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One-on-one with PMA's Cathy Burns
Elizabeth Louise Hatt
January 1, 2018
5 Min Read
With another PMA Fresh Summit behind the industry, PMA President Cathy Burns reflects on the Anaheim, Calif. event, and discusses some of the key innovations leading the industry forward. GHQ: How did this year’s PMA show compare to previous shows? What elements stood out to the organization? 
Cathy Burns: This year’s Fresh Summit in Anaheim was our largest event yet, as well as the largest gathering of the fresh produce and floral industry in the entire Western Hemisphere. It is hard to pick a standout exceptional moment: the energy I felt at the education sessions, in the receptions, on the dynamic show floor (more than 265,000 net square feet) – along with the large number of retailers (more than 1,150) present – was amazing. To have that kind of buyer support underscores the value of the show for our exhibitors and validates for us that retailers know that produce continues to be a point of differentiation and innovation in their go-to-market strategies. We also saw the floral industry engagement double in growth with the Floral Pavilion this year, and we continue to see new value for that community both at Fresh Summit and year-round. Last year I attended Fresh Summit to learn more about PMA in general before joining the staff, but after a year of working with the team that makes Fresh Summit happen, I have to say seeing the end result in Anaheim was both professionally and personally inspiring. I can not say thank you enough to the PMA staff, Fresh Summit committee members and PMA volunteer leaders for their dedication in creating what is one of my favorite PMA memories during my first year. What are some trends or happenings in the industry that PMA predicts will have a strong influence on the market in the coming year or two? There are several general consumer trends that continue to emerge across markets. Consumers’ evolving eating and shopping habits, increasing focus on health and wellness, interest in convenience options and growing demand for transparency – all due in no small part to digital technology – are supported by PMA’s research center.
Globally, the industry is seeing a shift in eating habits which includes healthier eating, increased snacking occasions and more eating alone by choice. As a result of these growing trends, traditional supermarket retailers (globally) are experiencing a reduction in the number of weekly “stock-up” shopping trips. In response, we will likely see a continued trend towards smaller format stores stocked with convenience items that are easy to eat and/or easy to prepare (i.e. single-serve items, snack sizes, ready to eat meals).
As lifestyles continue to become more fast-paced, consumer demand for convenience continues to grow. Consumers have a new set of expectations for how they want to go about their shopping. In response, omni-channel retailing with its concentration on a seamless approach to the consumer experience through all available shopping channels (i.e. mobile internet devices, computers, brick-and-mortar, television, radio, direct mail, etc.), will continue to complicate the retail environment.
The integration of digital and physical experiences is forcing retail to create new ways to interact with customers. Consumer demand for free, same day/next day delivery of online purchases has produce and floral retailers and suppliers racing to expand their multi-channel fulfillment capabilities. This can create significant advantages in managing inventory and reducing delivery times, but force companies to face new operational challenges.
Companies today face greater challenges in establishing trust with consumers. Health, environmental, and trust concerns are galvanizing consumer demand for transparency in today’s marketplace. In a climate inundated with confusing and conflicting information, consumers are questioning products, companies and certifications more than ever before. Transparency will continue to be a key variable to generating a “unique value” for companies in the future.
Regarding technology, it has changed the expectations of consumers as real-time information, instant price discovery and quick problem resolution are becoming the norm. These days data is the currency of business knowledge and the ability to harness the power and extract knowledge from that data will increasingly hold big opportunities to help companies improve decision making, solve challenges, increase efficiencies, drive change and uncover more accurate consumer insights – ultimately increasing produce consumption.In a consolidating retail market, produce and floral marketing companies need to maintain a competitive advantage in order to maintain some leverage and for many, optimizing data management will be it.
Is PMA working on any initiative or partnerships that will be driving growth in the marketplace in the near future? Encouraging children to eat more fresh fruits and veggies was woven throughout the show this year and we expect that to carry through for quite some time, and for good reason: more than 21% of children ages 2-5 years old are already obese or overweight, and for the first time in 200 years, American children will face shorter expected lifespan than their parents. That’s why we’re so excited about the eat brighter! movement. ‘eat brighter!’ offers the fresh produce industry royalty-free access to Sesame Street character images and was forged by the Partnership for a Healthier America, which works with the private sector and PHA Honorary Chair First Lady Michelle Obama to make healthy choices easier for busy parents and families. In addition, PMA has developed several relationships with research groups (including consumer trend-researcher The Hartman Group) to bring studies focusing on a variety of topics, such as the Millennial consumer, Natural and Organics and digital grocery shopping, to PMA members. I believe insight drawn from this research is crucial if the fresh produce industry wants to stay on top of consumer demand and offer products that meet their growing needs. I invite members and nonmembers alike to visit the PMA website, www.pma.com, to learn more about our research offerings and other year-round value that can help your businesses grow. Read more about the PMA show and its exhibitors in the December 2014 issue.
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