DeCA serves as model for grocery training

Fort Lee, Va. The Defense Commissary Agency announced that it has contributed to a new training product from the Produce Marketing Association to be used throughout the grocery industry.

According to DeCa, in late August, the PMA photographed the produce section at the Fort Bragg South Commissary in North Carolina, showing both the proper and improper ways to display and merchandise items. The PMA also photographed the stockroom to show ways to manage that area. DeCa said the aim was to create a user-friendly training module that will help new produce department workers as well as serve as a review for more experienced produce workers.

"We’re keenly aware of how important quality produce sections are to our commissaries’ success, so we were pleased and eager to work with the Produce Marketing Association to provide a real-store environment for a training product that will be used throughout the grocery industry," said Dave Shaw, DeCA’s chief of perishables.

DeCa was chosen as a representative site, because it was already doing things well in terms of produce merchandising,  according to Dan Henderson, director of business development for the PMA.

"The use of dynamic and contrasting shapes and colors in item displays, the creative use of signs, product taste samplings and employee interaction with customers – these are things that help boost sales and commissaries are doing them quite well," Henderson said.