Food Forum: Getting more from the core

Calling out the strengths of different potato varieties in-store can renew consumer interest. By Ralph Schwartz Potatoes have been around for a long time and many are well known by most retailers. Russets, reds, whites and Yukon Gold’s, are the core products. Alongside these anchor items are the flashy new microwaveable bags, the unique specialty products and colorful medley bags; basically items which have emerged in the past decade. A lot of focus is being put on these new parts of the category as changing consumer tastes identify it to be more relevant for the future. Companies are using these new items to differentiate themselves and are giving proprietary varieties trendy brand names to create an air of exclusivity around them such as Klondike Goldust, Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes, Purple Majesty and Crimson Sunset to name a few. It is this newness, in part, and the fact that it is being called out as something special that gives these potatoes immediate market acceptance by retailers, as they see it as a way to strengthen category sales, and consumers who are looking for something new. This new approach to marketing potatoes is quite different from methods of the past when packaging was designed with basic names that alleviated the need for changes throughout the selling year. For example, most white potatoes were packed similarly and the only real differences were paper vent view bags or poly with no specific call outs to much else. The entire industry packed and marketed under those basic names, as it was easy for consumers to identify what they were buying. There was harmony as it worked for all growers and shippers—basically a russet was a russet, regardless of what seed variety was used in the bags. One exception came from Idaho, where the Idaho Burbank would be called out on packaging as it created an extra advantage at the shelf edge based on its cooking characteristics. Despite all of the sameness on the surface, these core items have been continuously and quietly improved with better growing techniques and improved seed strains, leading to healthier and stronger potatoes across the spectrum. Russet potatoes, the backbone of the potato category and sales leader have long been the workhorse that required no fanfare, have been through amazing improvements. New varieties such as Gold Rush, Teton Russet, Umatilla and Dione were quietly added to the marketing mix with no press release or fanfare. Yet these new spuds are more disease resistant, have higher yields and taste great. The umbrella name Red Potatoes have also seen changes take place behind the scenes with some of the solid older seed varieties such as Red Norland and LaSoda being grown alongside newer seeds such as Sangre, Dakota Ruby, and Red Chieftain. These newer red potatoes hold their color longer, are brighter and have high shelf appeal, but as with russets are not being identified to shoppers by their specific variety and the associated benefits they bring to consumers. Yukon Gold potatoes first made their way into the U.S. market in the 1980s and had such an impact that it became the de-facto term for all yellow potatoes. Although still grown in Colorado and the upper Midwest, Yukon Gold’s have given way to newer yellow varieties that store longer, are less susceptible to pressure bruising, and have a smoother skin and eye appeal.  Changes aplenty are taking place but they are not being identified and capitalized upon. Today’s consumers are more informed than ever and not only very receptive to change, but actually crave it. The time seems right for retailers to collaborate with potato producers to leverage the strengths of each of these specific varieties, with strategically placed point-of-sale materials that call out the seed type, health benefits, cooking characteristics and history of their potatoes. This type of retail marketing is successful and has created a huge market in just a decade for variety potatoes and it appears to have no ceiling on potential growth. Applying some of those techniques to the rest of the category can redefine the entire look and feel of the fresh potato set at retail, driving higher sales and customer satisfaction. Ralph Schwartz is vice president of sales, marketing and innovation for Potandon Produce. He can be reached at [email protected].