CHICAGO, IL - Some produce departments wait for you to walk through the doors. Scott Bennett's starts in the parking lot.
For Jewel-Osco's latest grand opening in St. John, Indiana, an heirloom pumpkin display greets shoppers before they've even parked. Scott tells me it can be seen from the road, thousands of feet away.
"Fresh produce. Big displays. Big energy. Grand opening success!" he shares.
By the time customers reach the entrance, the stage is set for what can only be described as the Bennett effect: vibrant colors, full displays, and an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables ready to welcome a whole new community of shoppers.
For the occasion, Scott, Produce Sales and Merchandising Manager for Albertson’s owned Jewel-Osco, keeping it local with several suppliers, including:
- Go Ro
- Regal
- Gotham Green
- Superior
- SMP
- Earthbound local greenhouse
- Fresh Express
- Mouzin Brothers
- SunBelle
- Organic Valley
- None Better Roma Tomatoes
- Bushman
- Affy Tapple
The excitement didn't wait for the doors to open, either. Del Monte Fresh leaned in with a free truckload of bananas, handed out to shoppers before they walked in. Scott also worked with Mouzin Brothers in Indiana on a giveaway of local cantaloupes he describes as big and super tasty.
For Scott, it all comes back to exciting people, thanking customers, and building Jewel-Osco loyalty from day one.
A grand opening is a first impression, and in grocery, first impressions have a way of becoming habits. A free banana on the walk in and a cantaloupe carried home to the kitchen counter are small gestures. But they are the kind people remember when deciding where to shop next week, and the week after that.
When shoppers can find a Wisconsin or Illinois farm on the shelf, it tells them the store knows its neighbors. Pair that with a produce department built to impress from the parking lot in, and you've given new customers more than a reason to stop by. You've given them a reason to come back.
Judging by the photos and high-energy video Scott shared, I'd call that a well-stocked success.
