When I think of fresh summertime dishes, I often consider California’s leafy greens as some of the key ingredients in warm-weather recipes. As we enter the peak of summer here in the States, many shoppers will be making their way to your refrigerated shelves to cool down with crisp, leafy greens. We got in touch with some of our fresh friends to gain insights on how you can make your retail shelves pop this season. For, as we all know, the best way to fight fire is with some fiery promotions...
“We are looking forward to the growing season this summer with our petite Romaine being one of our star items! This product is the perfect leafy green to grab when looking for that cool crunch or to heighten summer dishes. It’s very versatile, and one of our favorite qualities is that the leaves hold up against heat—making it perfect for grilling. Because petite Romaine offers almost 100 percent usability, this lettuce just needs to be halved, drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with seasoning, tossed on the grill, and added to a plate. Draw consumers in with a ‘field-fresh’ display or cross-display with grilling products.”
“With greenhouse-grown leafy greens in high retail demand, merchandising is a key component to help drive awareness with shoppers. Many retailers are even dedicating an entire four-foot section of greenhouse-grown leafy greens to locate us—a space in the fresh produce department—and are supporting it with compelling point-of-sale materials designed to highlight the benefits of greenhouse grown (e.g., year-round availability, clean greens, sustainability, etc.). In addition, they are leveraging promotions to help drive trials given that demos are not yet allowed back in stores. We know without question that greenhouse grown is the future of farming, and we look forward to the new standard being three dedicated sections of leafy greens in all stores soon—organic, conventional, and greenhouse grown.”
“Summertime is synonymous with salads and lighter dishes, making it the perfect time to cross-promote leafy greens in-store with items that pair well, such as dressings, freshly cut vegetables, and protein to add to your salad. Being able to provide the customer with everything they need right there at the end of or in front of the aisle is an easy way to offer both an idea and the tools to execute. Duda Farm Fresh Foods is proud to offer a variety of leaf lettuces to choose from, with the option to have them packed with flip-top and resealable sleeves to protect and keep the product fresher longer!”
“Summer is for outdoor time with family, friends, and good food! Consumers are looking to explore new recipes with unique and versatile items like our Tanimura & Antle Artisan® Family of products to break them out of their repeat recipes and to bring home premium flavors and textures. Retailers can help consumers see the possibilities by sharing recipes in-store and online to spark ideas and introduce new items to their menu and shopping cart. One of my favorite summer recipes is a grilled Artisan Romaine wedge salad with blue cheese, tomatoes, and flank steak. Quick, easy, and healthy!”
“At Taylor Farms, we deliver differentiated experiences and develop salads consumers want to eat. Innovation has brought consumer excitement to the salad category through delicious flavor profiles, including our Everything, Dill Pickle, and, now, the Watermelon Crunch Chopped Kit. The rise in e-commerce accelerated our focus to ensure we published a best-in-class digital shelf and a frictionless online experience. We have a highly engaged online consumer network, and we nurture those relationships with superior pre-purchase content and extraordinary post-purchase engagement to earn our consumers’ trust and provide additional value beyond the products we supply.”
“As we approach the summer season, consumer demand for safe, healthy leafy greens will continue to be top of mind. Organic leafy greens are retaining consumer confidence. At Lakeside Organic Gardens, we carry a wide variety including organic Iceberg, red and green leaf, Romaine, red and green Butter, Little Gems, Romaine Hearts, and spinach. Retailers can help drive traffic by merchandising full lines, such as ours, to showcase color, freshness, and texture. The more visually appealing, the more likely they are to purchase your product, especially as the season starts to heat up.”
