Tony Kadysewski at Retail Fixtures Close up always has seems to catch every display, signage and fixture ideas out there.  In his posts featuring Wegmans local fresh produce signage I noticed he had captured some great ideas and wanted to pass along with my comments.

The first is an outdoor large format sign featuring fresh produce items in stock at a local Wegmans Food Markets Store.

• Produce team members can easily wipe off the sign and update on a daily basis as direct store deliveries arrive from local farms.  Wegmans regularly uses their partnerships with these farms to communicate the freshness, local proximity of their produce, and their "goodwill" in the community.   
•  If you choose to implement an idea like this consider how you could improve the handwriting and legibility of the signage.  
  
• Also remember large format signs require large format writing to be reach from a distance.  As you can see these are located to capture attention at the outside store entrance to deliver messages from the very beginning of the shopping experience and hopefully to slow down the customer as they enter the "decompression zone" commonly used in retail.
• The background of the sign has a wooden crate graphic to communicate a farm look and feel.

The next signage idea from another RFCU Post  is the custom branding highlighted on these merchandising crates.  They are a powerful reinforcement of the brand message of freshness and associates the fresh potato offerings with Wegmans rather than another grower shippers label.

• Implementing this idea is quite simple and could probably be coordinated with any Point of Purchase, (P.O.P) manufacturer.   Often local craftsman such as Amish carpenters could help a smaller independent retailer create such a useful container.
• If branding wood directly is a challenge, consider making a stencil with cover stock or kraft paper and an exacto knife.  Use black or dark brown spray paint to simulate a brand on the crate.

Tony captured this photo on his post about Gantt & workflow management.  From a retail perspective orienting the customer is helpful.  In today's age of year round availability fresh produce commodities many customers have lost touch on when local offerings are even available.  With a quick visual review shoppers at Wegmans can easily discover the local season for their favorite crops such as cucumbers corn, peppers, or tomatos.

In my year in retail, I remember customers regularly asking when corn would be available.  Keep in mind this is a great chance to build relationships with customers, rather than say "Go look at that sign over there."   When engaged customer service employees can take the time to tell the customer about your local program and learn about how you've been in touch with the farm regularly to ensure you'll have great sweet corn ready as soon as it's available.

This sign also utilizes and leverages the Jersey Fresh program.  Consider how you could use these types of associations in your marketing for further success.

Great luck building more signs to communicate your compelling points of difference in your stores!

Fresh produce remains one of the most interesting items for food merchants to work with, and I've spent much time thinking about what it means to actually create fresh impactful display sets.  The following 3 tips will help improve your displays and increase sales. 

Tip #1 Telling Stories with Displays
Once you understand great display methodology building them can become much easier. Great fresh produce highlight displays tell a story and communicate ideas to shoppers about meals ideas. "Great Ideas for Grilling," or "Favorite Fall Roasting Vegetables" both share a story to prompt sales.  Customers should be able to interpret your message through the logical items you have merchandised together without signage.  However, signage is the logical method to meld the idea together visually. 

Tip #2 The Display Message

Creative fresh produce merchandising include signs - in fact, many world class retailers such as Wegmans and Whole Foods make three-dimensional signs in-house with large, easily-readable letters to attract customers from anywhere the signs can be seen. Emphasis on great ad item prices and calling out unique products of difference which may normally stay hidden is the key to success. Hand-made signs by staff artists help to give them an unique, attractive, and personal feel.

Signs and marketing collateral must be appropriate for the season, display location, size and build  of the display. Except in the case of recipe focused displays, I recommend no more than three different types of items. Too many products on display is confusing for customers and should usually be avoided.

Recipe focused displays ignore this rule because, having read them, customers often require many products at once, and appreciate the ease of one point of sale. Consider larger signs to call attention to the recipes to guide customers down the path you're creating. 

Tip #3 Display Location is crucial for increased sales
Now, we've talked a lot about how to build them, but there's another major component to consider - location. Great displays must be placed in high-traffic areas  Consider how to use gain "real estate" in the front of your store whenever possible.  Communicating fresh perceptions to guests will help increase their overall shopping cart.

Each technique and component of fresh produce merchandising has its own advantages, but successful retailers are able to combine these priorities for successful displays. Bring the products and customers together, give the customer an idea, and build upon that idea with educational components like recipes. Done right, this will help to reduce the amount of spoilage and create displays that truly drive your traffic and your profit.

What caught my attention first were the enormous billboards on the side of 1-95.  I had never heard of Linvilla, but figured I better get there and see what was happening!

As you know I work with a number of direct farm marketers to help them drive their profitability.  So whenever I'm on the road, I like to visit new locations to gather great ideas.  If there's one thing farmers are known for it's their ingenuity, and that was apparent in the merchandising at Linvilla Orchards.

Linvilla Orchards is a landmark activity farm below Philadelphia.  The property features two distinct swim clubs, animal viewing areas, a farm market, picnic areas, u-pick, as a start.  In the business of agri-tainment many opportunities exist to profit from an audience ready to immerse themselves in the experience of the farm and to purchase souvenirs and farm products.  Here's some ideas for more successful sustainable farming...which in my mind means selling more farm fresh products!

I've seen this before packaged differently in New York State, but these large boxes feature what I imagine are cuttings/prunings, or chip/shredded old fruit trees conditioned for culinary purposes.  These smoking and grilling chips were highlighted in this special outdoor shed and nicely signed.  Farms might consider adding some informational sheets or posting information on their websites online to direct customers to.  These informational sheets could also have a qr code, or the display itself a QR sign directing guests on how to have success with the product.

Pile it High, and Watch it Fly!  The age old motto of retailers shouts out with this big display of canning supplies.  This is the perfect tie-in for farm producers as it prompts ideas for the customers, gives them the tools to complete a fun project, and allows for additional profitable opportunities.  These canning jars don't have an expiration date...if they don't sell you can put them out next year!  

This lighted pie case featured each distinct type of pie separately.  The white trays create great contrast to see the actual product more clearly.

These probable homemade larger than life vegetable props were highlighted above the refrigerated cooler.  They were certainly one-of-a-kind  visuals to communicate to the guest.  

Hopefully I'll have the chance to visit Linvilla Orchards with my family some day soon!

It's not easy running a farming operation, I know.  I grew up on a farm in Western NY and began direct farm marketing at a young age.  Most farm markets have many opportunities to decrease shrink/ produce loss and drive more sales.  There's too much hard work not to maximize returns!  If you'd like to learn more, send me an email or visit our print farm marketing collateral tools for easy templates you can customize and order easily right online.

Last Fathers Day my family took me for a meal at the regionally reknowned Terrain Cafe at Styers in Glens Mills, PA. If you've never been, imagine Williams and Sonoma meets your favorite local family owned outdoor gardening center or greenhouse.  The primitive but very intentional merchandising throughout greenhouses, wandering pathways, small sheds was as interesting as it's brick an mortar counterparts owned by the parent company URBN operators of Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie.  I enjoyed a local beer tasting, a summer infused culinary salsa, and honestly couldn't wait to visit again.  Yesterday I stopped by to snap a few photos of the trip and wanted to share a few great display ideas for specialty foods.

I just had a great conversation with Tony Kadysewski author of  www.fixturescloseup.com blog.  He has spent over 4 years documenting retail fixtures of all types and building a blog to share great ideas and uses of these tools. After reviewing his site today I wanted to share this idea below for a local farm stand display for Heirloom Edibles.  This display has a unique look, and is draws attention just in design...let alone filled with high-impact fresh vegetables.  

Incorporating other antique looking elements into displays at artisan locally sourced food or natural food stores or simply offering retail products with an old fashioned look can be interesting and help communicate a message to your guests.  I recommend Baker Creek Seeds for their packaging and point of sale display fixtures which take you back in time.  

Incorporating food products with black and white labels, clear glass or mason jars, can be interesting as well.  These products can resonate with the intended audience.  I have seen this product at a number of specialty foods stores. This product shows the actual food well and highlights the various colors in the product (garlic, peppers, etc.)

Selecting the right mix of products, fixtures, and props in a locally focused food store can help bring the project together and create an environment with a consistent story and purpose.  I recommend visiting Terrain a concept owned by Urban Outfitters / Anthropologie to capture some of these ideas in action.