National Love your Produce Manager Day

The first National Love Your Produce Manager Day was since 2012 in order to celebrate all the efforts that production managers have brought us with the world's best and brightest products. The production manager is part of a group rarely seen among grocery store administrative staff. They are responsible for choosing the product their store will ship, and where to get it from. Next time you're in the production department of your grocery store, take a moment to look around and appreciate all the options you have, and realize that someone has to keep Those orders are always flowing, the shelves are always stocked, and new options are coming to you every day.

It is because of the production managers that we receive selections such as 'Chinese Gooseberry', better known around the world as 'Kiwifruit'. Interestingly, Kiwifruit is known as such due to a huge marketing campaign carried out by residents of New Zealand. New fruit options like these often find their way into new markets only at the request of patrons, or specialty production managers, who decide to take a chance on a new product.

Key industry representatives like Frieda Caplan (who was the owner of a product distribution company in 1962 when she was asked by a production manager in Salt Lake City about “Chinese gooseberries”) answered feedback from customers and other production managers to bring such new fruits to market.

In addition to placing the order, they also have to set up the display and how things will look to the customers who come to the store. Just take a look at the beautiful palette of colors, sizes, flavors and options offered to you every time you visit the store. Your production manager is the one who sat down and figured out where things were going, and made sure it all got there. The handwriting you see in ink on the sign? It's almost certainly the hard work of a production manager to get her store ready to bring you fresh and delicious new products.

Speaking of fresh new products, one of the ways you can celebrate your “National Production Managers Day” is to go and ask your production manager what's new and exciting today. They'll be able to direct you to their freshest fruit, new vendors, and maybe even suggest some ways to serve up the new delicacies they've brought to your store. They usually love questions about their latest picks and are always responsive if you're not interested in the new product vendor they've started using!

So go to your local store and bring a little something for your production manager, be it a card or just a thank you for making sure you have a great selection like that every year. Bring your suggestions and requests for things you want to see in store, you'll be surprised how rarely they have a reason to order something new! If you want something but do not have, do not hesitate to let them know! National Love Your Produce Manager the day may only come once a year, but they work year round!