Pulling together: Creating a kinship with customers

After coming up through the ranks of the supermarket business, the newest member of the Idaho Potato Commission’s retail promotion team is already forging a kinship with his customers.

“I’ve been well-received by the retailer and wholesaler folks, and they have an appreciation for my background in the industry,” said Matt Zapczynski, who joined IPC last April as Northeast/Midwest retail promotion director. “They understand how many different hats I’ve worn and know that I understand their day-to-day struggles.”

Zapczynski, who started off in a supermarket deli department as a part-timer during his college years, has managed both retail in-store department operations and wholesale produce operations. He also participated in the inaugural 2023 class of the Southeast Produce Council’s Next Generation Leadership Academy, rounding out his knowledge of both store operations and the produce industry.

“I enjoy learning as much as I can about the industry,” he said. “That helps me anticipate what’s likely to happen next so I can help our Idaho potato retailers prepare and get ahead of the game.”

Strength in numbers
Zapczynski said he believes there’s no such thing as too much information when retailers are trying to keep up with the fast-paced and unpredictable produce industry.

“The data speaks the truth,” he said. “We share the data we have with all of our retailers — information on this year’s crop, what they should expect to see from shippers, what they can look to promote, trends around the country. I tell them what I’m seeing in their competition, including similar retailers in other markets and what is working well for them. I can pull up an image of another retailer’s promotion, for example, and show them how it’s working in that market.”

Tailoring the IPC message to the requests of his customers makes him more effective, Zapczynski said.

“Some folks are really into the numbers, and some want more stories about how things are working in the industry,” he said. “But all of our information is data-driven no matter how we deliver it to retailers.”

Loyalty counts
Building strong, long-lasting relationships is important to provide the best service possible to potato retailers, said Zapczynski, and he strives to be a good partner to everyone in the industry.

“You have to have honest conversations with people,” he said. “Then when someone is stuck, you’re going to help each other out and weather the storm.

IPC is all about providing a great support system for retailers, from brand building to promotions to business planning. We are committed to doing whatever it takes to make sure that we all succeed with Idaho potatoes.”