Alex Jackson Berkley of Frieda's Specialty Produce Offers Insight on Produce Merchandising for Chinese New Year
LOS ALAMITOS, CA - The excitement swirling around opportunities a new year has to offer continues to lift the spirits of customers as Chinese New Year approaches this February. While customers make their way through the Year of the Dog, this is an opportunity for retailers and businesses to promote fresh produce in new and exciting ways.
Here to chat with me about the importance of this particular time of year for our industry is Frieda’s Specialty Produce’s Assistant Sales Manager Alex Jackson Berkley.
When I ask about the must-have items of the season, she puts particular emphasis on celebration necessities: “Staple items like Shanghai bok choy, ginger, pummelo, wonton and eggroll wrappers, and noodles are still the drivers of the category. However, other items like kumquats, Buddha’s Hand citron, and dragon fruit also have traditional meanings for the holiday.”
With so many options for customers to pick and choose from, retailers can layer sales efforts by merchandising across categories.
To this point, Alex tells me, “Carrying a full variety of the top Asian vegetable and fruit items, along with cross-merchandising, is the best way to play it up. Create a destination where shoppers can find all of their Chinese New Year needs in one place.”
As these special add-ons make their way into the limelight for Chinese New Year, just how are retailers planning to merchandise them appropriately to encourage sales? Alex shares that this is an opportunity for the whole store to join in on the fun festivities.
“Make this a store-wide event! Shoppers will need meat and seafood, as well as Asian grocery items. Loop in floral with lucky bamboo, orchids, and Chinese New Year balloons. Putting signs at store entrances to visit Chinese New Year displays is a great way to draw shoppers in.”
This is just one way to roll through 2018 with persistent style, eager sales, and a continued excitement at every turn. We look forward to reporting on many more opportunities for our industry to grow and flourish throughout the Year of the Dog and beyond.
