If you ask a co-op employee to identify a single department in which their co-op excels, they will often point you to the produce department. Most co-ops have established long-term relationships with suppliers and local farmers to offer a high-quality selection, and many co-ops promote the quality of produce as a key differentiator. While customers agree that quality produce is important to them, recent CX Survey data suggests that shoppers don’t always feel they are getting as much value from the produce department during their shopping trips as they expect. In this article, we will shed light on how our customers experience our produce departments and suggest some ways that we can improve to ensure our reputation in produce matches what customers experience in our stores.
Produce Department Performance
NCG’s Customer Experience (CX) Survey Program measures our customers’ perception of their shopping experience at our co-ops. Overall satisfaction, or OSAT, shows the percentage of customers who were “highly satisfied” — rating five out of five — with their shopping experience. There is a clear correlation between OSAT and sales growth, so retailers strive to improve their OSAT scores. At NCG co-ops, 67% of survey respondents indicated they were highly satisfied with their experience in the produce department. This was just one percentage point above the average OSAT for other premium grocers (retailers like New Seasons, Lunds & Byerlys and Earthfare). The top-performing competitor in the premium group scored an 84% OSAT in produce. Compared to the other premium grocer competitors, NCG ranks sixth on the list of produce department overall satisfaction. With this data in hand, it’s clear we have opportunities for improvement.
The Connection Between Quality and Price
Our shoppers agree that our co-ops are “premium” retailers, and in general, they expect to pay a bit more for higher quality produce at our stores. When we don’t deliver on their expectations for product quality, especially with our produce, customers will mention both quality and price as a point of frustration. These sentiments are captured in the survey program’s customer comments:
“I purchased fresh broccoli and the selection was very poor. The heads were small, the stalks large and woody and we are charged by weight, so we pay a very high price for the portion of broccoli we can use”
“The price of the produce seems a bit high. The vegetables are not always fresh. When they are not, they should be on sale.”
When we deliver on quality in our produce department, our shoppers are significantly more satisfied and willing to pay more:
“…Slightly higher price but quality produce.”
“A lot of organic choices. Good quality of local farmers’ produce as well as organic. Reasonable and fair prices.”
Ideas to Improve Quality Ratings
Empower Shoppers
Help your customers understand how to choose the best quality produce and ways to keep produce fresh at home through signage or other resources (e.g. signage posted next to an avocado display that helps shoppers pick the best one for them and when it’s best to use). There is an excellent guide available on NCG.coop that co-ops can make available through their website or print and make available to customers in the store. Staff can also empower shoppers through one-on-one service. NCG’s website features dozens of produce profiles so staff can help customers identify and select the freshest items. Another suggestion: utilize a produce calendar or messaging to let customers know what produce is in season at any given time. This can help customers set reasonable expectations for quality and product availability,
Update Employee Training in Product Handling
Our produce specialists work with co-ops across the country to improve produce execution. They often observe that training on how to properly handle produce to ensure quality is not documented and instead is institutional knowledge handed down from experienced staff to new employees. Over time, this institutional knowledge may deteriorate or evolve away from current best practices. Taking the time to update staff training and document handling expectations is one of the best ways to improve produce quality.
Establish Systems and Workflow
NCG Eastern Corridor Produce Specialist Joshua Crone advises, “Establishing and adhering to a proper workflow for staff is critical.” There is a detailed Produce Playbook on NCG.coop with ideas for good produce systems and workflow, as well as preferred practices that cover a variety of produce-related topics on NCG’s website. These resources were all created with input from co-op produce managers and can help ensure your team is using systems and methods that are tested, tried, and true.
