The fresh formula: Running a successful produce department
Nathan Alvarez knows produce—and it’s been a passion for more than 20 years. Back in the early 2000s, he was inspired by family friends who worked in the organic natural foods sector and always brought unique and tasty snacks when visiting. He eventually followed them into the industry.
Having spent most of his career at Whole Foods Market, Alvarez has worked across every corner of the produce department, taking on his current role as produce team leader at the Cambie store in Vancouver in 2019. For Alvarez, a successful produce department means leading with high-quality seasonal produce at competitive prices. “Focusing on local produce as much as possible and training your staff to be approachable and knowledgeable will take your department to an even higher level of success,” he says.
Here are his top tips.
Make produce pop
First, the basics: Displays should be clean, organized, rotated and culled. But, to make produce truly stand out, abundance is key. “Ideally, you should group an abun- dance of product together by category that also shows off a colour contrast,” says Alvarez. “When I look at displays, I want to see mostly product—not the fixture—along with clean, easy-to-read signage.”
READ: Five ways to give your produce department a boost
Signage plays a key role in making produce both appealing and informative. “Signage shouldn’t be too big—you just want to make sure things are kept clean and accurate, and that you don’t miss out on opportunities to tell a story for your local products using local signage and grower boxes,” Alvarez says. “Clear signage that stands out goes a long way—and adding profiles of our local vendors that highlight their specific stories is also a nice touch.”
A personal favourite? “A lot of our wet-rack greens during the summer are primarily sourced from our local Myers Organic Farms in Aldergrove, B.C.,” he says. “The consistency of their quality over the past 20 years has never dipped.”
When it comes to cross-merchandising, Alvarez finds simple works best. “Basil with your specialty cheese, lemons in your seafood department, onion or potatoes near the meat department, cut fruit or berries by the checkouts. And bananas seem to do well almost anywhere!”
Educate and engage
Know your product inside and out. “It’s as simple as keeping yourself up to date on what everything tastes like through sampling products with your team and being a customer yourself after work,” he says. “Also, I suggest staying on top of growing regions and key seasonal dates so you can help educate people on when their favourite produce will be back in season.”
READ: Whole Foods forecasts top food and beverage trends for 2026
Customers should get fruits and vegetables into their own hands (and mouths), and there’s room for grocers to step up their sampling game. “Sampling can be a game changer in the produce department, especially for introducing items and showing off how exceptional some of our produce is when in it’s true season,” Alvarez says. “In my experience, sampling more is an opportunity for most produce departments, though sampling does take extra planning and labour to execute consistently.” Alvarez adds that any opportunity to partner with a local farmer to sample in store is a win-win.
Smart stocking
Running a profitable produce department means balancing abundance with efficiency. Planning is key. Alvarez suggests using a department map to make informed inventory decisions. “Keep track of your average case movement for any given product and build your displays using this knowledge,” he says.
Even with careful planning, some perishable items inevitably reach ripeness before they sell. That’s where repurposing comes in. “Create a system using produce culls with other areas of the business,” says Alvarez. “Our produce production team often makes guacamole up to three times a week using product that is on the riper side. We send overripe bananas to the bakery department for banana bread, peppers to prepared foods, and so on.”
Alvarez’s final tip? Stay hands on. “Work alongside your team members as much as possible and ensure your team is consistently looking for shrink and sales opportunities,” he says.
This article was first published in Canadian Grocer’s December 2025/ January 2026 issue.
