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Yet the food industry continues to become much more efficient, managing leaner inven- tories and cutting out shrink.
Role Of Produce
Due to its highly perishable nature, produce presents further challenges, according to Joe Miskimins, Kroger’s vice president of produce and floral, who remains undeterred in efforts to grow the produce department’s participation in the program.[Miskimins discusses sustainabil- ity from a produce perspective on page 44-45].
PDP’s survival hinges on the frequency of pickups and seamless logistics. To that end, PDP is managed through Kroger’s shrink depart- ment, rather than public affairs. “The reason the shrink department has taken over PDP opera- tions is because we have more boots on the ground. Operations people in our stores and in our districts can help us to educate and follow up on a regular daily basis,” says Ed Taylor, director of shrink management, pointing out that Ausdenmoore and Marmer have done a great job developing relationships with food banks.
Produce is the biggest challenge for PDP. “We need better execution through the supply chain. Turning product is key. How can we increase pickup frequency?” asks Taylor. “As we look through the enterprises, the divisions and food
banks, we see variable sophistication and fre- quency of pickups with donations,” he continues. Kroger began pilots at Fred Meyer, and its Fry’s division in Arizona is just getting its feet wet, Taylor reports. “We knew it was tricky going in, modifying guidelines and Best Prac- tices for produce,” he says, adding, “a big opportunity is in bulk produce — the harder
items, such as apples and potatoes.”
Kroger also has expansion plans in play for its 212-store Atlanta division, as well as its Indi- ana operations, says Max Ostermyer, logistics shrink manager. “We still have a lot of work to do in Atlanta, but we’ve got the commitment from St. Vincent De Paul and the Atlantic Com- munity Food Bank to do that. Jay C Food Stores is a little subset of stores that we have in south- ern Indiana. Last year, they had one store in the PDP program and we got commitment at the end of last year to add another 29 stores to the program by this year, so that’s a big win for us
as well.”
“Produce has always been a part of PDP,
but we’ve recently put new emphasis on it, re- launching the program to increase produce donations,” says Kelly McGamon, public affairs leader for King Soopers in the Colorado region. “It comes at an important time with so much economic hardship,” she says.
30 PRODUCE BUSINESS • MAY 2012


































































































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