Nobody does local better than co-ops! Local produce has been the hallmark of food co-ops since their beginnings, and the dedication we all have toward supporting local farmers and offering customers access to local products is as important now as it has ever been. Local growers need retail outlets like food co-ops in order to scale up their operations and gain access to more consumers, even if some of those consumers are not necessarily seeking local products.
With the local season fast approaching in many parts of the country, and co-op produce departments preparing for the influx of local products, it is important to maintain a balance between locally grown items and those items not available from nearby farms. Locally grown produce is critical to our success. Other produce department essentials like apples, citrus and tropicals are also important, even if they are not local or in peak season. This balance and commitment to a full assortment of products will help your co-op be more relevant to more consumers.
Aim to impress with high quality and bountiful choices
The primary factor for a consumer’s choice in a grocery store often lies with the produce department. A shopper’s impression of the produce department frequently dictates how they feel about the rest of the store. For example, if a customer is unable to buy lemons because they are not local (yes, this has happened), then they may form a lasting negative impression of the co-op. Couple that with one rotten tomato or a bag of moldy, wet grapes and the customer may never come back at all. High quality and a bountiful assortment of fruits and vegetables can mean the difference between bustling store aisles and declining customer counts.
As shoppers compile their grocery lists before heading out to a store or placing an online order, many of them decide where to shop based on whether or not they will be able to check everything off their list. Greater relevancy with those shoppers directly translates into more frequent trips and larger basket sizes with each trip. Rather than limiting customers’ options, meeting the needs of shoppers will almost always lead to financial health and positive community impact.
An abundant mix offers more exposure for local items
The benefits of a well-balanced produce department with a full assortment of products go far beyond sales driven by increased traffic and larger basket sizes. More members of the community shopping at your store will benefit local growers and help them sell more of their own products. Farmers markets are fun and a great way to buy local, however, that niche is already being fulfilled by, well, farmers markets. Co-ops, by design, offer more things to more people. An abundant mix of local, as well as a wide breadth of other products, not only drives traffic to the co-op, but also offers more exposure for the local items on the shelves.
Once in the store, shoppers have an opportunity to compare offerings, learn more about local growers, purchase more local products and check everything off their grocery list. And what about your list as a retailer? Increased traffic? Check. Increased sales? Check. Strong support for local products? Check. Healthy co-op and community? Check.
A co-op that sells more of everything, will sell more local product.
