Unlocking more frequent usage occasions among core users can be as simple as adding more produce to secondary displays and providing recipe ideas and convenience-oriented solutions in-store and across digital channels. These consumers are also savvy about nutrition, but providing more nutrition information in creative ways can bolster purchases of different varieties of healthy fruits and vegetables.
The fall and winter holidays are a great time to promote traditional and favorite produce items, whether green beans for casseroles or fresh cranberries for relishes. Customers who are already browsing for winter holiday celebrations can be enticed to incorporate other produce items through menu suggestions, recipes and special displays — maybe this is the year that they try a squash soufflé or bacon-topped roasted Brussel sprouts to complement their traditional sweet potatoes, for example. Berries, already on a popularity roll, are a colorful and tasty addition to holiday desserts
Elevated food prices remain top of mind, so grocers can also satisfy the needs and tastes of core and traditionalist shoppers by promoting value. Beyond spotlighting sale prices, food retailers can offer cross-departmental meal deals, including promos for busy weeknights and for holiday meals. Many major retailers, in fact, started advertising their budget-friendly holiday meal deals as early as the end of September.
Inspiration through innovation
In addition to working to increase frequency among core consumers, produce companies and their food retail partners can move units and enhance sales to a broader audience with some creativity.
Assortment-wise, shoppers’ eyes are drawn to interesting new varieties. For example, look at the buzz around fun varieties of grapes and apples. Highlighting unusual or recently added types of fruit and vegetables can garner a surprise-and-delight response among consumers. This can be especially effective in certain market segments; the Power of Produce report points out that greater variety and organic offerings are pivotal in enhanced engagement with younger audiences and urban markets.
Embracing and deploying different aspects of technology can optimize produce performance, too. As most grocers and growers can attest, being present on all digital platforms and physical stores is important as younger generations and accounts for a growing share of produce dollars.
Technology plays out in many ways across produce departments and categories. Apps have a major role in turning inspiration to list generation and on-the-spot purchases.
Monitoring and leveraging social media trends can score new customers and purchases as well. Just look at the spike in cucumber sales that happened this fall after a cucumber salad TikTok post went viral and led to nearly 30 million views on that platform.
While food retailers spend a lot of time in the latter months of the calendar year on holiday activities, they are looking ahead to the first weeks of a new year when people pledge to embrace healthier and better habits. Encourage them and tap into new opportunities by highlighting the health benefits of fresh produce and positioning your location as a destination for fresh, healthy foods. Considering leveraging MyPlate resources that help shoppers learn fruit and vegetable portion sizes and science-based nutrition facts. For those who are resolving to live a more sustainable lifestyle in 2025, provide ideas for optimizing usage and reducing food waste and share the ways that you, too, are working to operate in a more sustainable farm-to-table supply chain.
I believe that good things are ahead as we move into 2025, especially as inflation continues to moderate and consumers continue to enjoy cooking at home and shopping for groceries. Maintaining a strong foundation while pursuing new opportunities will continue to lift produce and those who provide it.
