Potato Grower

42 POTATO GROWER | MARCH 2022 Dedicated to providing consistent high quality, high yielding seed year after year. You are always invited to stop by and see our facility. Let us show you what our program can do for you. Dan, Dave, Pat, and Tim Lake (406)253-3638 (offi ce) • (406)676-2175 (fax) e-mail - Spudman@ronan.net 35822 Spring Creek Road, Ronan, MT 59864 SEED INC. PVX GIII • RUSSET BURBANK • RANGER RUSSET • On-farm tissue culture laboratory and greenhouse facility for nuclear seed production • 4 year rotation on clean fi elds • Modern storage and handling facilities • Strict sanitation program throughout • Rigorous Spray Program Tim Pat Dave Dan 4081-8LakeSeed16h.indd 1 4081-8LakeSeed16h.indd 1 8/6/20 11:40 AM 8/6/20 11:40 AM Did you know retailers with diverse potatoes sell more potatoes and get a higher everyday price for potatoes? IRI completed a merchandising best practices study, commissioned by Potatoes USA, to help grocery decision- makers across the country optimize their in-store displays for potatoes. The merchandising study revealed top grocery retailers' key tactics to optimize their assortment, displays and promotions for continued sales growth post-2020. Assortment Having the right types of potatoes and pack sizes on the shelf is the building block for any robust potato set. Consumers commonly know russet, red, yellow and white potatoes. When someone buys one of these four types of potatoes, they already know what to do with them. Russet potatoes make up the largest share of potato volume sales and are the base of a potato category. Red, yellow and white potatoes are important categories to be on the shelf. Having these four as a base gives consumers what they are looking for and brings them into the potato category. Petite, medley and purple potatoes drive trial and diversity for consumers and higher sales for retailers. Even though these make up a much smaller share, they are key for growth. As for pack sizes, the study identified recommendations based on the assortment of top-performing retailers. From Store to Home Fresh potato merchandising best practices Potatoes USA By Kayla Dome Global Marketing Manager for Retail Variety is vital to being a top-performing potato grocery retailer. About two-thirds of fresh potatoes should be made up of bags under 10 pounds, and only 8% should be 10-pound bags or larger. Display Top-performing retailers are using various types of shelving and are creating unique and interesting potato displays for their consumers. Signage for potatoes is also very important and consists of marketing and price signs. Utilizing both types of signage, with an even split, leads to growth for top-performing retailers. Too many price signs have the opposite effect on sales. Promotions Promotion means more than just discounting a product; it also entails highlighting potato types to attract more consumers. With 76% of consumers purchasing full-priced potatoes, promotional dollars can be used more strategically to add growth. Top-performing retailers are using their promotional discount dollars by highlighting the lesser-known potatoes. For example, they are discounting a petite potato slightly, which is drawing in more consumers. When consumers are coming in for the growth drivers, they pick up a russet, red, yellow or white potato as well. Top-performing retailers use discount dollars during months like July when potato sales are lower, and highlight them in circulars during the holidays. This reminds consumers about potatoes during the holidays and brings new sales when generally lower. Incrementality Incrementality refers to new fresh potato items in various pack sizes that add additional sales to an already high-performing category. The top 10 SKUs adding incremental value to the fresh potato category are all 5-pound or smaller bags. Value-added items, which take a step away for the end consumer, also add incremental value. Variety and diversity are vital to being a top-performing potato grocery retailer. Find additional insights in Potatoes USA's Fresh Potato Merchandising Best Practices Guide at www.potatoretailer. com, or email retail@potatoesusa.com. PG

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