RETAIL

TRAINING MANUAL

Four Seasons Produce, Inc. 400 Wabash Road P. O. Box 788 Ephrata, PA 17522 1.800.422.8384

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction to the Produce Department ........................................................ .1 Getting Ready for Work .................................................................................... 2 Culling the Department ................................................................................ 3-4 Crisping Fresh Produce ................................................................................. 5-6 Rotation ........................................................................................................... 7 Banana Care and Handling ........................................................................... 8-9 Merchandising Fresh Produce ................................................................... 10-13 Receiving Procedures ......................................................................................14 Cross Merchandising ...................................................................................... 15 Sanitation ...................................................................................................... 16 Safety ............................................................................................................ 17 Ordering Fresh Produce ............................................................................ 18-19 Produce Department Equipment ................................................................... 20 Inventory / Shrink .......................................................................................... 21 Sampling Produce .................................................................................... 22-23 Signage ......................................................................................................... 24 C.O.O.L. .......................................................................................................... 25 Organic Produce ............................................................................................. 26 Summary ....................................................................................................... 27

INTRODUCTION TO PRODUCE DEPARTMENT

Four Seasons Produce believes the produce department is the most valuable department within a store. It is, in most cases, the first department a customer sees. With Americans eating better and leading healthier lifestyles, it holds those items found on most shopping lists. The vast array of color found in a produce case is usually enough to get the customer into your department. It is here, where we as produce professionals, must be on top of our game. We want you to be able to capitalize on each and every customer that comes into your department. This can be achieved by offering exceptional customer service, the finest quality produce available and having a knowledgeable staff. Positive experiences with all three of these factors will make the customer confident in their produce purchases at your store, and will increase repeat visits and additional sales. In order to achieve these things, everyone within your department must be well informed and educated as to what is expected each and every day. Produce managers, full and part time clerks, and even store and assistant store managers play a key part in making your operation a success. On the following pages, you will find a comprehensive and easy-to-read guide about what should be done daily to create a successful produce department. We will cover topics such as culling and proper rotation, merchandising, storage of fresh produce, inventory and ordering, customer service, proper scheduling, sanitation, crisping and various other areas. Please be sure everyone in your department reads and reviews the important information found in these pages. It is chock full of basic produce department operations and guidelines that will help make your department and store profitable.

T.E.A.M.-- Together Everyone Accomplishes More!

GETTING READY FOR WORK

1. Clean apron and name badge - It is important that your apron be clean and your name badge visible and easy to read. Having a clean apron indicates a dedication to cleanliness for both you and your department. Your name badge should be on the front of your apron for easy recognition.

As a member of the produce department, there are certain tools you will need to effectively perform your duties and responsibilities each day. They include:

2. Box cutter or safety cutter - For opening cases or cutting off box lids for display. Please be sure to exercise all safety measures when operating sharp utensils. 3. Sampling or trimming knife - A very important tool in assisting customers when they are making a purchase that they are unsure of. Each crew member should have a sampling knife at the ready and offer samples to customers as frequently as possible. 4. A pen or pencil and small notepad - These are great tools for writing down needs for the aisle so you are not running back and forth to your cooler. Keep it in your apron pocket for easy access. 5. A jacket or coat for working in the cooler - It is cold in the cooler! Make sure you are comfortable enough when breaking down loads, preparing orders, etc. to get the job done right. 6. A HUGE smile and great attitude - This may be the single most important tool in making your day a success!

CULLING THE DEPARTMENT

THE GOLDEN RULE OF CULLING:
If you would not buy it, pull it. If you are unsure whether or not it should be pulled, ask your produce manager.

After you have prepared yourself for the day and are ready to get to work, the first thing that needs to be done is culling the counters. Culling means going through your products and pulling anything that is lesser quality from the sales counter. Culling should occur three times a day. The first time being as soon as the first person is in. This sets the tone for the entire day. Culls should be done mid-day as well as in the evening hours. This regiment will give you the freshest possible product on display when done correctly.

GETTING READY FOR WORK

WHY IS CULLING IMPORTANT?

Distressed product on the counters and shelves of your department will give a poor image of quality. In most stores, produce sets the stage for the shopping experience for the customer. The culling process is extremely important and will lessen the chances for unhappy customers. Gather a flat top table or u-frame with a few sturdy boxes to use for the removal of culled product. Start at the front of the aisle and work your way back - it is much easier to work in a systematic direction than to bounce from one display to another throughout the department. Pull off anything that is poor quality or starting to go bad. One of the biggest mistakes to be made is to leave poor quality product on the counter in an attempt to stretch its shelf life. As you go through your displays, try to touch everything to ensure freshness and quality. Going through each item like this on a daily basis will better familiarize you with the department and also allows you to check each item for correct signage. You may find you are a little light in some areas once you have culled the department, but the product out on the counters is fresh and inviting for your customers. Utilize your produce boxes rather than trash cans, especially during business hours. Date coded items will need more scrutiny. These items will need to be checked for expired dates and removed from the sales floor. This will ensure that all associates are rotating daily. Work with inexperienced help in developing an eye and knowledge for sensitive ripening products. It takes time to learn how each commodity ripens. For example, a soft avocado is not necessarily bad, it might be great for guacamole, and passion fruit is ripe when it is completely wrinkled. Work with your crew on learning all about the produce you carry and encourage them to share that information with your customers.

CRISPING FRESH PRODUCE

Crisping fresh produce is a very important process in which the product being crisped is allowed to get a drink and re-hydrate. Produce loses a lot of water both in transit and while sitting on counters. The process of crisping replenishes produce with the vital water it needs to stay fresh. Crisping for the next day is usually done at night, but will also need to be done when pulling product from the counters. Follow these easy steps to ensure that your lettuces and vegetables stay as crisp and fresh as possible. TOOLS NEEDED TO CRISP PROPERLY: Sharp trimming knife Lugs and/or wire baskets and trays Twist ties and bands CRISPING PROCEDURES Prepare your work area. Clean and rinse your sink. Fill the sink with tepid water. This is critical as water that is too hot will cook the product while water that is too cold will prevent the product from opening properly to allow hydration to occur. Gently remove product from its container and hold it firmly in one hand. Inspect and remove broken, damaged, wilted and spoiled leaves and stalks. Trim problem areas on product. Using your knife, trim a very thin slice off of the butt of the product. The butt should be removed last to avoid removing too many good leaves. Submerge the product in water and allow to soak for 3-5 minutes for most items. Some items might take longer. Remove product from water and allow it to drain for 3-5 minutes. If you are banding product, do this after it has drained as the product expands as it absorbs water. It product is banded first, the expansion might cause the ribs to break and results in premature rusting which will lead to reduced shelf life. Place the product into your storage bin or lug and move it to the cooler. The actual crisping process takes a minimum of 45 minutes, but the time varies, as it is based off of what condition you received the case in. Fresh, already crisp product right out of the box will need less time to soak than product pulled from the counters to re-hydrate.

CRISPING FRESH PRODUCE

CRISPING HINTS

Protect crisping products from direct air-flow. Cold dry air will cause rapid evaporation and defeat the crisping process. Store all of your crisping tools and supplies near the sink for efficiency. Clean up immediately after trimming. Leaves are dangerously slippery. Work safely. Clean the sink and knives immediately upon the completion process.

Items to be crisped include but are not limited to:

LettucesRomaine, Red leaf, Green leaf, Boston, Endive, Escarole Parsleys Chards Greens (Turnips, Dandelions, Collards, Kales etc) Bunch Beets Bunch Carrots Napa Celery Bok Choy Fennel Broccoli Bunch Spinach Leeks Scallions Cabbages

ROTATION

Proper rotation of product is essential in sustaining a fresh, profitable department. Rotation does not stop on the counters; good rotation of product in your coolers is also essential. Follow these easy steps to ensure that your department remains fresh and appealing: 1. When setting up to rotate a display, have a couple of boxes on your flat-top to be sure you have a place to put any distressed product. 2. Pull off all of the old product and place in one of the boxes. 3. Take the new product for that display out and lay it on the bottom, and simply place the old product back on top of the new. 4. Make sure as you are going through the old product to put any distressed product into your shrink or throw away box. 5. When breaking down loads, be sure to follow the FIFO Rule First In, First Out. Clearly marked dates on the boxes will help you and other crew members identify older product.

There are a couple of instances however, that product ripeness or dates will take the place of proper rotation. Tomatoes and avocadoes are two examples that come to mind, in which you want to display the ripest fruit first. If you are unsure of ripeness, check with your manager for further instruction.

BANANA CARE AND RECEIVING

Proper care and handling of bananas is essential in keeping shrink to a minimum on this favorite fruit. Bananas in the United States account for 9-10% of produce sales for your department and about 1% of overall total store sales, so you can understand how important it is to follow proper banana receiving and storage procedures. Please follow these simple steps to insure that you get the most life out of your bananas while keeping shrink to a minimum. 1. First identify your needs on the counter. Bananas generally come in two color stages green (breakers) or colored (yellow). For the best sales results it is best to keep both colors on the counters at all times to capture all possible sales opportunities. Some consumers will buy fruit for immediate consumption and purchase additional fruit for later. 2. When ordering, check current inventory color and stock. Order accordingly and be sure to think ahead and account for stages of fruit already in inventory. 3. When receiving orders, never place bananas in the cooler. Bananas exposed to temperatures below 55 degrees will start to show signs of chill. Bananas bruise very easily as well, so be sure not to drop or bang the boxes around. Always check to see if you have received the correct color ordered. 4. Unless fruit is dead green, you will want to air stack or vent bananas to increase the air flow going through the boxes. If bananas are not air stacked, they will build up heat in the fruit and ripen quickly. Once this heat is in the banana, it cannot be drawn out.

BANANA STORAGE
Air Stacking Bananas
Here are the simple steps and procedures on how to store bananas:

Pull the lid off the top, turn the lid upside down on the floor or pallet and place the bottom of the box into the lid. Place the box onto a pallet, rack or u-frame and stack in the criss-cross style. Stacking this way increases the chance for air to travel through the tops and decreases the chance for damage to the fruit. Never stack more than 4 cases high as the added weight might damage some of the fruit in the boxes below.

Bananas ideal temperature range for storage is 55-58 degrees.

WRONG WAY

RIGHT WAY

MERCHANDISING FRESH PRODUCE

10

The way you merchandise product could result in whether or not the customer purchases the item on display. A neatly stacked, wellstocked display will sell more product than one that is half full and looks like product was just dumped on the counters. Merchandising skills are more complex and have greater impact in produce than in any other department. Basically, it is the presentation of product that will determine department volume. A well-merchandised department also brings with the increased possibility of repeat visits to your store. Merchandising fresh produce could be looked at as an art form, and you are the painter and sculptor.

Here are some Golden Rules of Merchandising for you to follow to ensure your next Picasso is a profitable success!
Always use quality product when building displays of fresh produce. Never try to stretch the life of product that is starting to get distressed. This will only deter sales and project the wrong image. When waterfalling or fronting, always be sure to keep the same boxes for use as bases. This keeps continuity throughout the display and offers a better look to the customer. Dummy Upor create false bottoms in baskets and crates to give it a full appearance without as much pack out. Give your displays some eye appeal by using color breaks and increased size to draw attention to them. Large displays sell product!!

MERCHANDISING FRESH PRODUCE

11

Waterfalling refers to a display that creates a mass look by rolling product off of the counters or tables into boxes or crates. Here are a couple of examples of waterfalled displays:

As you can see, the product offerings are extended and lend to a more massive, eye catching appearance. Color Breakswith produce being as colorful as it is, merchandising to attract the eye of the customer is a snap. This is where you can really shine in making your department a success!

A blast of color really brightens up the display!

MERCHANDISING FRESH PRODUCE

The Power of Good Merchandising
Check out some of these before and after shots!

12

MERCHANDISING FRESH PRODUCE

13

RECEIVING PROCEDURES

14

The way a load of product is handled could be the determining factor in how much shelf life you get out of it and furthermore could affect the overall profitability of your department. Please follow these simple steps to ensure that you get the most out of your purchases. Make sure that your cooler and dry storage areas are ready for a delivery. Clear all pallets, tables, frames and debris from the floor to eliminate clutter and possible trip hazards. There are two areas for storing fresh produce. Refrigerated areas for cold product and dry storage areas for product not to go into cooler. As the driver is bringing in the load, make sure that the cold product goes right into the cooler. Do not leave cold storage product on docks you will lose valuable shelf life and cause unnecessary shrink. Bananas, potatoes and tomatoes should go directly into their proper holding dry storage areas in the appropriate temperature ranges. Never put bananas or tomatoes in the cooler! Check the load for obvious damages, as well as accuracy of cases ordered. Once you have completed these inspections, note any shortages or discrepancies and report them to your salesperson or merchandiser. Store all products received floor racks or U-frames. Please make sure that you are rotating stock. Put new product on bottom, and older product on top. After the load is put away, please mark the date you received your load on each box. This is called cooler dating and it allows everyone to see which is the first product to be used, and how old it is. Simply place the days date on the top right corner of the box and put away with that side out for easy identification. All bills should be logged in daily for accounting accuracy.

CROSS MERCHANDISING

15

Cross merchandising is the term used when you place other merchandise with one another that tie in together to try to get extra sales. Cross merchandising in the produce department is essential when trying to spur sales for other departments. Offering meal suggestions and tying in those items in the meal that go together is one way to cross merchandise. It creates increased sales for you and your store.

Here is a small list of possibilities of cross merchandising product:

StrawberriesUse the Bakery departments pound cakes, dessert shells, lady fingers, Dairys Redi Whip and Cool Whip, Produces glazes and chocolate dips. BlueberriesSuggest cereal from Grocery, a small display by the ice cream in Dairy, and Produces glaze. Broccoli and CauliflowerUse Cheez Whiz or Velveeta cheese from Dairy for a quick and easy meal solution. CornBlack pepper from Grocery, squeeze butter from Dairy, corn holders from your HBC department. MushroomsGreat displayed next to steaks and for use in grilling themes in your Meat Department. BananasGreat displayed in your cereal aisle. TomatoesOlive oil from grocery or croutons, garlic, avocadoes, onions and basil from Produce.

As you can see, cross merchandising product with other departments products is a great tool to help drive sales, not only for your other departments, but to help the produce department sales as well. It also offers the customer possible meal solutions to consider. Customers are looking for suggestions for what they put on their plates every night, and this is an added convenience for them.

SANITATION

16

To maximize profitability, it should be your goal to offer a clean, well stocked and fresh department for the customer. Sanitation of cases, racks and backrooms is essential. Bacteria on racks and cases will cause produce to break down quicker, causing you unnecessary shrink, not to mention deter a customer from purchasing product from your counters. Follow these simple rules to ensure a clean department: Set up a cleaning schedule. Assign a particular day to clean cases and racks and rotate the schedule. Always have a cleaning rag with you to clean as you go. Case fronts and racks should be wiped down when they are rotated and stocked. Sweep and mop floors regularly and as needed. Always clean utensils after using them and place back to their proper holders. Knives, crisping lugs, pineapple corers, and table tops should be cleaned immediately after use. Keep cleaning supplies in an assigned place and away from possible contamination of product.

SAFETY IN THE PRODUCE DEPARTMENT

17

Working in a safe environment is very important in order to maintain a profitable produce department. Unsafe conditions in a department cause unnecessary slips and falls by both you and the customer. Constant monitoring of the sales floor and backroom will prevent unnecessary accidents. Follow these steps to ensure a safe workplace. Keep the sales floor, backroom areas and cooler floors free of all debris. Sweeping and mopping of the sales floor should be included in your daily responsibilities. Always keep the workspace that you are in clean and well organized. Pay close attention to possible problem areas in the department. Grapes, cherries and ice sections tend to cause a lot of the produce departments spills; therefore creating a hazard for both you and the customer. Make sure rugs are placed in front of wet misting sections and monitored. Make sure rugs are flat and do not have any trip hazards, such as bumps or lifted corners. Always store cutting utensils and tools in their proper places. After you have completed using them, be sure to sanitize and return them to where they are stored. When using knives, always cut away from your body and keep your focus on the task at hand. Staying focused on the task that you are doing will ensure that you do not injure yourself or another person. Having your order away, neat and organized can and will minimize the possibility of potential trips and falls. Keep cooler and storage areas clutter free. Lifting heavy objects should be done by two people. Do not try to lift anything too heavy for you-if you are unsure, as for help. Always lift with your legs, not your back.

RememberSAFETY FIRST!!!

ORDERING FRESH PRODUCE

18

Ordering the proper quantity is very important to your stores success. Having too much product could lead to increased shrink and having too little results in lost sales. Finding the perfect balance is essential to the success of the department. Four Seasons Produce has a very efficient and easy online ordering process that is constantly improving and evolving to help you order a perfect balance For your store. Please follow these easy steps to ensure good orders: Locate your order guide. This should be kept in a dry, easy to find location. Take a physical inventory of your cooler and backroom. There is a column on the order guide which allows you to put in your inventory. Sale items are usually all on the front page, but any that are not should be highlighted. Go out to the sales floor and go through the guide and order your needs. Simply write the desired amount and circle in the order column next to the inventory column. The purpose of circling the amount to be ordered is that as when you are entering your order, you do not get the two numbers mixed up. It is very important that you take a good look at all sale items and movements through the week on each item. That is why the inventory of the backroom should be done first. It allows you to see what you have sold since the previous order and builds somewhat of a history. Display size and time of week should be noted as well. In other words, if you are ordering for Wednesday, you will generally not need as much product as say a Friday or Saturday, when the heavier traffic is usually in stores. Remember to check items not in your department (birdseed, dried fruit, etc.), so lost sales are not missed on these dry line items. Check with other departments to see if they have any needs for themselves, so they do not short change you when they come over and take product from your racks or backrooms. Make sure this is accounted for.

ORDERING FRESH PRODUCE

A few helpful tips for ordering:
Develop a system of ordering and use it. Train your staff to use it as well.

19

Buy in where possible. Buying in produce going off of ad, that will hold for a few days gives you extra gross profit on those items. Items generally are apples, citrus, potatoes and onions, salad dressings and dips, and anything else that could be labeled as a hard item. This would not really work for highly perishable items like berries, grapes, lettuces, etc. Trust your instinct. A lot of times people second and third guess an item or an order. This causes unnecessary worry and panic. If you over or under order on a particular item, just be sure to adjust accordingly on your next delivery. Concentrate, but do not take too long when writing orders. After a while, you will get the feel and flow of the department. Take extensive notes regarding hot sale items, events, snow scares and holidays to review when these type of events come around again. It is always great to have reference points when projecting sales from previous like events. Four Seasons Produce offers an easy to use, comprehensive online ordering system. For more information, please contact your sales rep or visit www.fsproduce.com.

PRODUCE DEPARTMENT EQUIPMENT

20

It is very important that you familiarize yourself and properly learn to use and operate all of the equipment in the produce department. Always remember that safety is your first priority and should be constantly practiced when using this equipment. The following is a list of the equipment that you will be asked to use frequently when doing your daily responsibilities: 1. Pallet Jack (hand and motor) 2. Produce Knives 3. Pineapple Corer 4. U-Frame or Flat top table 5. Produce Department Estimating and Electric Scales 6. Computer for daily paperwork, emails and ledger information 7. Hand and Crisping Sinks 8. Box Cutter 9. Trash Compactor 10. Cardboard Baler 11. High Lift (Special training and certification needed to operate) Please be sure to review the proper safety and operating procedures of each item listed above with your manager.

INVENTORY AND SHRINK

21

Taking a physical inventory is very important each month to gauge how much profit your department has made. Inventory allows you to see the progress of both the department and yourself. The actual act of the inventory varies from person to person, but the general principal is the samecount all items that you have on the counter and backroom areas. Taking an inventory is very basic, but here are a couple of hints and tips to get you through: Always start and end in the same place. This will give you a pattern in which to count, so you do not miss anything while counting. Be sure to count any items not physically in your department that might be located outside of the produce department (bird seed, nuts, etc). Be sure to take inventory in pencil, as you might make numerous changes to your counts. Be accurate.

Shrink
Shrink (product loss) is a term used to describe anything that adversely affects any companys ability to return a profit on the money it spends to do business. Shrink is most commonly thought of as product loss due to a number of things. Those things could be anything that is marked incorrectly, billed in at the wrong price, poor inventory control, excess product loss or inaccurate mark up on products. When looking at it as a whole, it is any discrepancy between the lost of goods and the total sales that is not included in the retail sales of those goods. Controlling shrink is a key component in keeping your produce department profitable!

SAMPLING PRODUCE

22

Sampling is an opportunity. An opportunity to engage and build confidence in the consumer, but it is a sure fire way to move more product.

There are generally three time tested ways of sampling:

Passive sampling: This type of sampling lets the product talk for itself. Set out on a bed of ice, or merchandised with dips or chips, maybe just cut up on a platter, this has the least employee interaction. Its there to try, and it can be very effective. Be sure to build large welcoming displays near or around the samples. Suggestive sampling: This is a great opportunity for the employee to interact with the customer. When a customer asks, How does it taste?, they are really asking you if they can try it. Carry a clean knife and be prepared to educate the customer on flavor. Share a favorite recipe. Active Sampling: Its show time! A designated employee, or a representative from a supplier armed with point of sale material, product knowledge, and ways to prepare it. Offering recipes and samples is extremely effective! But dont stop there. Offer products that tie in with the season, cross merchandise, and help the customer make the decision to buy.

Which one is the best? All three work, and each has its time and place, but you must know
that all three must follow food safety regulations. In terms of Passive Sampling, while there are no employees there to talk about the product and interact, it deserves the most attention. The potential for neglect, the degradation of the product, multiple customers handling the product, trash being left on the platter or receptacle, etc., sets many obstacles in terms of food and health safety. It can also hurt sales if it is not monitored properly. On the other hand, the safest approach is the Active Sampling method, but it is also is the most expensive due to the cost of labor involved. Many stores address the labor issue in different ways. Some require that there associates are actively engaged in Suggestive Sampling at all times. Unfortunately, it is far from being the most productive. It is almost by chance that this type of sampling occurs.

SAMPLING PRODUCE

23

Active Sampling can be cost effective if a plan is in place ahead of time:

Scheduling a part-timer to handle this task, of course there is some training involved here, but at least you can get the message out there. Do it when the store is busiest. On weekends when the store has its highest volume of customers. Combine Passive and Active sampling: Have a demonstration at different times in the day, and then leave the product out to try. Of course, the most effective way to manage costs, is to have a representative from your supplier handle sampling duties. Remember the priority here is to not only taste, but educate the consumer. Training and product knowledge will go along way in moving more volume.

SIGNAGE

24

A very key part in selling produce is making sure that each item is signed, and signed correctly. Having no sign on a display, not matter how good the display might look will turn a customer off to buying itsignage is that critical! The proper way to ensure that signs are correct is to make sure your billing is correct. In other words, check your billed in cost compared to your sell cost, and make sure the desired margin is there. We are in an industry where prices change constantly, so checking your bills each day is very important. Also, if you run weekly or bi-weekly ads, be sure to pull any old ad tags and signs down after the ad expires, so the customer does not get confused. Each retailer has their own method of signage, but the basic concept is the same for each of them.

Here are a few guidelines to ensure that your displays stay neat and easy to read for the consumer:
Always have the correct sign on an item. If you do not know a price or retail, check with your manager. Never give out a price to a customer that you do not know accurately what that price is. Replace any worn or tattered signs or tags with new ones. Keeping signage clean and neat will add to a nicer appearance of your displays. Be sure that any ad signs or tags are removed as soon as the ad expires and new ones placed on your displays. A good way to draw attention to a push item or display is with creative signage. High color or large signage are good ways to promote.

Note the clear signage used on this Organic Banana set. Remember, lack of price on displays could hinder sales.

C.O.O.L. (COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELING)

25

COOL, or Country of Origin Labeling, came into law in September 2008. It is a process in letting the customers (and your department) know where they are buying their fresh fruits and vegetables. Below are a few basic bullet points defining the process and its fundamentals. Covered commodities include fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, peanuts, macadamia nuts, pecans and ginseng. Retailers to customers and suppliers to retailers are required to follow USDA guidelines for COOL. Retailers must accurately notify customers of country of origin at the final point of sale. Suppliers are to notify retailers on where the product they buy is purchased from as well. Retailers must maintain records of purchases for one year from purchase date from all vendors that they purchase product from. Retailers can use a label, placard, sign, stamp, twist tie, original box, holing unit or bin to display COO. Upon possible inspection from the USDA, you will need to verify whats on the counters for sale matches what the bills for the previous week read. Not coinciding could results in a substantial fine from the USDA. Check your bills daily as countries of origin could change daily, depending on whats available at the time. COOL also pertains to in store cut fruits and vegetables, so be sure to include COO on your stickers when displaying. The only time that this does not apply is when product is co-mingled (i.e. blueberries and pineapples together).

For more information on COOL, visit www.usda.gov/COOL.

ORGANIC PRODUCE

26

The organic category is one that has exploded in recent years and more and more retailers are starting to bring in a bigger selection of natural and organic products, namely fresh fruits and vegetables. Organics need to be handled a bit different than their conventional counterparts, both in displaying and storage. When displaying organics, unwrapped product cannot be touching conventional product at all, nor can it be mixed in with non-organic produce. Should this occur, the product cannot be sold as organic. Some stores will have designated areas within the department while others integrate them into their regular conventional sets. Be careful if you do this however and choose your items carefully so that the product you are selling can remain organic. When storing organics, product must have its own area within your coolers and dry areas to follow the same principal. Organic and non-organic product cannot be co-mingled. Do not spray any kind of chemicals on or around organic product. It is a good idea to keep any cleaning supplies away from the sales counters and storage areas of organic produce. Should you need do some cleaning of shelves or baskets, simple hot water and a rag will do. When prepping items like lettuces and greens, you must do so in a sink that has not been contaminated with cleaning compounds. Make sure organic items are highlighted in your department with good, clearly marked signs stating that they are indeed organic. Be sure to include the country of origin on your retail price point signs. The main focus in selling organics is the proper handling of them. Keeping the integrity of the product should be paramount when making decisions to store and merchandise fresh organic fruits and vegetables.

SUMMARY

27

Four Seasons Produce is happy to provide you with the information in this packet. The knowledge and facts in this guide are the ideas and thoughts of our Retail Services team, and are based on experiences we have all had in the past. This in no way covers everything in the department, but it hopefully gives you a small glimpse what is expected each and every time you step out on the sales floor. There is a lot of additional knowledge and teaching that goes into becoming a seasoned produce professional; this small guide is just a very basic head start to get you in the right direction. If you have any questions about information in this manual, please ask one of the experienced members of our Retail Services team for assistance. The Four Seasons Retail Services team does offer detailed in-store instruction and training to the people with whom we service and for those that qualify. We would like to thank you for your continued support of Four Seasons Produce and look forward to serving you in the years to come!

This information is available online at www.fsproduce.com.