2024 ANNUAL MASTERS OF MERCHANDISING: Ocean Mist Farms

By: Produce Business Staff May 14, 2024

ARTICHOKES

ARTICHOKE MERCHANDISING 101

  • Merchandise artichokes on their sides for easier handling
  • Keep artichokes on display at 34°F for optimum freshness and shelf life
  • Do not retrim the stems; this causes valuable moisture loss
  • Removing any damaged outer petals before merchandising your artichokes will contribute to the overall appeal of your display (“eye appeal is buy appeal”)
  • Cross merchandising artichokes with complimentary items like lemons, olive oil and breadcrumbs will create color breaks, generate interest, and increase basket size

IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT ARTICHOKE MERCHANDISING

  • Build a prominent display that catches shoppers’ attention
  • Consumers like variety; use different artichoke sizes and pack styles
  • Make sure products look fresh and vibrant. A picture is worth a thousand words – make your display inspiring and memorable
  • Once your big, beautiful display is built, be sure to keep the products rotated and stocked (first in, first out)
  • Your display should always look plentiful; no one wants to see a half-full display…it translates as old, which in fresh produce means stale and nearing expiration

MARKETING TO HELP INCREASE CONSUMPTION

  • Consumers are more likely to buy artichokes if they know how to use them. Help them by offering usage ideas on selecting, storing, handling, prepping, and cooking with artichokes
  • Ocean Mist has videos, preparation suggestions, cooking tips and hundreds of delicious recipes available at www.allaboutartichokes.com
  • Social media is a powerful tool for creating interest and familiarizing consumers with artichokes
  • Using social media platforms as a direct conduit to consumers before they get to the store is a great way to entice them with a promotion, or simply by providing helpful info that helps demystify this unique vegetable
  • Ocean Mist Farms has POS resources including wobblers, price cards, and display bins available to customers to help promote fresh artichokes at www.oceanmist.com/trade-resources

FROST-KISSED® ARTICHOKES

Frost-Kissed artichokes are truly a specialty item, created naturally after enduring a frost which occurs when the temps drop below 32°F. The artichokes’ skin darkens due to the freezing condition. The brown outer layer is strictly cosmetic – similar to a sunburn – and peels off once cooked.

The browning of the exterior petals in no way affects the eatability or quality of the artichoke and, in fact, seals in the distinctive nuttier taste. Retailers can request Frost-Kissed POS materials by going to Ocean Mist’s website at oceanmist.com/pos-frost-kissed-artichokes

PEAK SEASON

The traditional peak season for green artichokes is in the Spring (March to May) and around holidays including Valentine’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Retailers see a sharp increase in volume and sales during these periods.

Headquartered in Castroville, CA – the “Artichoke Center of the World” – Ocean Mist Farms, a fourth-generation family-owned business, is the largest grower/shipper of fresh artichokes in North America. In
addition to its Gold Standard green and purple artichokes, Ocean Mist also offers a full line of 30+ fresh vegetable commodities and value-added items, with new innovations currently in development. This year, in 2024, this legacy company is proudly celebrating its 100-year anniversary.

OCEAN MIST FARMS
10855 Ocean Mist Farms, Castroville, CA 95012
831-633-2144
OceanMist.com

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