We're delighted to have as our guest this week Amanda Oren, the vice president of industry strategy for grocery at RELEX. For any listeners who don’t know, RELEX is a platform that uses analytics and forecasting to help retailers optimize their supply chain and store operations so that what’s arriving at stores or being produced in stores matches demand. Amanda has more than 20 years of experience in grocery, including with companies like Good Food Holdings — which listeners will probably know for its association with banners Bristol Farms, Metropolitan Market and Lazy Acres — and also Foodland and Grocery Outlet. If you check out Amanda’s LinkedIn, you’ll see she’s done a lot of what I like to call “big picture” work — process improvement, change management, strategy. So today we’re going to get Amanda’s perspective on some big-picture storylines in grocery and what they mean for produce. We’re going to talk about competing with discounters, about the Kroger-Albertsons merger, about private label, and about inflation and price competition. Hope you enjoy the conversation! 

Podcast Background

This podcast is designed to cover all things produce retail: strategy, partnerships, planning, training, leadership, communication, merchandising and beyond. Scroll through our episodes list to find conversations with vice presidents and directors of produce, merchandisers, produce managers, retail dietitians and more.

Get Involved

The Produce Retail Podcast is hosted by Ashley Nickle, a former trade journalist turned consultant. Have an idea for a topic or a guest? Give her a shout on LinkedIn. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're delighted to have as our guest this week Anne-Marie Roerink, the principal of 210 Analytics. Anne-Marie is well known to many folks in the produce world for her insightful reports and presentations in collaboration with Circana and associations like the International Fresh Produce Association and the Southeast Produce Council. Speaking of SEPC, Anne-Marie recently presented her What's New! report at Southern Innovations, and she and The Produce Retail Podcast host Ashley Nickle dive into the findings in today's conversation, covering topics including how inflation of recent years continues to influence consumer mindset and spending; why grocers are leaning into loyalty programs; the power of above-and-beyond merchandising for holidays in particular; the influence of trending TikTok items on category sales this year; the opportunity of presenting full meal solutions (with varying levels of prep work required) together in the store; the need for retailers to develop plans for when good things happen (like viral produce trends) just like they make plans for when bad things happen (outbreaks, emergencies, etc.); how consumers are "replacing" restaurant meals; and much more. Thanks so much for listening and hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did! 

For more insights from Anne-Marie, check out her previous appearances on the podcast.

• What produce can learn from the growth happening in deli
• Packaged produce, value-added, generational trends and more
• Consumer trends, produce merchandising and marketing

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're delighted to welcome as our guests for this week's episode Nicole Grant, director of customer development, and Rose Palacios, director of shopper marketing and merchandising — both from Driscoll's — for a deep dive on the berry category. Rose and Nicole discuss how broader industry trends are showing up in berries, including private label and supplier brands; value and premium options; conventional and organic product; smaller and larger pack sizes; in-store versus online sales; and more. Given the increasing number of SKUs in the category, Nicole and Rose advocate for increased space for berries and lay out the process of making that business case to retailers. They note that key metrics vary by retailer, and along with growing sales there may also be pressure to increase units (which can influence pack size strategy), market share and more. Rose and Nicole also observe that there's a significant opportunity for category education of the many newer people on sales floors post-COVID, and they give examples of how Driscoll's can come alongside retailers if that's an area they see as a way to get better. Nicole and Rose also share how they got into produce, the kinds of projects they handle in their respective roles, and how their teams collaborate. Hope you enjoy the conversation!

For more episodes featuring marketing and merchandising perspective, check out this curated playlist for plenty of thought-provoking discussion. 

More Playlists

• Executive Perspective

• Leadership & Training

• Produce Manager Perspective

Podcast Background

This podcast is designed to cover all things produce retail: strategy, partnerships, planning, training, leadership, communication, merchandising and beyond. Scroll through our episodes list to find conversations with vice presidents and directors of produce, merchandisers, produce managers, retail dietitians and more.

Get Involved

The Produce Retail Podcast is hosted by Ashley Nickle, a former trade journalist turned consultant. Have an idea for a topic or a guest? Give her a shout on LinkedIn. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With this week's episode, we're delighted to bring you three excellent guests, all from The Giant Co. To celebrate the recognition of produce manager Chris O'Brien by the International Fresh Produce Association, we're visiting with Chris, regional fresh sales manager Anthony Deni, and director of produce and floral Chris Keetch. We hear from Chris O’Brien about his reaction to winning the award; how he got started in produce; when he realized he could have a career in produce retail; how his leadership style has changed over the years; when he realized that in his current role he could have an impact well beyond his own store; and the training role he’s been serving in lately. Anthony discusses what makes Chris deserving of this recognition; areas in which he's seen Chris grow; and recent projects on which Chris' work has impressed him. Chris Keetch covers the process for selecting nominees; Chris O.'s role in building the bench of produce talent; a new training program that gets people on the sales floor quicker and aims to develop them as produce experts; the importance of nominating people for IFPA recognition; and why he describes Chris as a "merchant operator." Hope you enjoy the conversation!

To hear more from Chris O'Brien, check out the IFPA's five-part webinar series featuring roundtable conversations with groups of this year's winners. The webinars are co-hosted by IFPA's Joe Watson and The Produce Retail Podcast host Ashley Nickle. The recordings are hosted on this page. https://www.freshproduce.com/resources/retail/retail-produce-manager-award-winners-webinar-series/

For more episodes of The Produce Retail Podcast focused on produce managers, check out this curated playlist. 

More Playlists

• Executive Perspective

• Leadership & Training

• Marketing & Merchandising

Podcast Background

This podcast is designed to cover all things produce retail: strategy, partnerships, planning, training, leadership, communication, merchandising and beyond. Scroll through our episodes list to find conversations with vice presidents and directors of produce, merchandisers, produce managers, retail dietitians and more.

Get Involved

The Produce Retail Podcast is hosted by Ashley Nickle, a former trade journalist turned consultant. Have an idea for a topic or a guest? Give her a shout on LinkedIn.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're delighted to have as our guest for this week's episode Leigh Vaughn, director of produce and floral for Associated Food Stores. In this conversation, Leigh takes us behind the scenes of category reviews, from the data his team examines in preparation for supplier meetings; to his recommended do's and do-not's for hopeful vendors; to the roles that logistics, cost of goods and innovation play in the evaluation of suppliers; to the makeup of the group that suppliers meet and need to connect with; to how Leigh's team uses the IFPA Global Show to find new items and connect with new vendors; and much more. Enjoy!

For more from Leigh, check out this earlier episode.

For more episodes featuring executive perspective, check out this curated playlist dedicated to conversations with current and former vice presidents of produce, directors of produce, and other executive roles. 

More Playlists

• Merchandising & Marketing 

• Leadership & Training

• Produce Manager Perspective

Podcast Background

This podcast is designed to cover all things produce retail: strategy, partnerships, planning, training, leadership, communication, merchandising and beyond. Scroll through our episodes list to find conversations with vice presidents and directors of produce, merchandisers, produce managers, retail dietitians and more.

Get Involved

The Produce Retail Podcast is hosted by Ashley Nickle, a former trade journalist turned consultant. Have an idea for a topic or a guest? Give her a shout on LinkedIn. 

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're delighted to have as our guests this episode Daniel Spivey, national director of fruit for Sprouts Farmers Market, and Reyna Graves, national director of veg and floral. Daniel and Reyna discuss topics including seasonal fruit destinations that drove record sales this summer; switching to more segregated merchandising of organic; riding the wave of the cucumber sandwich trend that started with a TikTok video; how they view private label when it comes to produce; the importance of supplier partnerships and innovation; the implications of more online sales for in-store processes; convenience and floral; what their roles entail and how they collaborate; how Sprouts finds and sources items that shoppers can't get anywhere else; their willingness to test new products at all levels of scale; the transition from fall to holiday season; and more. Enjoy!

For more conversations featuring executive perspective, check out this playlist dedicated to conversations with current and former vice presidents of produce, directors of produce, and other executive roles. 

More Playlists

• Merchandising & Marketing 

• Leadership & Training

• Produce Manager Perspective

Podcast Background

This podcast is designed to cover all things produce retail: strategy, partnerships, planning, training, leadership, communication, merchandising and beyond. Scroll through our episodes list to find conversations with vice presidents and directors of produce, merchandisers, produce managers, retail dietitians and more.

Get Involved

The Produce Retail Podcast is hosted by Ashley Nickle, a former trade journalist turned consultant. Have an idea for a topic or a guest? Give her a shout on LinkedIn. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're delighted to have as our guests on this episode Schnucks produce manager Aaron Carroll, produce sales merchandiser Meghan Hauck, and vice president of produce Mike Tipton. Aaron has been recognized this year by the International Fresh Produce Association as one of the best in the country. In this conversation, Aaron, Meghan and Mike visit with The Produce Retail Podcast host Ashley Nickle about Aaron's remarkable creativity in merchandising, how he leads his team, his contributions beyond his own store, how he continues to learn and develop, the attributes that make him an excellent manager, and more. They also discuss career pathing and how the company works to build the bench of produce leadership, along with some leadership best practices they've learned over the years. Hope you enjoy the conversation!

To hear more from Aaron, check out the IFPA's five-part webinar series featuring roundtable conversations with groups of this year's winners. The webinars are co-hosted by IFPA's Joe Watson and The Produce Retail Podcast host Ashley Nickle. If you can't catch a webinar live, the recordings are hosted on this page. https://www.freshproduce.com/resources/retail/retail-produce-manager-award-winners-webinar-series/

For more episodes of The Produce Retail Podcast focused on produce managers, check out this curated playlist. 

More Playlists

• Executive Perspective

• Leadership & Training

• Marketing & Merchandising

Podcast Background

This podcast is designed to cover all things produce retail: strategy, partnerships, planning, training, leadership, communication, merchandising and beyond. Scroll through our episodes list to find conversations with vice presidents and directors of produce, merchandisers, produce managers, retail dietitians and more.

Get Involved

The Produce Retail Podcast is hosted by Ashley Nickle, a former trade journalist turned consultant. Have an idea for a topic or a guest? Give her a shout on LinkedIn.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re delighted to have as our guests for this episode Tops Markets produce manager Brad Franklin and produce and floral field specialist Cole Bickal. Brad has been recognized this year as one of the honorees of the International Fresh Produce Association’s Retail Produce Manager Awards Program. In this conversation, Brad discusses his start in the industry, what he finds most engaging about his work, the growth he’s made in floral, the balance of increasing sales and decreasing shrink, and more. Cole talks about the attributes that make Brad a significant asset for the company, including his role as a district trainer and his endless curiosity about ways to improve his department. If you’re headed to the IFPA’s Global Show, look for Brad at the Retail Awards Reception on Friday, Oct. 18!

To hear more from Brad, check out the IFPA's five-part webinar series featuring roundtable conversations with groups of this year's winners. The webinars are co-hosted by IFPA's Joe Watson and The Produce Retail Podcast host Ashley Nickle. If you can't catch a webinar live, the recordings are hosted on this page. https://www.freshproduce.com/resources/retail/retail-produce-manager-award-winners-webinar-series/

For more episodes of The Produce Retail Podcast focused on produce managers, check out this curated playlist. 

More Playlists

• Executive Perspective

• Leadership & Training

• Marketing & Merchandising

Podcast Background

This podcast is designed to cover all things produce retail: strategy, partnerships, planning, training, leadership, communication, merchandising and beyond. Scroll through our episodes list to find conversations with vice presidents and directors of produce, merchandisers, produce managers, retail dietitians and more.

Get Involved

The Produce Retail Podcast is hosted by Ashley Nickle, a former trade journalist turned consultant. Have an idea for a topic or a guest? Give her a shout on LinkedIn.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're delighted to have as our guests for this week's episode produce manager Bishop Tart, supervisor Josh Smith and vice president of sales and marketing Price Mabry to talk about Bishop's recognition by the International Fresh Produce Association as part of the Retail Produce Manager Awards Program Class of 2024. Bishop talks about his start in the business (working with his dad, a produce manager himself for 40-plus years); where he focuses his time and what he delegates to his team; planning and executing show-stopping seasonal displays; his philosophy on cross-training rather than having team members specialize; the growth of fresh cut; and more. Josh and Price explain what set Bishop apart for the nomination this year and detail how Corner Market has made IFPA recognition a point of pride and competition between stores — and they provide an update on how Corner Market's previous two winners have advanced in their careers since receiving their awards.

To hear more from Bishop, check out the IFPA's five-part webinar series featuring roundtable conversations with groups of this year's winners. The webinars are co-hosted by IFPA's Joe Watson and The Produce Retail Podcast host Ashley Nickle. If you can't catch a webinar live, the recordings are hosted on this page. https://www.freshproduce.com/resources/retail/retail-produce-manager-award-winners-webinar-series/

For more episodes focused on produce managers, check out this curated playlist. 

More Playlists

• Executive Perspective

• Leadership & Training

• Marketing & Merchandising

Podcast Background

This podcast is designed to cover all things produce retail: strategy, partnerships, planning, training, leadership, communication, merchandising and beyond. Scroll through our episodes list to find conversations with vice presidents and directors of produce, merchandisers, produce managers, retail dietitians and more.

Get Involved

The Produce Retail Podcast is hosted by Ashley Nickle, a former trade journalist turned consultant. Have an idea for a topic or a guest? Give her a shout on LinkedIn.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're delighted to welcome back to The Produce Retail Podcast longtime executive Scott Schuette. Over the last 35-plus years Scott has served in leadership roles with Fresh Thyme, Sprouts and Bashas. He’s been recognized as Produce Retailer of the Year and Specialty Food Retailer of the Year. He’s also been so kind to be a regular on this podcast and share his perspective on all kinds of executive topics, from managing across divisions to developing the annual budget to writing to the ad — and many, many more.

On this week's episode, Scott and The Produce Retail Podcast host Ashley Nickle tackle a topic that also featured prominently in the first-ever State of the Produce Manager report — the topic of how much leeway produce managers have to make decisions for their department. Scott gives examples of successful retailers all along the spectrum, from ones that tightly control presentation from a corporate level to ones that give produce managers significant discretion. He also discusses his views on which decisions should be made at the corporate level and which should be made at the store level. Scott also talks about store segmentation as a way to keep assortment and merchandising relatively consistent while still accounting for differences in customer bases and store layouts.

Scott also notes the role of operational leadership and effective communication about standards. He discusses how produce managers can earn more leeway to make decisions and the importance of letting them experiment and learn from their successes and failures. Scott also brings up the leeway produce managers have in how they develop their team members and the opportunity they have to adjust their style as needed and personalize their approach to the personalities of folks in their department.

For more conversations featuring executive perspective, check out this playlist dedicated to conversations with current and former vice presidents of produce, directors of produce, and other executive roles. 

More Playlists

• Merchandising & Marketing 

• Leadership & Training

• Produce Manager Perspective

Podcast Background

This podcast is designed to cover all things produce retail: strategy, partnerships, planning, training, leadership, communication, merchandising and beyond. Scroll through our episodes list to find conversations with vice presidents and directors of produce, merchandisers, produce managers, retail dietitians and more.

Get Involved

The Produce Retail Podcast is hosted by Ashley Nickle, a former trade journalist turned consultant. Have an idea for a topic or a guest? Give her a shout on LinkedIn. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.