Planning • 6 min read
Retail Produce Planning Guide
Produce departments live between two pressures: keep the core assortment in stock and make the seasonal moments land. Both depend on planning earlier than the ad week.
Separate core from seasonal
Core items need reliability week to week. Seasonal items need timing. Treating them with the same lead time is how promotions get short-shipped.
Plan ads against real windows
- Check typical seasonality before locking the ad calendar
- Avoid promoting through a known regional transition
- Name a backup commodity for every ad slot
- Send ad volume requests well ahead of the ship week
Use organic and specialty deliberately
Organic and specialty items differentiate a department but carry thinner supply. Commit to a smaller, reliable set rather than a wide list that will be partly out of stock.
Manage shrink at the same time
- Match order volume to realistic movement, not best-case movement
- Keep rotation visible and audited
- Review temperature and handling on the items that shrink most
What to send your supplier
Commodity, variety, pack, weekly volume, delivery market and dates. The more complete the request, the earlier sourcing can start.
Need something confirmed?
This guide is general education. For current availability, pack options or anything specific to your program, talk to the Atlantic Fresh sales team.