Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 28 this year. The food-centric holiday is easily the busiest time of year for retail produce. Early planning and organization are key for optimizing sales and a stress-free holiday. So how do you get your produce department Thanksgiving-ready? Read on for some winning strategies for a successful Thanksgiving. 

Ordering Planning for Thanksgiving  

• Look at past data for forecasts. Demand for Thanksgiving items is generally the same year-to-year. Reviewing amounts purchased and sold for key categories last year can help you dial in your order amounts for this year. Be optimistic and plan for a slight increase over what you sold last year. A good rule of thumb is 2% growth over the previous year. 
• Order Early. Communicate your product needs as early as possible.  The earlier you can get in your orders and projections, the easier it will be for suppliers to cover your product needs.  Place larger orders (including pallets, half pallets and bins) with your Account Manager at least 2-3 weeks in advance. 
• Pre-books on key holiday items are strongly encouraged. You can always back off on your orders following the holiday, but you cannot sell what you don’t have in your store. Certain key items such as green beans and mushrooms do get limited—get your orders in early to ensure availability. 
• Bring in items before the rush.  Plan for warm table items and hard  goods such as pumpkins, squash and potatoes to arrive in-store  Thursday 11/21 – Saturday 11/23 and fresh items to arrive by Saturday 11/23 – Monday 11/25 BEFORE Thanksgiving. Deliveries for Tuesday 11/26 and for Wednesday 11/27 should be for last minute fill in and Friday sales. 
• Have a Back Up Plan: The weather around Thanksgiving is always tricky and sometimes can put a damper on your original plans. It is always good to have other sources to pull from in case your original plan falls through. 
• Future Orders: The week following Thanksgiving tends to be quieter as customers recover from holiday festivities. Review your future produce orders with your Account Manager to forecast what you may need.  Tip: Bananas are typically not high on shopping lists post-holiday and pre-orders may need to be reduced.   

Download a printable version of our Thanksgiving Order Check List here! 

Merchandising Tips & Reminders

1.Convenience and Fresh-Cut Products save time for busy shoppers and sell well the week before Thanksgiving. Customers will be looking for pre-packaged and pre-bagged products. Offer ready-to-use products that are washed, trimmed and peeled, and cut such as broccoli or cauliflower florets, trimmed green beans, cubed butternut squash, and salad mixes.

2. Assess Your Storage Needs. Will you need more dry space? More cold storage? Prepare your coolers and storage area as much as possible to maximize holding Thanksgiving product. Some retailers source a temporary refrigerated unit that will be placed outside to store turkeys and holiday overflow.  Bonus: Customers will be able to pick up pre-orders outside, reducing the traffic inside the store.   

3. Add Some Signage: When customers are trying to get in and out of stores as efficiently as possible, bright, eye-catching signage is a great way to get their attention and improve their experience. Highlight a farm or label, post product information, provide storage recommendations, or share recipes. In addition to creating beautiful displays, signage is a great way to keep shoppers informed about operational changes during the holidays (extended hours, pre-order pick-up areas, etc.) 

 Download and print Thanksgiving Shelf Talkers for your store!

Need a laminated set? Talk to your Account Manager! 

4. Load up on staples: Potatoes & Onions. This is the time of year to build large displays of bagged and loose Potatoes, Onions, and Garlic.

• The best varieties for mashing are Yellow (for creamy flavor,) Russet (for fluffy texture) and Red (for smooth texture or skin-on recipes). 
• Fingerling varieties and small “C” size potatoes are ideal for roasting and do not need to be peeled. 
• For both potatoes and onions, check daily for breakdown and soft or sprouting product.   
• Peeled garlic is a helpful item to carry during Thanksgiving for shoppers looking to save time during meal preparation. 

5. Think big for Sweet Potatoes! Promote a variety of sweet potatoes including specialty varieties. Garnet, Hannah, Japanese and Jewel are common varieties with Garnets being the most popular during Thanksgiving.  

• Make tote bags full of potatoes for convenient grab & go.  
• Orange flesh Garnet & Jewels are moister and ideal for pie, baking, roasting and mashing. 
• White flesh Japanese & Hannah are drier and ideal for steaming, roasting and making into fries. 
• Purple is trending! Add Stokes Purple Sweet Potatoes for health-conscious shoppers and those looking for a unique side dish. 

6. Pre-book your Fresh Herbs. Fresh herbs are essential for many Thanksgiving recipes. Plan and ahead so you’re well stocked during the 6 days leading up to Thanksgiving. Chives, Curly & Flat Parsley, Poultry Mix, Rosemary, Sage, and Thyme will be in high demand. 

7. Sides, Stuffing and Filling ingredients. While turkey is the main event, customers will be also shopping for ingredients for side dishes, stuffing and filling.  

• Celery and Yellow Onions are on almost everyone’s shopping list.  
• Chestnuts, Bunched Parsley, Mushrooms, Sage, Apples, and Cranberries are key stuffing ingredients in many recipes. 
• Many classic side dishes include cranberries for sauce, green beans, and Brussels sprouts. 

8. Greens Sell! Collards, Kales and Chards sell surprisingly well during Thanksgiving. Don’t get caught with too short supply! 

9. Build Nut and Baking Displays as early as the beginning of November. In addition to being a baking ingredient, nuts sell well as healthy snacks and accoutrement for salads and other fall dishes.. Expect nuts and baking products will sell well through New Year’s. What to Include: In-shell & Shelled Mixed Nuts and Walnuts, Fresh Chestnuts, Pistachios, Almonds, Raisins, and Medjool Dates. Don’t forget maple syrup as a natural sweetener and substitute for sugar in many recipes.  

Labor Planning for Thanksgiving 

During the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and the week of, having enough staff scheduled can have a huge impact on your sales. 

• Schedule extra staff. You will need extra hands the week prior to receive orders and do a big Thanksgiving reset. During Thanksgiving week, the extra staff can assist with keeping displays fully stocked, keeping the department clean, and helping customers. Extra closing shifts can focus efforts on making sure displays are fully reset for the morning. 
• Get ahead. Do all the work you can before the week of Thanksgiving. Whether it’s schedules, POS, pricing, or payroll – anything related to office or administration – get it out of the way! This will free up your time to work the floor and back up your team. 
• Be prepared for the rush. Monday through Wednesday (AKA Turkey Wednesday) before Thanksgiving are usually the busiest shopping days. Make sure your produce department is 100% set up and ready for customers on Monday morning open.  

Pro Tip: To be in stock for the Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday rushes, you need to have product ordered and delivered 2-3 days ahead of these peak selling days. 

2024 Thanksgiving Holiday Delivery Schedule 

Plan ahead for Thanksgiving week! On Thursday, November 28th, our Sales department will be closed and there will be no deliveries. To ensure all your Thanksgiving and post-Thanksgiving orders arrive smoothly, please note our schedule for next week. 

Monday, November 25th: Business as usual. 

Tuesday, November 26th: Business as usual. 

Wednesday, November 27th: Orders due by 3pm for Friday delivery. 

Thursday, November 28th: Sales closed for Thanksgiving. No deliveries. 

Friday, November 29th: Business as usual.