Organic produce requires visual merchandising

When you enter a supermarket, what’s the first thing that attracts you? Generally, it’s the produce department. Why is that? Probably because the department is located up front and the array of colors draws attention to the visual presentation.

The fresh produce department is one of the prime factors consumers use when choosing a particular store for their overall food shopping. Close to 90% of shoppers claim fresh produce quality and assortment are the most important factors in making that decision.

Most shoppers prefer healthy foods and stores that are involved in protecting the environment. Those same customers want fresh organic produce options, and many will not shop in a store if those choices are unavailable.

Considering these main factors, what you do in handling and promoting organic produce makes a big difference in drawing customers to your store. But most importantly, it has to convince them to keep coming back.

One of the most beneficial ways to influence customers is through the visual merchandising of the organic produce section in the department. The product presentation should attract customers and persuade them to make purchases across the entire category line.

Consumers buy items on impulse that they didn’t plan to purchase while shopping in the produce department. Most likely, these customers were influenced by the visual merchandising of displays.

The objective is to draw customers to attractive displays and entice them to buy those items. I call this strategy “display psychology.”

Some retailers prefer segregated organic sections, while others lean toward the integrated format. Segregated sections expose more of the entire visual presentation, while the integrated system softens it.

Product placement is important. There should be two standard organic sections — a wall section for refrigerated items and a dry table section for items that do not require refrigeration, such as apples, citrus, etc.

You need to enhance the artistic appeal of the organic fresh fruit and vegetable sections. Once you do that, you create an opportunity to build customer traffic. But it must have creative visual elements in order to generate strong sales.

Here are five basic fundamentals to trigger effective visual organic merchandising:

1. Size — Refrain from cramping organic items into limited space. The category is growing fast. Widen your display areas to attract more customers.
2. Color — Produce naturally provides vibrant color. Put some artistry into the presentation for a stunning display.
3. Exposure — Keep stocking levels at a maximum. The more product you make available, the more shoppers tend to buy. Use a table end cap to promote two or three organic items in the same way you would conventional produce. Get organic items in front of customers’ faces.
4. Focal Point — Give your organic section eye-catching appeal by improving product visibility. Merchandise it with the feel of a natural point-of-purchase stimulus.
5. Signs — Use signs to tell short stories about items, the farmers, and health facts to provide helpful information for customers. Nicely designed signs will encourage sales.

Concentrate on boosting your organic produce by showing it off. Place at least one weekly featured organic item up front along with the advertised conventional specials. This will make the local organic community aware that your company promotes healthy eating.

The more you support popular trending products by making them visible, the more your organic customers will choose your store as their primary shopping destination.

If your organic options are minimal and you don’t have dedicated sections available, customers will perceive it negatively. Those customers will simply open their wallets at your competitors.

You have only two choices — advance along with organic growth or suffer the consequences of a sales deficit.

Incorporate visual merchandising strategies into your organic program to enhance its effectiveness.