ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- As more convenience stores consider expanding their fresh produce offer in stores, the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) and the United Fresh Produce Association (United Fresh) have developed and published a new resource to help them examine what they need to consider to have a successful fresh produce program.
"Are You Fit for Fresh?" is a 10-point checklist that looks at critical areas to assess whether a specific store should grow its fresh produce offer.
Convenience stores are increasingly adding more healthy and fresh items, according to NACS member survey conducted in June. More than three in four (77%) retailers say they sell fresh fruits and vegetables, almost six in 10 (57%) sell packaged salads and nearly half (47%) also sell cut fruit and vegetables. Convenience stores also have expanded selections of these items. Over the past six months, 50% of all convenience retailers say they have expanded their fresh fruit sales, 30% have increased their cut fruit and vegetable offers and 21% are offering more salads.
Sales of fresh fruits and vegetables in convenience stores grew 10.3%, nearly four times the overall 2.7% growth rate of produce sales in the United States in 2014, according to Nielsen data.
"A strong produce program can attract new customers, increase sales, plus deliver strong margins," said NACS chairman and NACS-United Fresh Convenience Task Force co-chairman Steve Loehr, vice president of operations with La Crosse, Wis.-based Kwik Trip. "This resource helps retailers ask the right questions about customer demand and resources required to effectively execute a quality program."
"We want to provide solutions from the entire fresh produce supply chain to help convenience-store retailers capitalize on this ‘fresh’ opportunity," said NACS-United Fresh Convenience Task Force co-chairman Ron Carkoski. "Retailers who share an interest to develop a fresh program can be ensured that our effort will address best practices and educational programs to achieve success."
Carkoski, who also is United Fresh’s past chairman and president and CEO of Ephrata, Pa.-based Four Seasons Family of Cos.
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