Tesco to put renewed focus on loose produce

Tesco plans to revolutionise the way it markets and sells loose fruit and vegetables in the UK market.

Andy Blackett, Tesco’s vegetable category manager, told last week’s FPJ East Anglia conference in Cambridge that loose currently accounts for 21 per cent of the retailer’s fresh produce sales, but insisted there is a “big opportunity” to substantially increase sales.

“Loose produce is an excellent way to attract customers into stores and for a long time we’ve talked about championing loose. We will now put that talk into reality,” pledged Blackett.

The retailer says it will move to stock more loose produce in its convenience stores after successful trials in Tesco Express and Metro outlets across the country. “Customers increasingly visit our convenience stores to top up on fresh produce after already completing their week’s shop; it is imperative we give them the opportunity to select loose,” explained Blackett.

Blackett also revealed that there will be changes to Tesco’s online offering of loose produce. The retailer will add better-quality imagery to its groceries website and train dotcom packers to ensure loose quality is on par with in-store offerings. New wooden fixtures and more detailed information on loose produce, including country of origin and details of growers, will also be added into stores.

Blackett says the UK’s leading retailer will move to sell all loose produce in brown paper bags after positive feedback from customers during a trial on potatoes.

“At the moment we have thin, unattractive plastic bags for our loose produce, which doesn’t give customers the sense of pride loose produce should instill in them.

“On loose potatoes we’ve introduced brown paper bags to extremely positive feedback, and we are now going to roll them out across all of our loose fruit and vegetables fixtures.”

Blackett’s comments follow Tesco chief executive Philip Clarke’s recent pledge to make “the most radical change in the relationship between the retailer and producer that’s ever been attempted.”

In the wake of the horsemeat scandal, Clarke committed to minimum two-year contracts for any suppliers who want them, as well as announcing a director of agriculture will be appointed.