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The Supergroup for the Profitable Growth of the Fresh Industry
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In This Issue
HOW TO: HIGH-ENERGY LOCAL FARM STORE EVENTS
IN-STORE MERCHANDISING
 
 
Find FreshXperts on Facebook
 
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The FreshXperts
 
Anthony Totta -
Marketing Strategy, Branding
Business Development
Lee's Summit, MO
  

Jelger de Vriend -  
Retail Sourcing & Merchandising Strategies in Europe
The Netherlands  
 

John Shelford -
Organizational Governance
Naples, FL  
  

Mike Nicometo -  
Cool Chain & Logistics
Optimization Shelf Life Enhancement
Track/Trace WMS 
Iron Mountain, MI

 

Ron Pelger -  
Retail Merchandising
Retail Operations
Shrink Recovery & Control
Reno, NV 

 
Tim Vaux -  New Venture and Product Launch
Fresno, CA


Mike Chirveno -
Social Media
Customer Relationship Management 
Kansas City, MO 

 

 
Heidi Chapnick - 
Internet/E-Commerce
Cross Channel Sales and Marketing
Roadmapping
Retail/Etail Plans
White Plains, NY
 
George Seifert -  
QA Inspection
Produce Ripening
Rochester, NY 
 
 
Dean Fahselt -
Produce Development
Value Added
Salinas, CA
 

Don Harris -

Buying Strategies and Training Organic Operations Category Development

Boulder, CO

 

 

Andrew Southwood -  

Growth Strategies, Sustainability/CSR, International Business

Montreal, Canada

 

 

Richard Binks - 

Crop Protection, Quality Management, New Product Development, Farm Assurance & Stewardship 

United Kingdom

 

   

 
 
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FreshTrack

Need complete visibility into your sales process?  Need to know how your sales staff is performing?  Need to the know the financial value of the prospects in your pipeline?  Want the security of knowing all your sales data is secure in the event of a disaster?

 

eFreshTrack is the answer.  It's a secure, hosted Customer Relationship Management solution.  eSalesTrack provides full-featured campaign management, tracking of all interactions with current and potential customers including phone calls, emails and proposals and integration with your ERP system and Microsoft Outlook.  eFreshTrack can also be accessed on your smartphone.

 

For information on eFreshTrack, contact Mike Chirveno at [email protected] or 816-256-4507.

HOW TO:  HIGH-ENERGY LOCAL FARM STORE EVENTS  

By Jonathan Raduns   


  Outdoor display

 

High-Impact merchandising and homegrown signature events set the tone with customers for an entire season. A well-timed and executed spring event can position retailers as the go-to source for fresh, quality, summer dining necessities. Successful events send a clear message to guests about your commitment to local farms and foods, freshness, and innovative culinary ideas for al fresco entertaining, picnics, barbecues, and summer holidays.

 

Create an on-the-farm look and feel within the produce department. A strong approach requires full-store participation & support from direct store delivery farms. Begin planning at least 4 weeks prior to your event with department managers and consider how fresh produce can integrate, compliment, and highlight summer dining items. Stay in tune with seasonal availability on key items by communicating with your local farmers.

 

Coloring Books



FUN & FAMILY FRIENDLY:

 

Consider coloring page handouts, snacks, and activities. Clear an aisle and have an in-store tractor pull with metal pedal tractors.

 

We have built a customizable 16-page solution entitled:  Buzz's Fun on the Farm Adventure Coloring Book for retailers to purchase for educating children about local farms, fruits, and vegetables. An online portal will walk you through the on-screen customization and ordering process at the following website:

 

CUSTOMIZE COLORING BOOKS & ORDER NOW:

LINK TO:   http://www.merchandisefood.com/farm-coloring-books.html 

 

SIGNATURE PROPS:   
Notice above the custom barn cupola, we designed to create a signature display. A customer service employee was a carpenter at heart and with about 50 dollars of supplies; he built this in 2 days. In-store sign shop created the rooster from foam core and an exact-o knife to build the faux weather vane. 

 

SIGNAGE:

Special events require special signage. Farmer profiles with colorful photos and family farm members resonate with customers. This message helps buyers understand who produces their food and where it comes from. Post signage at each station around the store that communicates the name of the event and the name of the demo.

 

OUTDOORS:

Retail farm events are a perfect time for outdoor or lobby-based farmer's market displays. Be creative and make it look like a small farmers market or roadside stand. This idea also helps ensure that nobody misses the activities on the way in. 

 

SAMPLING:
Demo something from every major department with a fresh produce pairing. Here are some ideas:
Grocery:
Dressings and local lettuces,
Meat:
Burgers, local tomato bruschetta topping,

Cheese:

Local cheeses & ramps quiche. Have each of the items you demo in a cooler or display within close proximity to drive impulse sales. 

 

CALLING ALL DEPARTMENTS:

Incorporate pre-planned summer products from meat, seafood, and grocery departments, then center the event on produce. Have a weekly merchandising meeting and consider how everyone can participate. Schedule appropriately to have a demo person available for the entire event. Schedule a "cover" person to rotate through all departments to work out lunches. 

 

GUESTS:

Invite local partner farms to spend the morning or afternoon with you. Choose farmers who are willing and able to communicate with guests and answer questions. Encourage them to bring props, photo albums, or even ride their tractor over. 

 

VENDOR SUPPORT:

Consider other local packaged products relating to produce that might be a great addition. Bottled fresh juices, bottled sauerkraut, picked garlic scapes, etc. are fun items connected to local artisans. 

 

 

THE EVENT MORNING:
Have a kick off team meeting with all participants and demo staff before the event. Bring free coffee and a breakfast snack. Get the group excited about the event. Pump up their energy, coach them to smile, and engage and educate customers about your mission and products. With proper planning and excited employees, your event can "cultivate" successful returns over the entire summer season. 

 

 

  

 

Jonathan Raduns

Freshxperts In-Store Merchandising:

Store Event Planning & Management

 

Jonathan Raduns

Visual Food Merchandising

 

Retail special events delivered with excellence require creative concept development, expert planning and project management, and professional delivery of your message to your customers. We conceptualize full-store celebrations to communicate your message and leave lasting impressions in your customer's minds. Generate powerful word of mouth with memorable, educational, enjoyable trips to your store!

Let us help design, coordinate, and deliver your next WOW!

  • Event Based Project Management
  • Vendor Demo Coordination
  • Event Signage & Collateral
  • Custom Recipe Cards
  • Custom Promotional Giveaways
  • Staff Training & Demo Best Practices
  • Recipe Development
  • Event Stations & "Passports"
  • Printing, Banner, & Signage Production & Fulfillment

CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE: Build an event you'll be proud of and position your brand for the residual benefits of engaged satisfied guests!

 


 

ATTENTION PRODUCE INDUSTRY MEMBERS
 
It seems that almost daily we hear about companies downsizing or limiting employee hours in order to avoid costly compliance with upcoming government regulations and programs.  This can lead to loss of important skill sets at a time when a stagnating economy requires bold measures to capture market share.  The talent pool we've assembled at FreshXperts can help fill the void.  Check us out at www.freshxperts.com.  We're here to help you become a profit leader in our industry. 

The FreshXperts cost is advantageous: 
  • No Health Insurance Costs
  • No Paid Vacations
  • No Costly Office Space
  • No Expensive Company Car
  • No Holiday Time Off
  • No 401K
  • No Paid Sick Days
  • No Utilities Expense