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SWEET CORN:
A YEAR-ROUND MERCHANDISING WARRIOR The retail staple is found in spring, summer grilling, fall and winter dishes.
BY HOWARD RIELL AND DOUG OHLEMEIER
Americans love sweet corn, but because it’s so available, the popular vegetable easily can be taken for granted. Luckily, suppliers bring a wealth of information and data that can help retailers increase sales and profits.
Sweet corn provides shoppers a “sense of summer” and is an especially strong seller during the run-up to holidays. The states in which sweet corn is grown include Florida, Georgia, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Colorado and California.
Sweet corn is “truly a harbinger of the summer season,” says Maroka Kawamura, program and category manager for produce and floral for the NorCal region for New Leaf Community Markets/New Seasons Market in Santa Cruz, CA. “It’s a really easy visual that it’s time to get outside and grill.” New Leaf Markets always hits what Kawamura refers to as “the big holidays:” Memorial Day through Labor Day.
“For years, sweet corn has been associ- ated with summertime and something fun,” observes Jason Turek, partner with King
Ferry, NY’s Turek Farms/Cayuga Produce, Inc. “During spring, summer, fall and winter, those are great times to promote sweet corn in soups, salsas and thinking outside the box a little.”
Sweet corn is a harbinger of the new season. “Sweet corn announces the arrival of a ‘taste of spring’ from the Sunshine State,” says Ted Wanless, chief operating officer with Belle Glade, FL-based SM Jones & Co., Inc.
“Whether in bulk or in trays, sweet corn is a complement to any meal, barbecue, event or celebration.”
SUMMERTIME FAVORITE
The summertime association makes sweet corn a big part of many consumers’ lives. “During the spring, summer and early fall months, sweet corn becomes a staple in the produce department,” says Jimmy Carter, sales
PRODUCE BUSINESS / MARCH 2019 / 59