UK retailer Asda has announced plans to appoint specialist in-store Greengrocers in 150 stores from October.
The initiative is part of a £9 million (€10.6 million) investment to expand its fruit and vegetables offering and focus on its quality.
The new Greengrocer roles will be filled by a combination of existing employees and new hires.
The Greengrocers will be based on the shop floor and shoulder the responsibility for quality standards, product availability and presentation of the produce area, and support customers when required.
Enhancing Customer Experience
Mike Snell, managing director of Asda’s fresh produce division, IPL, said, “The fresh produce section is one of the most popular locations in our stores, and more than half of our best-selling lines by volume are generated from this area.
“We know how proud our colleagues are about product quality and store standards, and we are making this investment to enhance the experience our customers receive when shopping for fresh fruit and vegetables.”
Each new Greengrocer will receive specialist training in all aspects of Asda’s fresh produce operation, ranging from how and where fruit and vegetables are grown to the optimum conditions in which products should be stores and displayed to maintain freshness and quality, the retailer added.
Asda’s investment also includes sourcing more premium fruit and vegetables from its Extra Special tier and installing new fixtures and fittings to improve the presentation and layout of its fresh produce section.
Recently, the retailer announced plans to launch 28 new 'Asda on the Move' convenience stores on EG Group forecourts this year, following the success of a trial project launched in October 2020.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Dayeeta Das. For more Fresh Produce news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
