“The banana category is historically the largest retail produce category. Since bananas are available year-round, an effective and prominent display draws customers into your produce department,” said Kevin Frye, a banana merchandising expert who has spent more than nine years working with wholesale distributors and retailers in the produce industry. Frye is currently the North American Sales Manager for the RipeLock™ Quality System at AgroFresh Solutions, Inc.
“If the banana display looks appealing, customers will likely buy more bananas and they’ll feel confident in the quality and freshness of the other fruit in the store,” he said.
Frye offers five tips for making the most of your banana program:
1. Strive for perfect color
One way to achieve and hold perfect color is through the RipeLock™ Quality System. RipeLock works with the banana’s natural ripening process to maintain optimal color three to five days longer than conventional bananas.
2. Right-size your displays. If the banana display table is too large, fruit doesn’t turn over fast enough to maintain freshness. Yet a table that is too small will require too-frequent restocking.
3. Consider display surfaces. Since bananas bruise easily, a soft padded surface is best. Be sure to display bananas in a single layer with the stems up.
4. Manage inventory. Accuracy in sales forecasting is another key to a successful banana program – or a potential headache for the produce manager.
“If the sales forecast is too high and the bananas don’t sell fast enough, the manager can’t hold them to sell later. Unlike potatoes or apples, bananas won’t last a few days, let alone into next week,” Frye said. “On the other hand, if the sales forecast is too low, the store may run out of yellow bananas and have to display fruit that is too green for customer acceptance.”
The RipeLock Quality System reduces that stress by giving managers a broader window of freshness and more inventory flexibility – even for stores with less frequent deliveries or no weekend deliveries. With RipeLock, bananas last longer at the consumer-preferred yellow color, both in the store and in the home.
5. Don’t forget the back room. An effective banana display starts while fruit is staged for stocking. If the back room is unrefrigerated or not air conditioned during hot weather, stored bananas will continue to ripen — potentially beyond the optimal color stage.
