April is a hinge. The fruit and vegetable section is coming out of winter, the colors are coming back, and the customer is starting to really look again. For Stéphane Paul, consultant and trainer specializing in mass distribution, it is the month that reveals the level of a team. “A good ray in April, you can see it right away,†he says. But it is also one that does not forgive approximation.
The first break to take place is mental. We no longer fill the aisle to have peace of mind. “We work in customer flow,” insists Stéphane Paul. “You take out the products, you put them back, you work. All day. It’s more demanding than in winter. But that’s where you make your figure. “Early vegetables (asparagus, new potatoes, radishes, bunch carrots) have their place in April, provided they are maintained continuously. “A pole without regular passage is worthless. The product sags, the presentation deteriorates, and the customer passes without stopping. HAS”
Salad and asparagus, barometers of the department
Among the markers of freshness, one product dominates all the others: salad. “It’s the jewelry section all year round,” says Stéphane Paul. “At any time of the day, it must be turgid, clean, fresh. The customer arrives, he looks at the salads without realizing it. If they are beautiful, he trusts everything else. If they are soft, it’s over. HAS” A sluggish salad not only penalizes its own sales, it undermines the perception of the entire departmenteven if the neighboring asparagus or radishes are impeccable.
Asparagus is April’s flagship product. What many teams underestimate is the nature of the purchase: it is mostly spontaneous. “The customer does not come with the intention of buying one. He sees them, he is tempted, he buys. Or he doesn’t see them, and you pass by. » A well-worked gondola head on asparagus can represent up to 2% of weekly turnover. It is not a product that we passively place on the shelf.
To assess freshness quickly, two tests are enough. First reflex: break a stem. “If it breaks like glass, it’s cool. If she bends, she has lived through it. »Second test, even more precise: lightly scratch the base. “If water beads up, it’s ultra fresh. As soon as the base is dry and dull, you have guaranteed breakage before sale. » On advice to the customer, the distinction between varieties is an under-exploited sales lever. The white one, which has never seen the sun, offers a mild taste and a fine texture. The violet, slightly exposed at the end of its growth, is sweeter and fruitier. The green one, grown in full light, develops a more powerful and herbaceous taste. “When you master this, you no longer sell a product, you create revenue and you build loyalty. HAS”
