PIGGLY WIGGLY SEEKS TO MAKE PRODUCE EXPERTS OF STAFFERS

LYNNE MILLER

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. -- Following nine months of planning and training, officials at Fresh Brands have rolled out an employee training and marketing initiative aimed at making the produce department shine.

The parent company of Piggly Wiggly and Dick's Supermarkets, Fresh Brands has already introduced customers to the "Produce Pros" and "Master Certified Produce Experts" at seven stores in the Sheboygan area and, in the coming weeks, will roll it out to 18 more stores. Fresh Brands owns and operates 19 corporate Piggly Wigglys in Wisconsin and northern Illinois, eight Dick's Supermarkets in Wisconsin, and also services 71 franchises under the Piggly Wiggly umbrella.

To date, about 100 produce department managers and associates have received special, in-depth training on suggestive selling, displays, operations and customer service, said Scott Zeier, vice president of produce merchandising and operations. Eventually, more than 400 employees at all the stores will have completed the training, which was custom-designed for the chain.

Company officials sent produce department managers "back to school," requiring them to bone up on their skills, using a computer-based learning curriculum, Zeier said. After successfully completing a test, managers trained their employees on the job. Produce supervisors then evaluated the department to make sure the points covered in training were up and running, and awarded the Master Certified Produce Expert status on the department.

"We've re-educated them," Zeier said.

Through an aggressive and comprehensive multimedia campaign, Fresh Brands is making sure consumers know about the initiative. One of the most visible indications can be seen in the stores. Prominent and colorful signs are displayed in the produce departments, featuring images of a friendly pig with "Master Certified Produce Expert" on the front of its overalls, and "Pampered to Perfection" printed on its cap.

"Introducing our Master Certified Produce Experts, bringing you the most delicious fruits and vegetables in the world, hand-picked at the perfect moment for peak flavor!" the signs read. Pampered to Perfection banners are displayed in the departments, along with large displays recognizing the produce manager who has passed the Master Certified Produce Expert exam.

In addition to the signage, Fresh Brands has advertised the program in newspapers, on radio and TV, and billboards.

Produce already is a signature department at the company's stores, Zeier said. In the newer units, produce is one of the first departments consumers enter. A typical department is about 3,500 square feet, and is stocked with 560 items.

Company officials want the produce departments to be a point of differentiation in the marketplace, so it made sense for Fresh Brands to target the departments for a training upgrade.

"Research has proven that 98% of today's supermarket customers choose their store based on the attributes of the produce department," said Michael Houser, Fresh Brands vice chairman, executive vice president and chief marketing officer. "They look for freshness, quality, variety and great customer service.

"Supermarket TV ads are full of beautiful pictures of fruits and vegetables, and promise freshness. Our point of difference is having the highest-quality product standards plus highly knowledgeable people right at store level to be sure our freshness promise is delivered."

The program is in some ways similar to an initiative launched one year ago by Carteret, N.J.-based Pathmark Stores [see "Pathmark Produce Highlights New Image Campaign," SN, June 4, 2001]. Pathmark's produce merchandising department created a training program for department managers that also included passing a test to prove they had mastered the material, and to qualify for certification as a "Pete's Produce Pro." Pete is Peter "Produce Pete" Napolitano, a local media personality and produce veteran who worked with Pathmark to develop the curriculum and is a company spokesman.

Though still in its infancy, Fresh Brands' program has been noticed already. Zeier said he's received positive feedback from managers. Down the road, the company will touch base with consumers through surveys to find out "what they like about the program," Zeier said.

"We're very excited about it," he said. "We've put a lot of emphasis and work into developing the program. We feel this will be a good success story."