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32nd ANNUAL
MYSTERY SHOPPER REPORT
FROM SOUP TO FRUIT SALAD, WE ASK PERSONNEL: ‘CAN YOU SUGGEST PRODUCE ITEMS THAT WILL ADD FLAIR TO THESE DISHES?’
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
CHRIS AUMAN, KRISTI JOHNSON, ELLEN KOTEFF, TJODEAN ROBBINS AND ANTHONY STOECKERT
he staff at Produce Business looks forward each year to our annual Mystery Shopper report. We take investigating these stores very seriously, and quite
frankly, it’s a cover story we never tire of reporting.
Mystery shopping is pretty simple: We send our team of undercover journalists to scout out various produce departments at grocery stores in their area or stores they discover in their travels. This year’s task: observe the department from signage to inventory and engage produce employees in conversation about what ideas and tips they recommend to creatively add fresh produce for fruit salads and soups.
Our aim with this annual report is to recreate for readers the one-on-one inter- action between our writers and produce personnel inside each retailer. There is a lot to learn from these reports, such as business intelligence that can be applied to training and evaluating employees, as well as improving operations.
Although we do not identify the stores, we delve into what retailers want to know, and also what they need to know.
By Chris Auman
ALONE IN THE PRODUCE DEPARTMENT
It was a Friday night in February, the temperature was well below freezing and this location of a national chain store was quite empty. The entrance opens to the produce department, but the first item on display were bottles of red wine located about 15 feet before the floral counter. This made sense, as it was less than a week before Valentine’s Day. The produce department was very well lit and spacious with high ceil- ings. The music on the PA seemed to be 80s Top 40 songs playing at a high enough
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volume to be noticeable but not over- whelming. It gave the store a cozy feeling.
After milling about the produce section with an empty cart for about five minutes, I began to feel self-conscious. There was an employee at the floral counter helping a customer, but no other employees were
visible. Finally, I spotted a young man in his early- to mid-20s pushing a loaded cart toward the back doors of the produce department. I approached him and asked if hehadaminutetohelpme.ItoldhimI was asked to make a fruit salad and vege- table soup for a friend’s birthday. I told the employee my friend was not excited at the prospect of eating healthy, but it was doctor’s orders. I wanted to prove to him that healthy foods could also taste good.
Standing in front of a display of pummelos, he recommended I use one in the salad. He said they were healthier than grapefruits. He advised cutting them as the rind was very difficult to remove. He also pointed to the prepared fruit salad section that was across the department from where we were talking. He told me I could purchase a premade fruit salad or check them out for ideas.
I inquired about his ideas on healthy soup, and we walked to the fresh greens section. He recommended bok choy, collard greens and dinosaur kale. He recommended jicama and endive as well, but apologized that they were currently out of endive. He informed me that the greens shrink down when cooked but still retain their healthful properties. He also recommended asparagus and Brussels sprouts, saying that Mom was right when she told you “they were good for you.” I asked if he could recommend anything in the produce department to add to the soup or salad. He could not think of anything without knowing a specific recipe.
At checkout, the cashier eyed the giant pummelo and asked if they were good, and if they were sweet or sour like a grapefruit.
The employee seemed happy to offer his advice and seemed to enjoy being of service. I didn’t get the feeling that he was speaking from the experience of having made many soups or fruit salads but was speaking more broadly about items he knew about specif- ically. I also appreciated the interest of the cashier, which made for a more enjoyable checkout experience.
Editor’s note: Calling all industry volunteers! If you have a penchant for writing and wish to contribute to next year’s Mystery Shopper Re- port, please contact us at editor@producebusiness.com or call us at 561-994-1118.