02/08/05 Category management and fruit sales, Pt.2

02/08/05 Category management and fruit sales, Pt.2

Category management is a tool used by retailers to analyze sales data to determine how to better improve sales results within both individual and collective stores. But more and more this tool is being used by the sales desks of major tree fruit shippers. In fact, a recent panel made up of representatives from major shipping companies unanimously said using category management in their shops provided, at least, a useful tool in keeping track of data. Bob Mast of C.M.I. has first hand experience on category management. He worked several years in the produce industry, with positions with major players like Kroger. He says the best way the fruit industry can use category management is to grow customer's business. MAST: We can't go into category management with specific goals in mind to try to drive specific sales on certain fruits or commodities. It can help us identify areas that we'd like to grow. Areas that are in the growth stage, or even commodities that are in the declining stage that we need to go out and develop P.O.S. materials, ad programs, promotional tools, to help stimulate the sales on those items. And as Mast emphasizes again, category management is just a tool if done right, should give fruit shipper sales desk the big picture, and not entanglement in the numbers. More in our next program.
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