Anaheim, CA — Frieda’s Branded Produce is ready to celebrate the Year of the Dragon with you and your customers for the Lunar New Year, starting February 10. Along with an array of fresh items, they are excited to feature Honey Dragons® for their sweet flavor & golden color and Snow Dragons® for their texture and large size. Frieda’s looks forward to 2024 and a full year of dragon fruit success with a well-crafted and powerful program.
As shoppers around the world plan to celebrate this symbolic and food-filled holiday, Frieda’s is here to ensure retailers are well-prepared to meet shoppers’ demands while boosting promotional sales dollars.
To leverage the spirited Year of the Dragon, Frieda’s is fully committed to assisting retailers in showcasing their impressive dragon fruit collection, strategy, and marketing campaign. When you partner with Frieda’s, you’ll have access to a well-rounded menu of marketing support – think, consumer-friendly POS displays, approachable packaging, and a complete set of downloadable digital assets that will elevate your customer’s knowledge of this trending and growing category.
“Our dragon fruit collection is more than just colorful and delicious,” said Alex Jackson, Vice President of Sales and Procurement at Frieda’s Branded Produce. “It also has a proven track record of increasing sales in the tropical category while increasing margins.” From the refreshing Snow Dragons® to the sweet Honey Dragons®, Frieda’s takes pride in presenting retailers with a year-round multi-variety program from several countries that will keep customers satisfied and your stores stocked with dragon fruit throughout 2024, carrying on the dragon theme all year long.
Traditionally, dragons symbolize power, nobility, luck, and success, gifted with innate courage, tenacity, and intelligence – with these traits, Frieda’s is inspired to carry along these powerful meanings for 2024 alongside their partners and retailers for a prosperous new year.
“Dragon fruit won’t be the only star of our Lunar New Year offerings,” mentioned Alex. “Golden citrus takes its place in the spotlight during this auspicious season. Its round shapes and gold hues are believed to bring luck, fullness, and wealth. Stock up on other Lunar New Year favorites, such as our delightful Popjoys® kumquats, Buddha’s Hand, Mandarinquats, and an array of other lucky citrus.
Make this Lunar New Year one to remember! Reach out to the sales team at Frieda’s Branded Produce and ensure that you’re fully prepared to dazzle your shoppers with their extraordinary dragon fruit collection and a host of other delightful produce options.
Los Alamitos, CA (November 2022) – This holiday season Frieda’s has teamed up with the innovative recipe nut brand, Diamond of California to create a cross-promotion that brings inspiration to tables around the country. Diamond’s nut products provide a fresh, great-tasting compliment for every meal occasion. When paired with Frieda’s shallots and organic Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, Diamond of California’s Nut Coatings and ready-to-use Nut Pie Crusts deliver delicious cross-promotion opportunities.
In order to expand awareness of the collaboration, Frieda’s and Diamond Foods have teamed up with plant-based blogger, ShortGirlTallOrder, a self-made baker who inspires over 86k followers on social media with her vegan comfort food recipes. The colorful, healthy, and delicious campaign will deliver a series of tasty recipes throughout social channels.
“I believe eating plant-based food can be enjoyable for everyone. Eating plants doesn’t have to be hard and it certainly shouldn’t be boring”, shares Megan Horowitch, creator behind SGTO. “I want to inspire others to eat the foods they feel good about and give them the confidence to create these recipes at home.”
The content creation partnership is a natural fit, as the Frieda’s motto is “normal is boring.” Megan has created mouthwatering recipes that deliver the perfect balance of sweet and savory, like her Vegan Purple Sweet Potato Streusel Pie and Crispy Delicata Squash with Caramelized Shallot Dip.
Crispy Delicata Squash with Caramelized Shallot Dip
Cross-merchandising is key. Recipe ingredients like Diamond’s ready-to-use chopped nuts and pie crusts are the perfect complements to Frieda’s Stokes Purple® sweet potato holiday display, encouraging an extra ring at the register and a full-stop dessert solution for shoppers.
Contact your Frieda’s account manager today for help planning your holiday ads and pre-booking supply.
About Frieda’s Inc. Frieda’s Branded Produce has been inspiring new food experiences for friends, families and food lovers everywhere since 1962. From kiwifruit and dragon fruit to Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes and habanero peppers, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 unique fruits and vegetables to the U.S. marketplace. Founded by produce industry trailblazer Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.
Los Alamitos, CA – It’s back-to-busy season! American’s fall schedules are powering back up after the summer slowdown and Frieda’s Branded Produce is ready to fuel the day with nutritious, fun and flavorful solutions.
“We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but we also know consumer’s morning routines can become monotonous” says Cindy Sherman, Senior Director of Marketing Insights & Innovation at Frieda’s. “In a recent study, we learned that 52 percent of shoppers believe that produce packaging with recipes and instructions encourages them to try something new. Inspire shoppers this fall with vibrant new breakfast displays; inviting colorful, healthy and delicious produce to take over the mundane morning routine.”
Frieda’s produce items introduce both sweet and savory flavors to breakfast menus and produce department, leveling up consumer’s morning options. Frieda’s Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes provide a game changing twist of color and flavor to the infamous avocado toast, where connoisseurs are trading up from bread to vitamin packed purple sweet potatoes as the base. Create an avocado toast destination in your produce department by cross-merchandising Stokes Purple® near avocados, Watermelon Radish, sprouts and other power packed toppings.
Smoothies, puddings, and yogurt bowls have taken the breakfast game up a notch, starring in mouthwatering Instagram feeds. Frieda’s Honey Dragons® blended with the rambunctious sweetness of Rambas™ Rambutans, deliver a taste of the tropics to your morning power bowl or pudding. Skip the weekday mess and prep these recipes in larger batches over the weekend, saving time and energy.
“Breakfast sets the tone for the day, but weekday mornings can be hectic,” shared Sherman, also a mother of two.
“On the weekends we enjoy making big batch breakfast meals that we grab-n-go throughout the week,” says Cindy.
Looking for more ideas to make your produce department the ultimate breakfast destination? Call your Frieda’s account manager today for more product ideas and in-store marketing support that will keep your shoppers inspired all busy-season long.
Source: C+R 1,000 person study, 2022
About Frieda’s Inc. Frieda’s Branded Produce has been inspiring new food experiences for friends, families and food lovers everywhere since 1962. From kiwifruit and dragon fruit to Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes and habanero peppers, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 unique fruits and vegetables to the U.S. marketplace. Founded by produce industry trailblazer Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.
Los Alamitos, CA (July 2022) – As a family business, Frieda’s Branded Produce doesn’t play favorites. However, it’s hard to hide the excitement for passion fruit, named flavor of the year for 2022 by Food and Beverage flavor house, Monin.
Passion fruit is considered to be the largest berry of all berry-producing plants. An excellent communicator of ripeness, the passion fruit’s thick purple skin wrinkles when ripe. Under its expressive exterior are small, black, crunchy, edible seeds surrounded by a brightly colored pulp with a sweet and tart tropical flavor.
“We love to share our passion for our products, but it’s even more exciting when we see that the mainstream food industry has fallen in love too,” shared Cindy Sherman, director of marketing for Frieda’s Branded Produce. “Starbucks® addition of their Pineapple Passionfruit to their summer Refreshers® menu will introduce consumers to the vibrant flavor of this powerful berry.”
Traditionally used to make juices, passion fruit is this summer’s most versatile tropical flavor, elevating drinks, dressing up proteins and adding a burst of flavor to salads, grain bowls and smoothies. Like most tropical fruits, passion fruit shies away from cold climates, making it a powerful end-cap product for attention grabbing sales. Cross-promotionally, this fruit loves to be featured outside of the produce department with cocktail mixers and spirits, but also presents well within the produce department for consumers who simply want to enjoy the pulp with a spoon.
Passion fruit comes in many varieties. Frieda’s has tried them all and is most excited about the Florida grown Thailong variety, known to keep fresh longer, delivering a tasteful balance of tart and tropical flavors.
Call your Frieda’s account representative today for merchandising suggestions that drive higher traffic to your produce department and increase dollar ring and overall sales.
About Frieda’s Inc.
Frieda’s Specialty Produce has been inspiring new food experiences for friends, families and food lovers everywhere since 1962. From kiwifruit and dragon fruit to Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes and habanero peppers, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 unique fruits and vegetables to the U.S. marketplace. Founded by produce industry trailblazer Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.
About this time last year, I wrote about visiting the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, CA. Due to COVID, the library was only partially open to visitors, so that visit left me with the feeling that I should return to see more.
So during this past year, I not only visited the Nixon Presidential Library for a second time, but I also made the trek to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, CA (a two-hour drive from where I live).
What a contrast! The Nixon Library is tucked in a heavily residential area, and is a popular venue for weddings, proms and other events. The teeny-tiny home where Richard Nixon and his four brothers grew up in are part of the Presidential Library complex. You get the feeling of Nixon’s humble beginnings. And through the permanent exhibits, I got a real feeling about the challenges of Nixon’s Presidency and the world in which he had to function as the leader of the free world.
In contrast, the Reagan Presidential Library sits on more than 100 acres and the main building is an enormous Spanish-style hacienda surrounded by gardens, plus both Reagan and his beloved wife Nancy, are buried there. There is a replica of the Oval Office with a curious twist. According to our tour guide, when President Reagan came to visit the Presidential Library while it was being built, he commented that the ceiling wasn’t high enough and he wanted it to be an actual replica of the real Oval Office in The White House. So, the architect measured it, and indeed it was a few inches too short! So, the replica Oval Office was modified with a couple of steps down leading into the Oval Office, so that the ceiling was at the proper height (and when you exit, you walk up a short ramp, to put you back at the level of the rest of the museum).
But, the most magnificent part of the Reagan Library is the pavilion in which Air Force One is displayed. More than one-half of the room is glass, so that it appears (if you use your imagination) as if the plane is ready for takeoff. It is truly breathtaking to see the airplane, which carried several presidents and their entourages around the world. Frankly, it appears much less techy and fancy than the images you see on television.
As I walked through the many exhibits at the Reagan Library that were open that day, I was struck by exactly how numerous the challenges are that a sitting President faces on any given day. Literally, I turned to Jack while we were walking through one of the galleries at the Reagan Library and commented on how incredible the amount of pressure was and how many big decisions needed to be made by the sitting President—it was quite daunting.
Philosopher George Santayana is credited with saying, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
I find studying history is most interesting and memorable, and I believe there is a great opportunity to learn lessons from the past. And it seems so much more real to me when I do it through the lens of people. That must be why I like biographies and autobiographies so much.
Visiting the Presidential Libraries allows me to learn about our own American history through the eyes of Presidents, past and present. One of the surprises for me was that there is so much more on display in addition to memorabilia of the President. There are temporary exhibits including other presidents, world events, books, movies and more. Most of the Presidential Libraries are set up for students to visit and to be a learning lab. And just like when you visit Washington, D.C., and our nation’s capitol for the first time—including all the monuments and museums—you leave with a new appreciation of our nation’s roots and the complicated journey over the past 200-plus years.
And so it has been for me. I’ve been able to relive the era around Nixon’s Presidency (1969–1974) and Reagan’s Presidency (1981–1989) from the time I was still in elementary school through when I gave birth to my first child.
The added bonus? While at the Nixon Library, there was an exhibit highlighting books on all the Presidents. I snapped a photo of one, which I read last week titled, Team of Five: The Presidents Club in the Age of Trump by Kate Anderson Brower. Brower is a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author, and this book looks at the relationships between members of the Presidents Club and includes an Oval Office interview with President Trump. The “Presidents Club” is made up of the living Presidents and is an informal, yet important support group for the current acting President of the United States. The book was fascinating, as she spoke specifically about the personal and professional relationships between former Presidents Carter, Bush 41, Obama, Bush 43, and Clinton (jokingly called Bush 42 due to his close personal relationship with George H.W. Bush after they both left office) along with insights from her personal interview with Trump while in office.
So, as you are making travel plans for 2022, I encourage you make time to visit one of these amazing fifteen repositories of American History that represent these Presidents:
Can’t wait to learn more history this next year when I visit at least a couple more!
Karen
Anyone who has gone out to eat with me knows that as soon as we are seated and the server comes to our table, the first three words out of my mouth are always, “What’s your name?”
I think years ago my two daughters were embarrassed by my question. But as they have grown older and wiser, I think they agree that by asking the server’s name, you establish a closer connection.
I’ve found 100% of the time that once I know the server’s name, I find ways to use it. I thank them for taking my order, for bringing me my drink, for refilling my water, etc. And with this more authentic, personal connection—using their first name—I always get better service. My party seems to get more attention and when we leave, it feels like we had a superior experience.
Sometimes, the server will ask me my name in return! That always catches me off guard, but when they use my name when addressing me, my positive experience is significantly increased.
So, that made me think, how could other businesses or positions leverage using someone’s name?
For example, when I go to the doctor, it would make a positive difference for me if the receptionist or nurse would introduce themselves: “Hello, I’m Sandra and I am the doctor’s nurse. I will be taking you to your examination room, but first I need to get your vitals.” Surely that’s a lot better than barking out my name from the waiting room and then, after a walk down a long hallway, them indicating to me to sit down to get my blood pressure taken or get my weight.
Or, when I arrive at a restaurant, wouldn’t it enhance my experience to have the person at the host station say, “Hello Ms. Caplan, so happy to have you with us this evening. I am Thomas and I am checking to make sure your table is ready. It will be my pleasure to take you there now! Please follow me.”?
Some organizations depend on name tags to do the job. Did you know that the proper side to wear your name badge on is your RIGHT side? That’s because when shaking a person’s hand it is easiest to read a tag/label on the right. Most people put it on the left side and oftentimes it’s covered by a lapel or long hair, making it difficult to read. And don’t get me started on those companies who put no thought into the typeface size or ease of legibility on name tags. But, why depend on a name tag? I think it’s better to properly introduce yourself verbally.
I went to a small holiday party last week and there were no name tags. The gathering was in a person’s home and there were only a dozen people. But some people were new to the group and others hadn’t seen each other for a long time. Frankly, I didn’t remember everyone’s name and had to whisper to a friend and ask. I personally think that even in these kinds of personal settings, it is a gesture of kindness to your guests to prepare name tags, if only with the person’s first name, printed in large, easy-to-read lettering. Then have guests apply it on the right side.
So, the next time you go someplace, try it out. Ask the persons’ name—no matter where you are. It will make them feel more important, and you will probably have a better experience.
“A person’s name is to him or her the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” —Dale Carnegie
Karen
With all my running and walking activities of late (I completed my fourth half marathon on last Saturday), I am having a bit of discomfort with my feet and my knees. So, I thought it would be best to see a podiatrist.
It’s so amazing how the universe works—as within a day or two after I mentioned this out loud, a longtime friend of mine sent me an email and randomly mentioned she was having foot issues and found a great podiatrist near where I live!
So, I immediately called the doctor’s office to set up an appointment. When the receptionist answered, the first thing I said was, “Who’s this?” That always catches people by surprise, but I have found it is important to refer to someone by name. The office manager’s name is Jan, and I thanked her for all her help in setting up my appointment for the following week.
I have a practice of always setting up any number I call for service or a business in my contacts. That’s because I’ve learned over the years that I will usually have to call them back again, and this saves me from having Post-its all around my work area, or having to remember their name, or having to look them up via Google. I also add the “label” for what kind of service they are in their Outlook contact. For example, in this case I wrote the word “podiatrist” in the contact, so if I need to call the person back, I am not having to remember the doctor’s actual name—I can just do a search in contacts for “podiatrist.” It has saved me tons of time searching for my plumber, my electrician, and even the cable company.
After I had set up the appointment, within a few days my work schedule went crazy and I suddenly had a work conflict with the doctor’s appointment.
So when I called the office to change my appointment, I said, “Hi, is this Jan?” I could tell the office manager was quite startled that I knew her by name. That’s because in addition to saving the doctor’s information in my contacts, I added the name of the person who answered the phone. I do that all the time—I add people’s spouses names, kids’ gender and ages, secretary’s name, etc. I learned long ago that the most important word to any person is their own name and recalling something about them personally always creates an instant connection.
Jan easily gave me a new appointment time. I could tell she was especially nice on the phone, as I made her feel important by using her name.
Have you ever done something similar to this? Perhaps asked a server at a restaurant their name when you are seated and then thanked them by name during your meal? Did they seem a little bit more attentive to you?
So, I hope the next time you make a new connection, that you will immediately add their name, email, number, etc. to your phone/email contacts. Believe me, it may take a little bit of extra time up front, but you will thank me later when you need to reconnect with someone.
Best practice 101.
Karen
Last week I took a couple of days of vacation and we went golfing about 20 miles away as a mini-vacation. I took up golfing almost exactly a year ago and have been playing about four times a month. The course we play at is pretty challenging, but like my partner Jack says—if you can play Bella Collina with its uneven lies, huge hills and rippling greens, you can play anywhere.
So, we decided to play at two of the Top 100 Golf Courses in the U.S.—Pelican Hill Golf Club (North and South Courses) in Newport Beach, Calif.
But this column is not really about golf, but rather about the amazing couple we played with on our second day. And how all four of our lives were changed forever.
It’s always a bit unnerving when you play golf as a twosome, as you never know who you will be matched up with. On most golf courses, you are matched up with another twosome, having no idea if your skill level is similar. Our first day, we were matched up with an older couple from San Diego. Neither were in good health, the man drank a couple of Bloody Mary’s instead of eating lunch, and their scoring was questionable. Needless to say, when we came to the course the second day, we were holding our breath as to who would be our golfing partners.
On that second day, we were matched up with another couple, Nick and Debbie. Nick approached us first, as we were sitting in our golf cart. He was fit, had a distinctive New Jersey accent and a big smile. Right away we hit it off with him. He looked at me and said his wife Debbie would be relieved to know that we were playing with another couple, as she always dreaded when she was the only woman in a foursome.
Then Debbie approached us. Again, she was fit, had that engaging Jersey accent, but was kind of reserved and quiet. She told me she has been playing golf for more than 10 years—so I warned her that I was just a beginner (wanting to set expectations in case I was not having a good golf day). Turns out Nick and Debbie had just completed a 3-day golf camp in the San Diego area and were apprehensive about how they would now play, after 3 days of a golf instructor “messing with their grip and stance”!
I noticed right away that Nick and my partner Jack hit it off. As we finished up each hole, the two of them would stay behind on the green chatting. In fact, their conversations got longer and longer as we moved through each hole, and it got to the point that I was a bit annoyed. So, I said something to Jack.
Then he told me what they were talking about. Debbie had just completed four months of chemotherapy for cancer treatment after several serious surgeries. Jack couldn’t remember what kind of cancer it was, but Nick was confiding in Jack about how he was feeling, how difficult it had been to tell their six children about her illness, and how much he loved his wife. This extended golfing vacation was to allow them to spend time together doing something they both loved—golfing together. Jack could relate—he lost his wife of 47 years, Bonnie, to pancreatic cancer about four years ago. Once Jack told me that, I said to myself, “You never know someone’s story.”
So as Nick and Jack were chatting during golf, I decided to make it easy for Debbie to open up to me. I shared with her about Jack’s diagnosis of melanoma and that he had just completed his second of eight infusions of Keytruda that week. As I told her about Jack’s fantastic and positive mental attitude, she started to talk to me. By the end of the round, we invited Nick and Debbie to come to our house for wine and dinner on Saturday before they flew home Monday morning.
We were so excited to have Nick and Debbie come to our house. We both realized that our being matched up on the golf course was kismet (fate). When they arrived, it was as if we were lifelong friends. We had an amazing evening of wine, conversation and upscale pizza. (Nick is Italian, so we took him to our favorite San Clemente Italian restaurant Brick Woodfire Cuisine for authentic, handmade pizza.)
As the evening progressed, Debbie and I had a chance to talk privately and she made a few comments about her honest worries about her surgery, her chemo and her health. I took the opportunity to share with her how Jack’s positive attitude and almost effervescent commentary about his own health and prognosis really fueled his energy, and I believe his recovery. I told Debbie that both Jack and I were big believers in being positive and how saying only positive words and having only positive thoughts really does make a difference. I could tell by her reaction that this made a difference for her.
As they were leaving our home, we all hugged each other and talked about when we would come to visit them in New Jersey during our next visit to the East Coast. Debbie whispered to me, thanking me for giving her such a positive message about her future.
The next morning we received a text from them: “Karen & Jack … it feels like we’ve known you for decades. Hard to believe it’s only been ~72 hours. Thanks again …”
Next time you notice someone not having a good day, remember: “You never know someone’s story.” Ask questions and show empathy.
When you are feeling sorry for yourself, or negative feelings are going through your head, remember: you are sending negative energy into the universe. Why not send positive energy and thoughts out there? They will work harder for you.
The next time you have the opportunity to make new friends or meet new people, just think, you might be making lifelong friends and having an opportunity to make a positive impact on their life!
Jack, me, Debbie and Nick
Karen
Los Alamitos, CA (September 2020) – Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes are back in season and shoppers are ready for them now more than ever. So get ready for holiday demand with shippers only available from Frieda’s.
Research shows that rich-hued purple vegetables are hot sellers. In fact, retailers carrying Frieda’s exclusive Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes are seeing as much as 20% increases in weekly dollar same-store sales on this item vs. prior years’ sales, according to Nielson data1. These purple sweet potatoes are flying off the shelves!
Why you might ask? It’s the nation’s focus on functional foods, which is peaking now. According to the Mayo Clinic, functional foods are nutrient-dense items that promote optimal health while reducing the risk of disease. Examples include items like oatmeal, nuts, berries, and purple sweet potatoes. The Hartman Group research firm is predicting that functional foods will hit a high this year as COVID-concerned, health-oriented shoppers look to empower themselves and power up their diets with antioxidants.
Frieda’s suggests creating superfood displays that combine items like Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes, fresh turmeric, ginger root, and citrus. Tout the nutrition benefits of these fruits & vegetables and turn your produce department into a fresh, functional foods destination.
“Stokes are in high demand this year as we anticipate that holiday cooking will have a functional spin,” says Alex Berkley, Frieda’s director of sales. “Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes are ideal to promote for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and our display shipper is a great way to showcase them and add incremental shelf space. We recommend using signage to suggest that shoppers create healthy holiday favorites like Stokes Purple® sweet potato pie.”
Organic and conventional Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes are available now through May in 15-lb. and 40-lb. cartons. Every potato is labeled to reduce front-end checker error. An organic 12/3-lb. bag option is also available.
Call your Frieda’s account manager today for help in planning your ads now and pre-booking supply.
Source: 1 Nielsen Data xAOC, regional retailer in the NE. 52 weeks ending 7/11/20
About Frieda’s Inc.
Frieda’s Specialty Produce has been inspiring new food experiences for friends, families, and food lovers everywhere since 1962. From kiwifruit and dragon fruit to Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes and habanero peppers, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 unique fruits and vegetables to the U.S. marketplace. Founded by produce industry trailblazer Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce, and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.
This is not a blog about shopping. This is a blog about removing roadblocks.
This past weekend, I needed to restock on a few things, so I headed to my local mall. Even though I went into Nordstrom only to purchase their special liquid laundry soap, I couldn’t resist taking a stroll around the store. And as you might have guessed, that little stroll ended up with me finding a few things to try on.
I have been a Nordstrom shopper since the company opened its first stores in southern California over 30 years ago. I know that in order to get access to a dressing room, you need to find a sales associate, as the dressing rooms are locked. Only the sales associates have the keys.
So, you can imagine my shock when the sales associate told me that the dressing room doors were all open, so pick whichever room I wanted!
When I went to purchase my items at the cash register, I asked the cashier, “So, when did Nordstrom unlock the dressing room doors?”
She told me that they got a new store manager about four months ago (the previous manager went on maternity leave), and the first thing the new manager did was tell the sales associates to unlock the dressing room doors.
Even though the locking practice had come into being to reduce theft, it also helped engage the salespeople with shoppers by personally escorting them to the dressing rooms. The new manager realized that it actually had become a huge inconvenience for shoppers. It interfered with their ease of shopping. And I’m guessing, she realized that it was not sending a positive message in alignment with the Nordstrom brand.
So, I asked the obvious question of the cashier, “Did theft go up after you unlocked the doors?” She told me she had not heard anything more about it, so she assumed it had not.
That made me wonder: How many “locked dressing room doors” do you have in your business? If you have an automated voicemail for your business, do you start your message with, “To speak with someone immediately, press “0” for operator,” then proceed with the directory of names? Or do you force callers to go through the directory by entering the first three letters of the person’s first or last name?
On your website, do you feature your best selling items on your home page? Or do you force customers to search through your entire website to find what they’re looking for?
When you have a visitor to your building, do you immediately offer them water or directions to the restroom? Or do you wait for them to ask?
When you give new employees your company handbook, do you give them a cheat sheet of the FAQs (such as company holidays, benefits info and payroll info)? Or do you hand them the 100-page handbook and say, “Good luck! Everything is in here.”
How many roadblocks do we naturally put up in our businesses? And if we replaced them with something easier and more convenient, would we have a better result?
If you want to “unlock the doors” in your company, know that most of them are super easy to change. The challenge may be that they are habits, with unknown origins, e.g., “We’ve always done it that way.”
It took only a bit of adjustment at our company to change our company voicemail, website, visitor-welcoming process and employee handbook.
What should you change?
Karen
Los Alamitos, CA (August 2019) – With the new school season fast approaching, parents are stocking up on notebooks and school supplies. While they’re at the grocery store, encourage them to stop in the produce department for tasty, healthy lunch box items.
“Frieda’s Chilean kumquats are the perfect school snack because they are bite-sized, delicious and ready to eat,” says Alex Berkley, director of sales at Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “With their convenient packaging, it is easy to merchandise them with other common snacking produce like apples or oranges for a back-to-school destination set.” Retailers can also add Frieda’s cape gooseberries, jicama and watermelon radishes to their display as shoppers are always looking for new, healthy and delicious treats to add to their kids’ lunch.
“This year, we are trying something new with our two young kids,” says Cindy Sherman, director of marketing at Frieda’s. “I picked up bento boxes that make packing lunches a breeze! It’s easy to fill the compartments with kumquats, jicama sticks, cheese and whole grain pretzels.”
To help inspire parents, Frieda’s will host a social media campaign on Instagram and Facebook dedicated to sharing what parents are putting in their kids’ lunch as they head back to school. It’s all about #WhatsForLunch. This campaign is a perfect way for parents to share and receive lunch box inspiration. Look for the campaign kicking off in August and don’t forget to share #WhatsForLunch.
To fill your back-to-school destination display, call your Frieda’s account manager today.
About Frieda’s Inc.
Frieda’s Specialty Produce has been inspiring new food experiences for friends, families and food lovers everywhere since 1962. From kiwifruit and dragon fruit, to Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes and habanero peppers, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 unique fruits and vegetables to the U.S. marketplace. Founded by produce industry trailblazer Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.
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