Page 50 - Index

merchandising review mushrooms ence, he says, is with “recipes, recipes, recipes,”
combined with cooking demonstrations.
SELLING POINTS
Mike O’Brien, vice president of sales and marketing for Monterey Mushrooms in Watsonville, CA, cites Mushroom Council data showing the mushroom category at retail is up 3.4% in sales year over year “because mushrooms are sexy from a culinary stand- point. ey are delicious and are featured prominently on the Food Network, social media and in restaurants. More and more recipes include mushrooms.”
Health is another obvious selling point, he says. “Do you want a plant-based diet? Mush- rooms lead the way.”
Although white mushrooms are still the driver of the category, the brown mushrooms are growing every year. e predominant growth is in the Baby Bella category. Says O’Brien, “Mushroom Council data shows Baby Bella/Crimini mushrooms are cannibal- izing the Portabella category and the white mushroom category.”
While they are not a new variety, O’Brien says that he and his colleagues have seen “tremendous” growth in Shiitake mush-
rooms. “Shiitakes have a meaty texture and a more intense avor. Cooking brings out their earthy, smoky avor. Shiitakes are delicious when sautéed or added to stir-fries, soups or pasta dishes.”
e volume is still in fresh mushrooms, O’Brien points out. “However, there is demand for value-added mushrooms, most speci cally stu ed mushrooms.” However, he notes that shrink at retail is very high.
Mushrooms constitute one of the most perishable categories in the produce depart- ment. To minimize shrink and maximize sales, according to O’Brien, it is important to know your consumers and o er the variety that matches the store demographics. “Once that is determined, it’s blocking and tackling.” He recommends the following:
• Maintain the cold chain from farm to retail shelf.
50 / AUGUST 2019 / PRODUCE BUSINESS