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merchandising review sweet potatoes
nMERCHANDISING TRENDS
Given the recent trends in sweet potato consumption, retailers
would be wise to focus on merchandising. Tami Long, director of marketing and business development for Nash Produce in Nash- ville, NC, thinks retailers would do well to educate their custom- ers on ways to create quick, easy meals.
“This needs to be done at store level be- cause this is when the consumer tends to make most of their decisions.” Recipe cards are great, cooking demonstrations are even better, and Long says retailers should use signage to show shoppers how to eat vegetables such as sweet potatoes.
“Loose, yellow sweet potatoes will be
98 percent of sweet potato sales,” accord-
ing to Keith Cox, category manager for Pro-
duce, K-VA-T Food Stores Inc. in Abingdon,
VA. “We will promote in tote bags as a grab and go. We do offer loose, microwave-ready yellow sweet potatoes that sell very well.
“Sweet potatoes are displayed with other loose potatoes and are promoted often with secondary displays. During the holidays we will have large displays of loose and tote bags on promotion.”
Charlotte Vick, partner, sales and marketing at Vick Family Farms in Wilson, NC, advises retailers to keep shelves well-stocked and pair sweet potatoes with oth- er healthy options. She recommends “adding them to grill- ing displays during the summer to educate the consumer on ways to prepare them for cookouts or summer dishes.”
Jacob Shafer, senior marketing and communications specialist at Mann Packing Co. in Salinas, CA, thinks the key to merchan- dising sweet potatoes is to display them with specialty fresh-cut veggies such as Brussels sprouts and butternut squash. “Based
on the variety of offerings in cut veggies, the section would have defined separation between subcategories and vegetable types. It would be a clean, uncluttered, well-structured shelf set. This can significantly enhance the shopping experience.”
PHOTOCOURTESYOFNASHPRODUCE
Jeremy Fookes, retail sales at A.V. Thomas Produce in Atwater, CA, says re- tailers should consider building a sepa- rate sweet potato category within their produce departments. “Sweet potatoes shouldn’t just be an item within anoth- er category,” he says. “There are many different packaging options, colors, fla- vors and textures within the sweet po- tato category. Stores that offer multiple varieties and colors of sweet potatoes have greater overall sweet potato sales.”
Jeff Thomas, director of marketing for Scott Farms, Luca- ma, NC, recognizes every retailer is different, and what works in some stores may not work in others. The introduction of foodser- vice to retail grocery stores is an opportunity to use sweet pota- toes in healthy meal kits. Education is great too, but branding is also an important component in any merchandising strategy.
“We handle the product from the plant until the time our customers get the product.” says Thomas. “Everything we do is very consistent in our brand. It leads back to everything from our website to our point-of-sale materials, it’s all about the family and the process we go through. We really want to be a partner with retailers and not just sell and forget it.”
Although many shoppers prefer buying local, if that’s not an option they still like to know where their produce is grown, and emphasizing the brand is a way to achieve this. pb
round. “We sell a lot of potatoes in July and August,” says Wooten. “ at was unheard of 25 years ago.”
CHALLENGES AHEAD
Although business is good now, there are always challenges. New legislation and changes to immigration laws are cause for concern.
“As the laws change and costs increase, farmers will be hit hard,” says Long of Nash Produce. “Sweet potato prices are at an all-time low. If a farmer is not making money on a crop, then they will plant something else. So, if you start adding in additional costs just so farmers can hire workers, then they will explore other crop options.” Long says new tari s have some in the industry concerned, but it is uncertain how this will a ect business. “Since no one knows how this will play out, we are monitoring developments while creating alternative plans.”
As the boom in sales drives down the price, it can make the sweet potato crop seem like too much of a good thing at times. Increased production and a great crop has turned the
146 / OCTOBER 2018 / PRODUCE BUSINESS
market to the lower side, according to Boyette at Southeast SMP Marketing. “ e demand is there,” he says, “but the supply has outdone the demand this year. It’s turned the market around, and it’s dropped to where it’s hit rock bottom. We’re paying almost double the freight rate we were paying last year at this time, and with the lower market prices, it’s kind of hitting home.”
On the brighter side, one avenue that is opening up for the sweet potato crop is processing, which has increased steadily year after year. “ ere are companies that produce sweet potato items like freeze-dried snacks, spiraled noodles, purees for beverage produc- tion and everything in between.” says Fookes, at A.V. omas Produce, Inc.
Innovation within a category often can present a challenge for produce executives. “With this in mind,” says Shafer, “Mann’s innovation team has been working hard to develop products that meet the demands of consumers. Value-added sweet potatoes make prepping and cooking easy for consumers.”
Foodservice also has been quick to capi-
talize on sweet potatoes. “Sweet potato fries are typically found on restaurant menus and can also be used as a pasta replacement,” says Shafer. Mann’s features sweet potatoes in products such as their sweet potato fettuccine.
FUTURE GROWTH
When asked if the sweet potato category will continue to see growth, Hocutt at Triple J gives an enthusiastic, yes. “In the past six years, sweet potato sales have exploded domestically and internationally. We just need to get the pricing up, so every grower can continue to grow this awesome healthy vegetable.”
“I expect continued growth because of the health bene ts of our product,” says Garber. He says he would like to see sweet potatoes used more as an ingredient in the future. “It doesn’t have to be the whole sweet potato on the plate. Using sweet potatoes as part of a recipe or to enhance a recipe is a way to keep the category growing. It blends well with meat and vegetables and a lot of things, and I believe that trend will continue.” pb