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merchandising review tomatoes
7. UP THE RING
There are many shoppers who buy the same tomato week in and week out for all their uses: salads, soups, sauces and snacking, which may not be the most efficient or best flavor decisions, explains Pure Flavor’s Veillon. “As growers/marketers, we need to be better at delivering the most informa- tion we can to our customers to help them make informed decisions. After all, tomato shoppers are becoming connoisseurs in many respects; they are hunting for the right tomato depending on its usage. In doing so, we will see various aspects of the tomato cate- gory grow as consumers will be buying the right tomato for the right eating occasion.”
Another way to promote is cross-mer- chandising. “By adding other complementary produce items to the display such as avocados, retailers create a customer friendly, one-stop- shop opportunity where customers can find all the ingredients for their favorite tomato recipes,” says Del Monte’s Christou.
A good example of this is at Redner’s Markets, where fresh basil, herbs, garlic and avocados are merchandised with tomatoes in the produce department, and tomatoes are merchandised next to ground beef in the
meat department.
“Recipes and ‘how to’ guides suggesting
how tomatoes can be cooked and served are great ways to incentivize shoppers to purchase more volumes and varieties of tomatoes,” says Claire Vasquez, sales and marketing assistant at Windset Farms.
Mastronardi Produce has turned cross-merchandising into a meal solution with its 2017-launched ‘You Make Me’ line of four pasta kits, complete with fresh toma- toes, pre-portioned pasta, spice packets and infused olive oil. Display shippers are avail- able for retailers to position the kits along- side the fresh tomato display. Alternatively, retailers can move the shipper closer to other grocery convenience items or to complemen- tary areas such as the bread aisle or bakery to capture produce purchases in a completely different part of the store.
8. PROMOTE, PROMOTE, PROMOTE
Tomatoes find a weekly home in Redner’s Markets’ promotional circulars, says Stiles. “I can’t remember when some type of tomato hasn’t been in the ad. This is an important commodity for us and one that generates a lot to our bottom line. With so many sizes, shapes
and colors today and good overall availability, it’s possible to offer good deals every week.”
One of the best ways to promote tomatoes and drive volume is to set an eye-catching price, suggests Procacci’s Feighery. “It’s all about the right item, at the right time and right price. Also, gauge the promotion currently. Don’t run out and don’t over-order. If there is extra volume on the market, maybe two farming areas are overlapping, the price may need to come down even further to turn over. You can do a week-on ad and a week-off, or two weeks on and one off. It’s all a balancing act.” pb
76 / APRIL 2018 / PRODUCE BUSINESS