Retail training to boost local food sales

Take 5 is a series of 12 local food sourcing and merchandising training videos for Vermont retail stores to help increase local food sales. The Farm to Plate Independent Grocers Task Force launched the Take 5 series of five-seven minute training videos for convenience, general, grocery and other retail stores as well as distributors, food hubs, and regional food organizations interested in increasing sales of Vermont products. Episode topics include promotions, purchasing, merchandising, in-store displays, signage, sampling, and procurement. Farmers and specialty food producers interested in learning more about best practices in retail merchandising may also find value in the video series.

Annie Harlow, chair of the Farm to Plate Network Independent Grocers Task Force, serves as the project manager in collaboration with the Vermont Retail & Grocers Association, Mark Mulcahy of Rising Stars & Organic Options, and the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund. Additional support was provided by The Intervale and UVM Center for Rural Studies. To find out more about the videos or inquire about receiving technical assistance, contact Annie Harlow at smallbites802@gmail.com.

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Watch Episode 1                                                        

Watch Episode 2

Watch Episode 3                                                         

Watch Episode 4

Watch Episode 5                                                          

Watch Episode 6

Watch Episode 7                                                           

Watch Episode 8

Watch Episode 9                                                            

Watch Episode 10

Watch Episode 11                                                         

Watch Episode 12

Additional Retail Resources

Purchasing

• Tips for Meeting with Local Vendors
• Tips for Building and Maintaining Efficient Relationships with Local Vendors
• Tips for Purchasing Direct from Local Vendors
• How Do You Rate?: Receiving

Merchandising

• General Merchandising Tips
• General Merchandising Hands On Exercise
• Merchandising Strategies: Using the 5 P's of Marketing
• 10 Questions to Ask About Produce Display
• Produce Handling Tips
• How to Create a Successful Sampling Program
• Cross Merchandising

Operations

• Independent Grocery Store Audit/Self Assessment
• Tips for Receiving
• Meat Department Bell Curve
• How Do You Rate?: Meat Department
• How Do You Rate?: Customer Service

Financials

• How to Manage Shrink
• Produce Financial Worksheet

Staffing

• Exercising your Leadership
• Evaluation Assessments
• How Do You Rate?: Communication
• Daily Huddle

The need for these videos was identified through research conducted by the task force in 2014 and 2015 to better understand the opportunities and barriers to selling local food at independent grocery stores, and to assess what local products stores currently carry. Retailers requested technical and marketing assistance to help increase local food sales. In response, the Take 5 videos were created to provide short and easily accessible trainings for retailers.

By helping Vermont retail stores effectively source and merchandise more local food, the Take 5 retail training video series provides retailers with technical assistance that can lead to increased local food purchases and sales at Vermont retail outlets and improved profitability in the farm and food economy.