SEAFOOD SUMMIT

MINA WILLIAMS

SEATTLE (FNS) - As a sales strategy, storytelling can be an effective way to sell fish and seafood, particularly premium and sustainably harvested products, an official at Wegmans Food Markets said during a panel discussion at the Seafood Summit here.

For instance, the Rochester, N.Y.-based retailer goes the extra mile to relay the story behind Copper River salmon when the wild-caught fish from Alaska come into season in May.

Promoting the product is a major effort that involves several store departments, said Carl Salamone, vice president of seafood at Wegmans. The retailer sends e-mails to 10,000 shoppers to let them know the Copper River fish are in. The stores provide information on the fishery and the fishermen with whom the chain works to source the salmon. The prepared food departments and the retailer's Tastings restaurant feature Copper River sockeye, coho and king. To whet shoppers' appetites, associates hand out samples throughout the stores.

"Each and every action we take must have the customer in mind," Salamone said. "We have certainly evolved into learning about how to display seafood and how to teach customers about seafood."

The objective is to quickly move the perishable product.

"Quality is the story we tell," Salamone said. "We keep it fresh and keep it moving. We're not interested in keeping fish in the cooler."

To promote seafood sales on a day-to-day basis, Wegmans relays the story of sustainable fishing by using the Marine Stewardship Council's seal. Wegmans also has teamed with the Environmental Defense Fund, Salamone said. "They are providing technical expertise with farmed salmon and other farmed fish. It is a good protein source for all income levels."

Retailers should use the same criteria for farmed as they do for sustainable fish, including knowing the source, establishing a traceback system, developing standards and telling the story of the fish, he said.

"In this case, the supplier partner is as important as the wild-caught supplier," Salamone said.