Page 66 - January_2019

has enjoyed a taste of ginger, bok choy is a key ingredient of stir fry dishes and lemongrass is featured in many Asian dishes, and even in tea.
“People buy ‘Chinese food’ all the time, with Chinese takeout, but most Americans can’t identify what produce they’re eating,” says Schueller. “ ey don’t know bok choy or baby bok choy or gai lan or gai choy or lemongrass. e average American doesn’t know, and this is part of the educational process to get people to better understand.”
PROMOTING CHINESE NEW YEAR
e weeks leading to Chinese New Year are the best time to promote the many Asian produce items in supermarkets.
“Chinese New Year is not a one-day event,” says Provost. “It lasts for two weeks, so it I would recommend getting geared up with displays two weeks prior to the New Year, and run ads for two weeks following the holiday.”
Schueller suggests produce executives start promoting Chinese New Year about a month before the big day.
“ is is the best time of the year for a retailer to stock more and additional Asian produce items in the department to see the potential of selling to non-Asian shoppers,” he says.
He adds there are about 40 leafy Asian vegetables, and while they all look similar, they vary in taste.
“ is is the time of year, January and February, when the retailer is going to explore more ideas and try to get more sales and see what items will work in their store,” says Schueller.
“ is is the best time of the year for a retailer to stock more
and additional Asian produce items in the department to
see the potential of selling to non-Asian shoppers.” — Robert Schueller, Melissa’s/World Variety Produce
at, he says, o ers produce managers a terri c opportunity to market these vegeta- bles to Asian shoppers, and to entice shop- pers who don’t typically purchase them to give them a try.
“In terms of demographics, the strongest, fastest-growing [group] is the Asian demo- graphic by migration and migration of the culture into this country and state to state because people are so migratory based on where their jobs are located in the United States,” he says.
Schueller adds that Melissa’s o ers a Chinese New Year promotion with signage, POP materials, and recipe cards. e company started this promotion 20 years ago, starting with about 200 or 300 retailers, and it has grown to the point where annually, between 1,000 and 1,500 stores participate. He says those stores are located all across the country.
“It went beyond the East Coast and West Coast and major metropolitan cities like San Francisco, L.A. or New York, where the demo- graphic is a bit higher,” he says. “ is is some- thing that is happening in all geographic areas.”
Jackson Berkley also notes the importance of promoting this holiday.
“It is best to create a destination display,
including non-produce items such as owers and traditional seasonings and sauces,” she says. “Emphasizing the merchandising 10 days before the holiday begins is recommended.”
CELEBRATING AROUND THE WORLD
Many other Asian nations celebrate the New Year at the same time as the Chinese New Year. David Kim, an East Coast sales representative for I Love Produce, says Korean New Year o ers an opportunity to appeal to Korean shoppers.
He says there are two main components to Korean New Year. “First, to respect our ancestors, and second, having a meaningful time with our family,” he says. “Family and relatives gather together, conduct a memorial service for our ancestors, and exchange gifts and have a breakfast together.”
Produce plays an important role in Korean New Year. In honor of their ancestors, fami- lies prepare memorial services featuring a breakfast table showcasing Asian pears, Fuji apples, persimmons, and other fruits.
Kim also says people will present gifts, including fruit, during Korean New Year, and that o ers another promotional opportunity. “For those who have Asian friends in the United States, it is a nice chance to give New Year fruits as gifts to their friends,” he says.
Another key point Schueller makes is that in order to be e ective, Chinese New Year promotions need to take place throughout the entire store. He says retailers that have had success with Chinese New Year promotions have embraced this concept because there is more to this celebration than produce.
“If you do not promote Chinese New Year outside the produce arena, it’s not going to work,” he says. “Chinese New Year is not just about the Asian fruits and vegetables. It’s about the meat, the noodles, the rice and all of the components are a major part of it. If the whole store does not embrace the promotion like they do with other promo- tions — Halloween, anksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah — you’re not going to expand the concept and category because you don’t have all the ingredients there in the store. People don’t like to shop at one store and then go to another store for something else.” pb
66 / JANUARY 2019 / PRODUCE BUSINESS