Halo of local v. organic

Local produce or organic produce - which has the stronger pull on the consumer? Don Harris, vice president of produce and floral for Wild Oats Markets Inc., Boulder, Colo. addressed the Aug. 24 session of the U.S. Apple Association in Chicago. After his presentation on organics at retail (covered separately for The Packer), Harris entertained a few questions from the crowd.

One the questions addressed the appeal of local versus organic produce. Particularly, how does Wild Oats weigh the appeal of organic produce from another state compared with locally grown conventional produce?

Interestingly, Harris said the stronger "halo" effect is often all about local produce.
"We would stay with the local (deal) till it is done and go to the other; we find local conventional produce has a better halo effect than organic from another area," Harris said. "The magic is to have organic and local."

I asked Don if Wild Oats uses loyalty cards.

As an aside, I have mixed feelings about loyalty cards. I enjoy not having to use a loyalty card, but of course if you comparison shop at some supermarkets you are compelled to pick up shopper or loyalty cards or feel the pain in your wallet. Thus, I have three "loyalty" cards.

Back to Don. He said Wild Oats issued loyalty cards to their shoppers about three years ago, and 58% of those who received them mailed them back. "It was an invasion of privacy to some of them," he said. Perhaps it relates to the old "hippie" ways of anti-establishment, but for whatever reason, Wild Oats shoppers have generally not been receptive to the idea.

"Some sent the cards back whole, some in pieces and some with colorful phrases and metaphors," Harris said with a smile. He noted Whole Food also reportedly found only spotty acceptance when they have attempted loyalty cards.

Don had a meaty, statistic-filled presentation to the U.S. Apple Outlook conference, and provided the kind of buyer to supplier input that every grower meeting should strive to secure.