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When COVID-19 began its surge, so did the overall produce sales surge. In fact, organic produce sales rose 22 percent and conventional sales increased by 20 percent in the month of March.
Before we all over-celebrate the numbers, we must understand the realistic conditions that encouraged those sales. It was mainly due to the panic buying by consumers who felt a desperate need to stock their food pantries and refrigerators for fear of a food shortage during the COVID -19 early lockdown.
What happens after the pandemic is under control? How will the organic produce business revolutionize with the shift in consumer shopping attitudes? There will be an increase in the purchasing of fresh organic fruits and vegetables. Shoppers who never bought organic produce before and made purchases during the extreme buying period may have become new customers for the category. This will require a company's timely response in making necessary adjustments towards some new additional organic business.
Front-line worker stocking organic produce during COVID-19 pandemic
I cannot stress enough how dangerous it can be to lose control of a business if there is no plan to transition from the way business normally operated to a totally changed format. The "way it was" mindset will fail fast because it does not support refashioned consumer shopping habits.
There are only two choices in a transitional crisis recovery:
- Adjust to a changing environment.
- Adjust nothing and suffer the consequences.
People cannot absorb the side-effects of an economic disruption as large as we recently experienced. The possible threat of closing a business is feared the most. Companies eventually will have to address and accept the fact that the world is suddenly rotating more rapidly because of COVID-19.
The risks and implementing changes can often become confusing when a sudden slowing down occurs after a major crisis attack. But starting with just a few steps can mean a difference in moving forward again.
Step 1: Get your original passion back from its virus interruption.
Step 2: Initiate a prioritized plan of importance and execute it quickly.
Step 3: Get back on track with newly updated safety policies.
What possible changes could be in sight for organic produce down the road? Shopping habits will deviate and may head off in several different directions. Consumers will be a lot more cautious as to where and how they shop for fresh produce.
Keeping the organic produce section stocked
Consider the farmers markets which have been growing more popular year after year. Farmers sell as much as 70 percent of their organic produce at farmers markets. People are drawn to farmers markets and purchase large amounts of the organic produce items. But will those farmers markets be able to open with COVID-19 lingering into the summer months? What happens then?
More sanitizing to minimize the potential virus pandemic may be a challenge for farmers markets. Local health laws would have to be enforced such as constant sanitizing and wiping down contact surfaces, regular hand washing, use of gloves, wearing masks, and reminding customers of the social distancing rule.
If such markets are unable to open this summer, shoppers may have to rely on local produce departments for their favorite organic items. This means that the retailers will have to pump up their sections and keep a careful watch on the activity and stocking levels.
The initial chaotic supermarket panic buying period has eased for now and has started to return to milder shopping conditions again. We will just have to see how the preferences of consumerism has adjusted and changed in the coming months ahead.
One thing is for certain, the demand for organic produce in the supermarkets will be showing an increase from new customers. Be ready for it.
