Top Produce Specialties for Back-to-School Merchandising
August marks a beginning and an end – the end of summer vacation for students all around the US and the beginning of opportunities for retail produce managers.
Back-to-school is a time of year that all kids dread, but that doesn’t mean what they eat must be dreadful as well. That’s where produce comes into play – it adds flavor and vibrancy to school snacks and lunches.
But before the big, bountiful, back-to-school displays are stacked to the nines, it’s important for produce managers to understand what motivates parents to buy fruits and vegetables.
For the most part, it’s their kid’s health. Parents want to provide their little ones with the necessary vitamins and nutrients they need to grow up healthy. They also want to promote good habits and boost their child’s energy throughout the long school day.
On the flip side, it’s costing families more than ever to buy groceries. When buying produce, parents want to get the most out of their money and purchase items that won’t go bad before they’re eaten. This causes shelf-life and proper storage and handling to become important factors.
Now that you know what motivates parents in grocery stores, it’s time to start building displays around that knowledge.
Below are the top produce specialties for back-to-school merchandising:
Mandarins
The best back-to-school citrus is an easy-peeler that is juicy and seedless. For this, mandarins will have you covered. Mandarin is a board citrus category that includes clementines, tangerines, and tangelos. Back to school season unfortunately arrives when the California citrus season is long over, but there are perfectly juicy counter-season options available out of Moracco or Peru this time of year – like the W. Murcott.
The W. Murcott’s peel-ability gives them a top rating among kids and parents. They can double as a part of both school lunches and work lunches. Plus, they’re easy to carry in lunch boxes and require little to no prep.
Mandarins are pretty easy to display in the grocery store. Many varieties come pre-bagged with a working UPC, but bulk cases can be sold by the mandarin as well. They require cool, ambient storage and should be displayed away from ethylene producing items. When displayed at optimal conditions, mandarins may last up to 2-6 weeks.
Figs
Back-to-school season typically arrives when California figs reach their peak volumes and best value. It’s hard to pass up on an opportunity that good (and that delicious). The California season produces a number of fig varieties, meaning there’s plenty to work with that will grab the consumer.
Suggested reading: Get to Know the 5 Figs of California Fig Season
The most common type of fig is black mission, which often comes in retail-friendly clamshells. These are sugary-sweet figs that are berry-like and nutty in flavor. Don’t let the sweetness of these figs fool you or your shopper – figs are a natural source of energy and contain a number of vitamins and minerals, like fiber, potassium, and calcium to name a few. Their nutritious qualities check off a lot of boxes for the consumer.
When displaying figs, it’s important to store them at the correct temperature since even short exposure to high temperatures can speed the ripening process. Figs are also extremely delicate – it’s important to keep stacking to a minimum and to not overfill cases.
Dried Dates
Whether it’s a deglet noor or medjool date, dried dates are an easy choice for back-to-school promotions. That’s right – dates bring a lot to the table as they are jammed packed with energy-enhancing nutrients. Dates also have a secret superpower – they’re like eating candy without the added sugar and preservatives. Their flavor is sweet and caramel-like with a chewy, gummy-like texture. A perfect win for parents that want to give their kids a healthy snack AND students who rather have something more sweet.
Retailing dates for back-to-school promotions is also convenient and easy. Both deglet and medjool dates often come in retail-ready packs. They also have a long shelf-life that consumers are searching for. If stored properly, dried dates can often last up to a year. Just be mindful when creating displays – dried dates absorb odors and should be displayed away from varieties like garlic and onions.
Baby Arugula
Arugula is a highly nutritious leafy green. Baby arugula is harvested when the flavor is less intense than mature leaves. Because of this, just this one product packs itself into multiple lunches for the consumer. It can be used is salads, sandwiches, soups, pastas, and pizzas – try creating displays that inform the consumer all the potential ways this item can be used.
When merchandising, it’s also important to stress to the consumer how easy baby arugula can make their lives. Its typically packaged triple washed and ready to use. Many packages of baby arugula from B&W Quality Growers also come in bags with a working UPC.
When creating back-to-school displays, it’s important to display baby arugula away from ethylene producing items because they are highly sensitive to the gas, and exposure can lead to yellowing leaves.
NEXT STEPS
Now that we’ve gone over products that perfectly fit into back-to-school displays and promotions, it’s time to take the next steps in optimizing your opportunities. Start by:
- Determining Your Needs – For back-to-school promotions, what products best fit your business goals? What products will most attract your target audience? Better yet, what products best align with your target audience interests? From there, determine if you’ll need additional services like repacking to help align with those goals and answers.
- Cross-Merchandise – Create eye-catching displays that will peak the consumers interest. Try cross-merchandising varieties like baby arugula alongside salad varieties or other products that align with its many use cases.
- Contact Your Supplier – It never hurts to ask a question. Try contacting your supplier to see if they are running any promotions themselves on back-to-school varieties. Or, just give them a call to place an order.
