BURLINGTON, Wash. -- Throughout the produce department of Thrifty Food Stores' 70,000-square-foot Food Pavilion operation here, labeling has been expanded to include not only the item identification and price but also where the item was grown.
our chain and we want to tell the whole story."
Produce is so strong for Thrifty Food Stores that the products are guaranteed 200%, he added.
Chalkboards are used on wet and dry racks to identify produce items, state the price and list the harvest location. Russet potatoes, for example, were labeled as bakers on the day SN visited the Burlington unit, with origin in California, and a price of 57 cents per pound.
Another selection of russet potatoes was labeled with an origin of Northwest and priced at $1.47 per 5-pound bag. Yellow onions were tagged "tasty," with an origin of Washington and priced at 39 cents per pound.
"With the produce market being international, customers look for particular items," McDevitt said. "Last year the Australian navel oranges were a big hit with our customers. The New Zealand apples came in and it was a real big deal. On the other side, some customers want to know where produce comes from so that they can make a shopping decision whether or not to select an item. We want to cover both points of view."
Another marketing task the chalkboards have been used for is to herald the arrival of produce items grown in the local Skagit Valley.
"Our customers like to buy Washington-grown produce," McDevitt said. "They also specifically like to buy local valley items to support their local economy and neighbors."
