I must have more than a hundred photographs taken over the years of the signage on individual trucks delivering produce to the markets, and every one of them tells its own story. At a busy market, you will see vehicles from far and wide, delivering and collecting. Some are painted in striking colours with bold artwork promoting the brand. Others are plain; they are missing out on an excellent opportunity to promote their brands countrywide.
The inside story on retailers
At supermarkets, I always have a close look at the fresh produce department. Apart from checking the quality of produce, I keep an eye out for the various brands and see how the retailer is displaying the produce, managing stock rotation and, most importantly, handling the produce. Some stores are very good in this key area, while too many are either clueless or don’t seem to care.
When you consider that fresh fruit and vegetables offer the most exciting possibilities for display and product promotion, it seems puzzling that some retailers cannot understand the value of this. Where else do you find such a huge selection of products within a single category – fresh produce – that offer so many different colours, shapes and sizes? Fresh produce is a marketer’s dream – all that’s needed is a bit of energy and creativity.
At the packhouse
Another place I enjoy visiting is a packhouse. Here one can see the movement of the fruit from arrival through the various stages to final packing. It’s fascinating to watch all those scrumptious, richly coloured oranges, apples or whatever they happen to be moving along conveyor lines and then vanishing into their selected packing stations. Finally the fruit, all neatly graded and sized, nestles in a proudly labelled carton ready for shipment.
Fresh fruit and veggies are definitely not dull products!
