b'Fresh Potato Merchandising Best PracticesKayla Dome,Global Marketing Manager For Retail, Potatoes USADidyouknowretailerswithdiverseAsforpacksizes,thestudyidentified potatoessellmorepotatoesandgetarecommendations based on the assort-higher everyday price for potatoes?IRIment of top-performing retailers.About completedamerchandisingbestprac- two-thirds of fresh potatoes should be ticesstudy,commissionedbyPotatoesmade up of bags under ten pounds, and USA,tohelpgrocerydecision-makersonly 8% should be ten-pound bags or acrossthecountryoptimizetheirin- greater.The bulk category should make storedisplaysforpotatoes.Themer- up 24%.There are more specific recom-chandisingstudyrevealedtopgrocerymendations on assortment in the Fresh retailerskeytacticstooptimizetheirPotatoMerchandisingBestPractices assortment,displays,andpromotionsGuide available from Potatoes USA, but for continued sales growth post-2020.this offers a strong base.Assortment DisplayHaving the right types of potatoes andFresh potato shelving comes in four dif-A US Potatoespack sizes on the shelf is the buildingferent types: bins, cardboard boxes, ver-blockforanyrobustpotatoset. tical shelving, and tables.Top-perform-Consumers commonly know russet, red,ing retailers are using various types of yellow,andwhitepotatoes.Whenshelvingandarecreatinguniqueand someone buys one of these four types ofinteresting potato displays for their con-potatoes, they already know what to dosumers.Messagewith them.Russet potatoes make up the largest share of potato volume sales andSignage for potatoes is also very impor-are the base of a potato category.Red,tant and consists of marketing and price yellow,andwhitepotatoesareimpor- signs.Marketing signs hang above the tantcategoriestobeontheshelf.potatodisplays,markingthecategory Having these four as a base gives con- and helping consumers easily find what sumers what they are looking for andthey are looking for.The second type of brings them into the potato category. sign is price tags.Consumers will not buy fresh potatoes if they do not know Petite,medley,andpurplepotatoesthe cost, whether full price or discount-drive trial and diversity for consumersed.Utilizing both types of signage, with andhighersalesforretailers.Evenan even split, leads to growth for top-though these make up a much smallerperformingretailers.Toomanyprice share, they are key for growth in anysigns have the opposite effect on sales. potato set. 6 POTATO GROWER FEBRUARY 2022'