Summer Produce Marketing: 10 Ways to Promote Organic Berries

Organic berries are just about perfect, but safe produce handling is still a must. Minimize any potential chemical contamination by cleaning and sanitizing display cases regularly with non-toxic cleaners. Always keep berries on refrigerated displays. Rotate and restock continually throughout the day for a clean and appealing produce display.

For berries loosing their oomph, offer buy one get one free deals to increase fast sales. All older and unmarketable berries must be quickly collected and composted. Remember, if your store serves organic berry samples to customers, the berries should be washed in an organic fruit wash, such as Earth Friendly Products' Fruit & Veggie Wash.

According to The Packer, fresh summer berries are an addictive consumer impulse item. To appeal directly to the purchasing  impulse, consumers need a big dose of berries, at eye level. Highly visible primary and secondary displays should be used for berries.

Create several separate organic berry displays in order to gain customer attention. Consider displaying berries at eye level, around the perimeter of the produce department. Berries can also be placed along the most common consumer routes through the produce department. Display berries on their own and intermixed with other products.

Facilitating impulse organic berry purchases is a great first step, but don't forget your repeat customers. Popular berries should have dedicated display units so that they're easy to locate. Produce staff should know where everything is located.

Many customers plan berry pies, berry smoothies and other organic berry treats during the summer. Make it a snap for your regular produce consumers to find the berries they need.

Glossy red organic strawberries, pink or golden raspberries, dark indigo blackberries and purple blueberries look amazing when displayed in a patchwork formation. Don't forget that other vibrant produce colors can set off berry color as well. Good pairings include: Yellow bananas and strawberries; oranges and blueberries; or green beans and raspberries.

The Packer points out that while pretty berries practically sell themselves, the more visual the display, the more customers will buy.

Organic berries deserve their own display unit, but if your store also sells conventional, don't be afraid to mix it up some of the time. Many consumers may not know you offer organic berries. Placing organics along side conventional helps build organic product awareness.

If you're concerned about price differences, don't be. Research shows that many organic consumers will pay more for organic food, even in a sluggish economy.

Organic customers are buying more than a product, they're buying good health and environmental ethics. Place consumer pamphlets or signage about berry nutritional content near all berry displays. Encourage organic berry purchases by highlighting the unique health benefits of berries in particular, along with the general benefits of organic produce.

A super effective promotional technique is to offer consumers berry recipe cards featuring fresh and healthy organic berry recipes. Customers appreciate knowing what to do with berries once they get them home.

Sell various package sizes of each organic berry variety, such as one pound packs settled next to larger family-sized packs. Create small mixed berry baskets that consumers can buy right off the shelf.

Consider selling bulk berries from an attractive basket, wooden box or a unique bin, rather than from typical boring plastic cases. Offer consumers recycled paper or plastic bags with a sweet berry logo for bulk berry purchases.

Allow customers to taste the organic difference first hand. Give out organic berry samples. Offer up jewels of yummy treats that customers can easily make at home. Consider small chunks of pound-cake topped with strawberries or bite-sized, fresh raspberry muffins.

Of course you want to promote berries in the produce section, but how about elsewhere in the store? If your store has an organic floral department, consider placing a fresh organic berry display nearby. Display berries near the cereal aisle or alongside fresh cakes in the bakery.

Consider that many consumers eat berries atop salads, yogurt and ice cream. Is it feasible for your grocery store to place fresh berries near these products?

Get customers thinking about berries before they enter your store. Store newpaper ads and the company website are a good place to promote organic summer berries. Shiny, bright berry images go a long way in a store ad. Ads should place images of well-known berries, such as strawberries, alongside images of lesser known berry varieties.

Your store website can highlight berry information, recipies and berry shopping tips. To get some great ideas take a look at the successful Cherry Fest Campaign at Whole Foods Market. The company picked a distinct time period, then ran amazing cherry images, cherry recipes and cherry tips on their website and blog. The result: lots of customers dreaming of fresh delicious cherries!