MONTEREY, CA - As was recently observed by FreshSource President and Organic Produce Summit Moderator Scot Olson, the retail landscape continues to rapidly change, and the strategies to entice consumers to purchase more produce along with them.

Sitting down with Faith Garrard, Vice President of Sales and Merchandising for Raley’s, the two buy-side experts recently treated OPS attendees to a deep dive into how the latter’s team needed to pivot, innovate, and anticipate the needs of organic customers.

“Storytelling must happen before the customer comes into our store, especially when it comes to organics,” Faith observed. “So, we must be very clever with how we leverage digital assets, and when a customer comes into our store, we need our team members to be knowledgeable and passionate. Our workforce is changing, and so how do we find ways to educate and excite them about produce? When a customer walks up to a display, we need them to be excited about what they're buying because value is perceived.”

While this is often the crux of the fresh produce challenge at retail, Faith pointed out how being taken along a journey of a story, which then matches expectations once a consumer arrives at the store, changes their perspective on value.

"This is actually what keeps me up at night: I know that if we're able to market effectively before the customer comes into our store, and there’s a positive experience with the person working and talking with that customer, then that customer has a great experience with a product at home, we will win,” she reflected to echoes of sympathetic agreement. “But it's extremely hard to nail when we have points in that chain where we don’t succeed. That's what I'm trying to help us build strength against so that we can be successful.”

It is here where the direct relationship between retailer and supplier balances the scales. When it comes to support, Faith’s ask was for things that are different. Smaller growers that can supply a niche need in 10–50 stores, because Raley’s model still has the flexibility of a regional retailer.

“I started as a supplier and worked on the other side of this desk. And what I know is that you all, as growers and suppliers in the audience, have a wealth of industry knowledge. Alternatively, retailers are experts in what it takes to get things to market. Knowing our customer, knowing the right price and promotion strategies. I feel like we're at a place right now that if we create strategies together collaboratively, we can grow this market. So often, it's easy to just focus on our individual business and how we're trying to grow it, but if we were more collaborative, we would see better success in programs and initiatives,” she stated.

In short, Faith asked supply-side experts to be those experts. To help improve assortment, educate, and also know that time is a precious resource.

“More often than not, we have less time than we used to. Thankfully, we have technology to help close that gap, but it still doesn't change the fact that our buyers, our category managers, are making several decisions simultaneously—and we recognize that it's not just us that's like that. If you bring real value and opportunities to us, then we will dedicate the time to be collaborative with you,” she concluded.

Raley’s is rapidly evolving its store segmentation, and a key part of that, from the sound of this conversation, is digging deeper and more enthusiastically into the organic produce space. The retailer’s shopper tends to be slightly older, with the organic consumer often buying organic across the store.

But, Faith observed, this varies by generation. “This is why we're doing big, bold things, because we recognize that our shopper is older and that we do need to have a place and space for shoppers of different generations. I'm a millennial mom and I have two young children. I make my shopping purchases based on what I feed my children. I'm driven by purchasing organic in areas where I'm concerned with pesticide use,” she stated.

“Gen Zs are very interesting to me. They view organic as a lifestyle, and that's a huge opportunity for organic produce because if you align with someone's lifestyle, then you have a loyal customer. Our organic shopper today cares about what they're putting in their body—I think what's beautiful about future generations is that there's more of that, and we can really double down and try to bring them into our stores.”

In that vein and in new implementations Raley’s explored, Faith shared some of my favorite advice: test, learn, fail, but fail fast and fail forward. “We're not pivoting away from our mission and our purpose. In fact, we are in a great position to grow based on differentiation. I'm up on stage with two very differentiated retailers who are successful for those reasons specifically.”

With many more wise words shared on that stage from those Faith observed, AndNowUKnow will continue to report.