Getting Past Organic Produce Shrink Barriers

If produce managers are persuaded to set up huge displays of fruits and vegetables, are we to blame for inspiring them to become successful salespeople?

One of the persuasive arguments of selling more organic fresh produce has been encouraging expanded organic sections as well as setting up aggressive selling end-cap displays. But am I being a bit over zealous? Does this enthusiasm interfere with the senseless low-profile merchandising mandate preferred by management?

Organic vegetable wall-case display

Some produce managers inform me that by expanding their organic displays and putting some of the more popular items on an end-cap, they are moving more of the category tonnage. That is great news.

But as always, there are others who grumble about too much wilted, unsalable product. They fret over experiencing too much shrink in organic items versus conventional.

Organic tomato end-cap display

To get past the higher shrink level of organic produce, there are some disparities between organic produce and conventional that must be understood.  Once specific product awareness is understood, the easier it can be managed.

First, organic is more sensitive than conventional produce as organic fruits and vegetables are grown naturally and are not treated with waxes and preservatives like conventional produce. This, in turn, makes them more susceptible to a shorter shelf life.

The longer fresh organic produce items sit on display in the stores, the less they will stay fresh. The product starts to quickly lose its bloom quality as it is exposed to the lighting, irregular temperatures, customer handling, humidity changes, and slow sales movement.

"To get past the higher shrink level of organic produce, there are some disparities between organic produce and conventional that must be understood.  Once specific product awareness is understood, the easier it can be managed." -Ron Pelger

The longer organic product takes to sell within the freshness timeline, the faster it will spoil. Unlike conventional produce with all its preservative protection, organics will yield to higher shrinkage if not handled correctly.

Here are six areas associated with the sensitivity of organic produce longevity:

Harvesting — The spoilage process of fruits and vegetables can start directly out in the growing fields. Defective mechanical equipment can sometimes induce cultivating damage to organic crops. Some of the injured items may slowly begin to decay in packing, shipping, and finally at the retail level. 

Temperature — Immediate cooling and storage of product is essential. Heat and frost can easily result in damage. Extreme high and low temperatures will speed up deterioration of the product resulting in shrink.

Shipping — The transporting of organic produce over long distances can cause it to lose valuable shelf life, so proper storage is crucial for preserving longevity. The refrigeration units must always be set at the right temperature and operate steadily during the route.

Handling — This is the most challenging part of protecting and conserving the length of organic produce. Highly sensitive items such as leafy lettuce, cooking greens, mushrooms, berries, and the equivalent must be treated with utmost care. Just dropping a case of product on the floor or tossing it on a cart will clearly damage it and lower its shelf life.

Reasonable organic pricing will move organic items faster

Pricing — Since organic produce retails are generally higher than those of conventional items, it must be sold through the system as fast as possible. Extreme retails may create customer resistance. Product that remains idle on display will rapidly lose its buying quality. Reasonable pricing will sell the product faster and help reduce any possible shrink.

Microorganisms — High levels of bacteria will encourage produce to decay. Because organic items are not treated with any preservatives or waxes, bacteria and mold will damage the product faster. That's why more care needs to be given to organic items in every way possible.

The popularity of and consumer demand for organic produce is an advantage to sales. For this reason, special care must be taken into consideration when dealing with the category.

All produce items are sensitive and should be handled with care, but organic produce is more delicate in many ways. Educating employees about the differences between conventional and organic produce will give them the knowledge required to help get it past those shrink barriers.