local product whenever we can.
To help procure those local items, Mr. DiMatteo mentioned M. D'Ottavio Produce Inc., Diamond Blueberry Inc. and the Jersey Fruit Cooperative Association as three examples of well-known companies with which Bozzuto's works. "People from New Jersey really want Jersey products. They're very loyal to Jersey products. I hear that all the time, he
said. "We want to give the retailer the best product at the best price. And we will not compromise on quality.
Within that local category, according to Mr. Incollingo, the three most popular items are sweet corn, tomatoes and melons. "People actually wait for those three items, he said. And in addition to the items procured from Bozzuto's, Mr. Incollingo has for many years worked with individual growers in the southern New Jersey area to provide fresh produce on a direct basis. He mentioned Fred DePalma -- a history teacher by day and a farmer the rest of the time -- as just one example of a well-known and respected grower with whom the retailer has worked for many years. As Mr. Incollingo put it, "You call him in the morning and it's here by lunchtime. Now that's Jersey Fresh!
Fresh is of course the key to all supermarket produce departments. For this supermarket in Penns Grove, which Mr. Incollingo described as a blue collar area, ("It's more of a meat and potatoes type store ), shoppers tend to look for the more basic types of fresh produce, including the tomatoes, sweet corn, melons, blueberries and other vegetables for which the Garden State is known. Consumers also demand outstanding quality and freshness in those basic items, said Mr. Incollingo, which is why his relationships with Bozzuto' s and the local New Jersey growers are so important.
Those demanding shoppers have many outlets to choose from, a situation well understood by Mr. Incollingo. "I have to keep up with the competition, he stated. "But our competition is not just other supermarkets. It's the roadside stands, which adorn the local highways in the state, catering to tourists headed to the Jersey shore as well as to local residents, and which carry excellent quality produce with a just-picked allure. "We're out there banging heads with the roadside stands.
Incollingo's Family Market began in 1983 when Edward Incollingo Sr. bought the existing store, a Pantry Pride, which had been on the site since 1958. The supermarket in Stratford, NJ, was bought in 1997, and the one in Salem, NJ, was bought in 2003.
The senior Mr. Incollingo, who will be 70 years old in August, is retired. The three-store chain is now owned by his four children: Edward, 44, who is vice president of the company; Mario, 40, who is president; Patricia Cardoso, 43, who is vice president and secretary-treasurer; and Joseph, 38, who is vice president.
(Photos at this retailer appear in the June 6 issue of The Produce News.)
But that will all change as spring turns into summer, when this store will put Jersey produce items figuratively -- and literally -- front and center.
The 1,300-square-foot produce department is a key part of this 17,600-square-foot store, and within the department, the center island display is perhaps the prime location for showcasing quality produce, good deals or both.
It is this island display that will feature all of New Jersey's bounty when the season gets rolling in June.
"The center island will all be local products when the season gets going," said Edward (Cookie) Incollingo Jr., one of the owners of this three-store chain in the southwestern part of the state, right near the Delaware River and the city of Wilmington, DE.
That center island and the rest of the produce department will also sport colorful point-of-purchase materials, which it obtains from Bozzuto's Inc. via the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. Bozzuto's, headquartered in Cheshire, CT, has been the retailer' s primary supplier since January of this year.
Like any modern supermarket, the produce department here is stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables from around the world to satisfy the expectations of today's consumers, who seem to want their favorite items all year long. But as a supermarket with New Jersey roots, Incollingo's knows that during the summer months, it also has to give its customers the local items they demand.
"Produce -- around here it's very important, said Mr. Incollingo. "People around here do know their produce. They know what's going on. He added, "These people would much rather have local product, and we like to feature local product.
Local produce may be in especially good demand this year, not only because consumers traditionally look for it but also because of the high cost of fuel, which has pushed freight rates higher and which subsequently gives local product a distinct advantage.
"We're going to look hard at the local deal this year because of the high freight rates, said Jim DiMatteo, a merchandiser at Bozzuto's who works with the Incollingo's chain. "We're going to dig a little deeper this year. We're really going to try to use local product whenever we can.
To help procure those local items, Mr. DiMatteo mentioned M. D'Ottavio Produce Inc., Diamond Blueberry Inc. and the Jersey Fruit Cooperative Association as three examples of well-known companies with which Bozzuto's works. "People from New Jersey really want Jersey products. They're very loyal to Jersey products. I hear that all the time, he
said. "We want to give the retailer the best product at the best price. And we will not compromise on quality.
Within that local category, according to Mr. Incollingo, the three most popular items are sweet corn, tomatoes and melons. "People actually wait for those three items, he said. And in addition to the items procured from Bozzuto's, Mr. Incollingo has for many years worked with individual growers in the southern New Jersey area to provide fresh produce on a direct basis. He mentioned Fred DePalma -- a history teacher by day and a farmer the rest of the time -- as just one example of a well-known and respected grower with whom the retailer has worked for many years. As Mr. Incollingo put it, "You call him in the morning and it's here by lunchtime. Now that's Jersey Fresh!
Fresh is of course the key to all supermarket produce departments. For this supermarket in Penns Grove, which Mr. Incollingo described as a blue collar area, ("It's more of a meat and potatoes type store ), shoppers tend to look for the more basic types of fresh produce, including the tomatoes, sweet corn, melons, blueberries and other vegetables for which the Garden State is known. Consumers also demand outstanding quality and freshness in those basic items, said Mr. Incollingo, which is why his relationships with Bozzuto' s and the local New Jersey growers are so important.
Those demanding shoppers have many outlets to choose from, a situation well understood by Mr. Incollingo. "I have to keep up with the competition, he stated. "But our competition is not just other supermarkets. It's the roadside stands, which adorn the local highways in the state, catering to tourists headed to the Jersey shore as well as to local residents, and which carry excellent quality produce with a just-picked allure. "We're out there banging heads with the roadside stands.
Incollingo's Family Market began in 1983 when Edward Incollingo Sr. bought the existing store, a Pantry Pride, which had been on the site since 1958. The supermarket in Stratford, NJ, was bought in 1997, and the one in Salem, NJ, was bought in 2003.
The senior Mr. Incollingo, who will be 70 years old in August, is retired. The three-store chain is now owned by his four children: Edward, 44, who is vice president of the company; Mario, 40, who is president; Patricia Cardoso, 43, who is vice president and secretary-treasurer; and Joseph, 38, who is vice president.
(Photos at this retailer appear in the June 6 issue of The Produce News.)
