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Showing posts from February, 2020

Dual Acting Floral Additive to Reduce Shrink and Labor Dollars

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Anyone that has had a vase of flowers sitting on their counter for a few days has noticed the unpleasant and unsightly build-up. The water in our vases at home or flower buckets in floral departments collect dust and organisms from the air. Also, the flower's leaves and stems may begin to decompose after being submerged. While this is a natural process, it is still not an attractive look for customers, can be malodorous, is unhealthy for the flowers, and requires labor hours for cleaning. That is where a good quality water additive comes in handy. Keeping Fresh Cut Flowers Longer When cut flowers are on display in a bucket in your floral department, the water naturally becomes murky due to a variety of environmental factors. If the build-up in the bucket goes unattended, it can impede the flower's ability to draw water up through its stem. It goes without saying that ultimately, flowers without adequate water supply will wilt and die faster. A floral additive, which in...

Grocery Sanitation - Poor Odor Control Is a Deal Breaker for Most Consumers

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We all know what happens when we go grocery shopping while hungry. Chances are we end up spending more money and purchasing things that we hadn't intended to buy. The tendency to purchase more when the grocery store is clean, and especially if we smell fresh fruit, flowers, or baked goods, is universal. Of course, the opposite is also true. 1.   Individuals Have Varying Levels of Odor Awareness Certain individuals are more sensitive to odors than others. Moreover,  studies have shown  that individuals with higher levels of odor awareness are more likely to suffer physical reactions to odors. This is an essential factor to consider, primarily because while you may not be sensitive to a particular odor in your grocery store, your customers might. It is important to thoroughly investigate any customer complaint or employee suggestion of an unpleasant odor. 2.   Good Smells Increase Purchasing The effect of  smell on hunger is well documented . More recen...

Food Safety Solutions and Protocols for Your Supermarket

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Fresh produce may travel locally to supermarkets or from farms and distributors far and wide. The assumption is that proper food handling practices occur at each stop in the supply chain. However, consumers rely primarily on retail outlets to provide safeguards against contamination of their fresh products. As the last line of defense, it falls on managers and employees of supermarkets to  ensure public safety in regards to food-borne illness . The following guidelines established using the FDA Food Code and the experience of  the Food Marketing Institute's  industry partners offer retailers the best practices for maintaining the integrity and safety of fresh produce from receiving through display. Seven Steps Toward Ensuring Food Safety 1.      Employee Training  - Effectively training all team members regarding the basics of food handling, temperature controls, and proper personal hygiene, especially handwashing, is vital to ensuring...