Merchandising Corner

Thanksgiving Merchandising Tips

The big T-Day is just around the corner! Now is the time to get your display and merchandising plans in order for the biggest produce holiday of the year! Here are some tips from producer managers from three California based retail co-ops: Bernadette Brogden from Sacramento Natural Foods, Tammy Graham from New Moon Natural Foods, and Paul Wright from North Coast Co-op in Arcata.

• Plan early and communicate well. It takes time to coordinate with local farm supply and wholesalers. The earlier you can get in your orders and projections, the easier it will be for suppliers to cover your product needs.
• Know what to promote, and what to cut back on. This may mean cutting back on apple varieties to focus on Thanksgiving staples like cauliflower and sweet potatoes. Also, try building spillover displays into floor stacks to make more space and get more product on the floor too.
• Have a backup supply for product. 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.
• Add more convenience items. Pre-pack more items so customers can just grab a bag and go. Not only is this easier for them, but some customers are still concerned about COVID, and pre-packed bags ensure customers that their food hasn’t been touched by others.
• 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.
• Don’t band celery. This time of year, celery is in such high demand that it flies off the shelf. No need to waste valuable labor prepping or banding this item.