Nov. 20, 2019
By Charles Redfield, EVP, Walmart U.S. Food
We know how important fresh, high-quality produce is to our customers.
That’s why, a few years ago, we committed to a relentless focus on quality improvement and giving our customers the best fresh produce possible. We added more organic and locally grown foods. We deepened our relationships with farmers – and by taking days out of the supply chain, we’ve been able to provide fresh produce that lasts longer at home.
Then, we had to make sure customers understood they could trust the quality of produce in our stores. So, we redesigned the department with more light, better signing and specially angled fixtures to make shopping easier. We expanded our Fresh Guarantee and our department managers’ responsibilities to include all of service deli, bakery, meat and produce.
We’ve been focused on getting it right, and our customers are noticing. But with all the work we’ve done to increase quality in our produce department, we saw an opportunity to change up our in-store look and feel to even further emphasize the quality of the food we sell.
Here’s a look at the changes we’re starting to roll out in our stores:
- Open Market Feel: We’re adding low-profile displays in our fresh departments. These new bins allow customers to see everything available in the department right when they walk into the store. We’re using colorful, abundantly filled displays to highlight freshness and the quality of our items – for example, large bins of ripe red tomatoes and sizeable displays of seasonal items like squash and pumpkins.
- More Space for Shopping: We’re making the aisles wider, and our new low-profile bins will enable customers to shop from multiple sides, making it faster and easier for customers to shop the department.
- An Organic Shop: We’re moving all organic items into one area of the department, so customers who want organic items can enjoy one-stop shopping.
- New Signage Throughout: We’re proud of our prices, and we want our customers to know they’re getting a great value at our stores. So, we’re adding more signs that are large and bright, so the low prices really stand out.
In addition to improving the shopping experience for customers, these changes make it easier for our associates to work in the department. Our new format simplifies workloads, making it easier for our associates to stock produce. This way, they can re-focus their time on serving customers.
We are just beginning to renovate the departments with plans to update the majority of stores by next summer. Many others will be renovated as part of remodels.
The changes we’re making to our produce department will be great for our customers and associates, and we’re excited to bring them to stores all around the country.
