TACOMA, WA - Mastering the art of social media as well as sharing the art of fresh in his ongoing series, Shawn Peery, National Vice President Produce at the Albertsons Companies, rolled out back-to-back features inside a Washington Safeway that is leaning into the fresh canvas.
Highlighting everything from the premium citrus category to fresh-cut merchandizing and pristine berry displays across Safeway 1645 in what he headlined as Perfecting the Art of Fresh—Tacoma, WA-style, Shawn treated us to an educated eye in both placement strategy and how pop culture can play into the floor set.
“We’re trying to sell some Sumos this time of the year!” he exclaimed, pointing out to Sumos positioned across different points, while guacamole was also given a healthy—pun intended—spotlight thanks to current events.
“Guacamole—it’s a big weekend for the Seattle team with the Seahawks in the National Championship,” Shawn can be heard explaining. The casual mention is a key one: I can only imagine how these displays look currently, now that the Seahawks are in the Super Bowl!
Pointing out color separation, promos, and the “adventure format,” Shawn makes clear why merchandising and floorplanning in fresh produce isn’t just strategic, it truly is an artform.
“Nice apple display, lots of craftsmanship here,” he said appreciatively.
Shawn returned to the same store in another post to break down a different aspect of the fresh set along the wall, showcasing how the flow of the department matters as much as the items.
“Walking down a wet rack, great hands, great skill set here, very clean, crisp, fresh,” he reflected. “Very, very good. Beautiful pepper sets. Lots of color breaks, great quality, crisp, fresh. And finalize with a potato set, we will sneak over back over here to the value-added wall…”
It’s a more detailed close-up of the value-added component that perfectly closes out his perspective of what it means to bring an artistic eye to the produce department in the Pacific Northwest.
Shouting out brands as well as strategies and sets, Shawn’s back-to-back videos give a trained eye to the department’s extra steps, ensuring no detail goes unnoticed.
