Merchandising

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are the most fragile of fruit. Always a consumer favorite, California Giant berries are critical to your produce department sales. Maximize profit and impact year-round by following these guidelines:

Don’t Break the Cold Chain

• California Giant berries must immediately be unloaded directly into a cold room. Never allow a shipment to sit outside of a cold atmosphere! Optimum temperature is near 32°F (breakdown begins at 36°F) with a high humidity (90 – 95%) when not on display.

• Berries on pallets that have been bagged with a modified atmosphere system will warm during transport as a result of their own respiration. It is crucial that you remove bags immediately upon arrival.

• Berries are highly perishable requiring a constant temperature between 32°F and 34°F for optimum shelf life. For every hour a berry is not cooled to optimum temperature one day of shelf life is lost.  For best customer satisfaction, display California Giant berries on refrigerated freestanding tables or cases. Berries should never come in contact with moisture or misters, which will cause rapid breakdown resulting in higher shrink percentages for the produce department.

• Please take a moment to view a video of how California Giant ensures our berries meet the highest of standards from field, to cooler and into our customers hands.

Merchandising Results In Increased Sales
Retail & Merchandising Tips:

• During key seasonal times of the year, feature larger pack sizes and add a secondary display in the department to capitalize on popularity and grab additional sales.

• During peak volume periods be sure to keep your berry display at the front of the department. They are your number one consumer draw, and are proven to increase sales!

• Feature multiple pack sizes, like 1 lb, 2 lb and 4 lb containers to appeal to all types of consumers looking for options.

• Merchandise a full line of colorful berries together in the department for greater visual impact to the consumer, driving impulse sales of multiple items.

• The key to quality is to replenish and rotate berries frequently. Capitalize on peak shopping hours of 3pm to 7pm and keep berry displays full with fresh product.

• Check for maturity, ripeness level, quantity, packaging, size, count, weight, and grade of all deliveries. Report any discrepancies to California Giant immediately.

• Anticipate demand and keep displays well stocked, then spot check display regularly. Always rework berries each morning from the previous day’s display.

California Giant can help with merchandising support and point of sale material for your produce departments. Our sales team will work with you to develop a year-round supply program and identify key seasonal time periods for features and promotions to maximize sales and profitability in the department. Please contact our sales team to discuss programs.

Promote, Promote, Promote

• Be sure to promote the nutritional attributes of berries as well as encouraging consumers to visit www.CalGiant.com for recipes and nutrition information.

• Consider sampling at the beginning of the season to build demand and sales.

• ·Cross promote with complimentary items like toppings, pie-shells, cereals, etc. or pull items from the bakery that provide usage and recipe suggestions.

• Frequently feature berries together in ads to maximize sales and generate consumer excitement for the whole category.

• Offer consumers usage or convenience tips to generate increased interest in the display and encourage purchase.

• Strawberries are the berry category anchor, but be sure to merchandise all types of berries together in the department for greater visual impact to the consumer, driving impulse sales of multiple items.

• Use California Giant point of sale material to enhance the display, draw consumer attention and help communicate health and nutrition messages.

Share These Handling & Storage Tips With Your Shoppers

• Purchase berries that look fresh and dry in the containers. Blueberries should have a powdery coating, blackberries and strawberries should have a nice sheen and raspberries should be plump and firm.

• Always store your California Giant berries in the refrigerator until ready to use.

• Don’t wash your berries until you are ready to eat them. Use a gentle, cool spray of water to rinse.

• Wash strawberries with the calyx attached, then remove before eating. Wait until they reach room temperature before serving for best flavor.