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Produce Show Daily Thursday, October 17, 2019 3 2 Five Ways Data Insights Can Increase Grocery Retail Produce Sales Commodity analysts use data to paint pictures and create stories, helping change the way traditional grocery retail- ers and wholesalers think about their businesses. But it's not simply saying, "Sell more of this or less of that" – it's digging deep to create actionable insights that help drive more sales and improve the bottom line. Here are five ways insights can impact profitability of fresh produce sales. 1. Optimize SKUs. The produce section is the gateway for grocery consumers, so produce man- agers work to understand what cus- tomers want. This allows them to group fresh produce items together to make selections easier. For example, it's common to display avocados next to tomatoes, onions and jalapeños – all ingredients in guacamole. But by also positioning avocados near complementary meal items, such as salad or sandwich components, you can drive more impulse sales by giving shop- pers additional ideas about avocado uses. 2. Understand regional trends. Every good produce manager knows whether a commodity is over- or under- performing. However, understanding the consumer and purchasing motiva- tions helps take insights to the next level. Tropical fruits are a great example of commodities that follow certain popula- tion demographics. Though growing in national popularity, they are in greater demand among Hispanic-based popula- tions who have greater familiarity with tropical fruits and understand how to incorporate them into many meals. 3. Leverage promotional pricing. Anticipating consumer purchases, com- bined with product availability, is key to a successful product flow strategy any time of year. Most pro- motional pricing in stores is aligned with supply; however, many retailers look to maxi- mize merchandising opportunities both inside and outside the produce department to drive year-round sales. Asparagus is a great promotional choice during Easter, as it's a traditional dish at the holiday table and the holiday generally aligns with peak production in Mexico. But during the summer, try fea- turing asparagus next to grill items or in the meat section to help drive purchases as consumers make last-minute deci- sions. 4. Align customer demand with the right supply. Because perishable products have a lim- ited shelf life, aligning consumer demand to the right supply is critical. A goal at retail and wholesale is to maximize prof- itability by maintaining consistent move- ment and product quality. When either movement slows or product quality declines, shrink increases and product margin decreases substantial- ly. Reducing a prod- uct's shrink ties back to regional tastes, knowing your con- sumers, and aligning them with the right supply at the right time. 5. Link supply with demand. Understanding the commodity side – from quality to fresh produce varieties – is helpful in identifying supply-side opportunities based on consumer desires. The growth of organics, or com- modities such as kale, can only happen if enough supply can meet the rising demand. This is the benefit of working with Robinson Fresh. It provides key cus- tomers with consumer and category insights along with marketing support, so customers are better able to grow their business. For more information, visit www .robinsonfresh.com. Improved Efficiency, Versatility from Triangle Package Machinery Kim Magon-Haller, Marketing Manager, Triangle Package Machinery, explains recent developments the company has made to help customers in the produce industry improve production and effi- ciency. PSD: Tell our readers about Triangle Package Machinery. KM: With thousands of machine instal- lations throughout North America and the world, Triangle has a reputation for applying state-of-the-art innovation to help our customers become more com- petitive. Founded in 1923, today the family's third generation continues a tradition of innovation in packaging machinery. Triangle's packaging solu- tions for the produce industry include vertical form fill seal (VFFS) baggers, combination weighers and a rotary depositor/tray loading system. We offer superior engineering and a complete manufacturing facility at our Chicago, Illinois headquarters, as well as dedicat- ed service and support throughout North America. PSD: What are the latest technologies from Triangle Package Machinery? KM: Our X-Series VFFS bagging machines offer many unique advan- tages, such as superior sanitation, ease of operation and state-of-the-art tech- nology. The latest addition to the X- Series is our Model XYRJ vertical form fill seal (VFFS) bagger, which features an easily rotatable sealing jaw to run multiple package styles on the same machine, including Stand-Up Pouches (SUP), 3-sided seal bags, gusseted and pillow bags. Rotating the jaw requires no tools or complicated equipment and offers quick and easy changeover in less than 10 minutes. Since intro- ducing Model XYRJ in late 2015, we've enhanced its design with an easily interchangeable back seal that allows users to switch between different film structures. In addition, the bag- ger offers an optional transverse or longitudinal zipper applicator to help packagers meet consumer demand for resealable packages. Ultrasonic sealing is an option that is available on all of our X-Series VFFS baggers. This technology offers numer- ous advantages to produce packagers, including labor and energy savings, less rejects and wasted product, and improved production and OEE. Ultrasonic sealing is an alternative to heat sealing that can seal through prod- uct and push it completely out of the seal, provide 100 percent seal integrity and less rejects, and help produce pack- agers achieve savings on labor, film, energy and wasted product. In addition to ultrasonic sealing, Triangle has been working on many innovations, including our new product stager. The product stager reduces product streaming by compacting the dose from the scale to the bagger, which pre- vents product in the seals and increases OEE. PSD: How have food safety con- cerns affected the products you offer or the produce packaging industry as a whole? KM: For several years now, Triangle has offered customers a choice of sanitation levels when it comes to vertical form fill seal (VFFS) baggers. These include stainless-steel, stainless-steel washdown and USDA/3-A certified models. To sim- plify cleaning and maintenance and help food packagers comply with FSMA, our equipment includes features such as a pitched top plate, continuous electropol- ished weldments, pivoting control box, eliminated crevices and stainless-steel food grade motors. For more information, go to www .trianglepackage.com. Why Choose DelFrescoPure? DelFrescoPure ® is an innovator and leader in the premium greenhouse pro- duce industry that grows and markets greenhouse tomatoes, peppers, cucum- bers, beans, eggplant and strawberries. DelFrescoPure now introduces LivingCube™, which offers living let- tuce, living basil and microgreens. It is family-owned and has been operating for over 60 years in Kingsville, Ontario, Canada. DelFrescoPure prides itself on the quality of its produce, unsurpassed flavor and personalized customer service. President and Chief Executive Officer Carl Mastronardi has been growing hydroponically for over 35 years. Growing in a greenhouse is very different from conventional farming. DelFrescoPure is still made up of farmers, but much like the rest of the world today, it uses advanced technol- ogy to improve its techniques. Its specialty is hydroponic farm- ing; hydroponic farming is an innova- tive form of agriculture that involves using a soilless medium to produce its crops. DelFrescoPure uses rock wool, which is the most widely used medium in hydroponic farming. Rock wool is an inert stone wool substance that is free from diseases or any other harm- ful contaminants. Growing hydroponically within a greenhouse means more control over crops, and growing indoors allows DelFrescoPure to grow for a much longer period of time, allowing the pro- duction of higher yields compared to traditional farming methods. Outdoor farming uses more water, fertilizers, pes- ticides, herbicides and fungicides, while hydroponic growing allows for a stronger and more controlled environ- ment. It can regulate the temperature, humidity and much more in greenhouses to better optimize the crops' ability to grow. It is able to mimic the natural ele- ments used outdoors inside greenhous- es; for example, bumblebees in green- houses are used to pollinate plants. By growing in greenhouses, DelFrescoPure is able to grow produce at exponentially higher yields compared to traditional farming – this method of growing allows DelFrescoPure to grow in safe and economic conditions to supply qual- ity produce to a large population. DelFrescoPure is a true believer that you must truly love what you do in order to succeed in any environment. For Carl, growing has always been his pas- sion. Being pioneers of the greenhouse industry, Carl and his family's commit- ment to freshness, taste and quality keeps DelFrescoPure invested in the latest and most innovative technology in the industry. DelFrescoPure brands include: LivingCube, YES!Berries Your Everyday Snack!™, Sweetreats ® , Mini Crunchers Cucumbers ® , Euro Bean The Gourmet Slicing Bean ® , Mini Mixers ® , Delights™ and Romatalia ® . Partners include local and national retailers.