Per presentare al meglio un prodotto è importante che il personale ne conosca origini, percorso e caratteristiche. E fin qui è tutto più che scontato. Ma quel che crea il valore aggiunto è la formazione direttamente sul campo, a stretto contatto con i produttori, con le coltivazioni in serra o nei campi. Da qui nasce un racconto più diretto ed efficace.
A questo scopo alcuni retailer organizzano giornate di approfondimento in collaborazione con le aziende produttrici. Lo ha fatto Etruria Retail (Selex), attivo con le insegne Famila, A&O, in sinergia con Dole Italia, nell’ambito degli Etruria Days. Un gruppo di operatori dei punti di vendita del gruppo ha visitato il centro di maturazione e distribuzione Dole Italia di Calcio (Bg), partecipando a una giornata di approfondimento focalizzata sulla conoscenza del prodotto, sulla gestione del reparto e sull’evoluzione dei consumi. L’iniziativa nasce dalla volontà condivisa di investire nella crescita delle competenze e nella diffusione di una maggiore cultura di categoria. “Gestire il prodotto nel modo corretto, saper riconoscere la qualità, capire la filiera -sottolinea Antonio Mercugliano, junior buyer ortofrutta e frutta secca di Etruria Retail-: questi sono gli strumenti più efficaci per costruire un reparto performante, attrattivo agli occhi del consumatore e capace di generare valore. Il rapporto con Dole, che ci accompagna dal 2018, è per noi un punto fermo: sulla banana, dove Dole esprime una leadership riconosciuta a livello mondiale grazie alla grande coltivazione in Ecuador e alla capacità di gestione del processo di maturazione, ma anche sull’avocado e sui prodotti esotici, dove i numeri confermano una crescita straordinaria“.
La visita si è sviluppata all’interno di una struttura di 8.500 mq dedicati allo stoccaggio, alla maturazione e alla distribuzione di frutta fresca, con cinque celle di conservazione e ventitré celle di maturazione per le banane, monitorate costantemente da software dedicati. I partecipanti hanno potuto osservare dal vivo l’intero ciclo del prodotto, dal controllo qualità all’arrivo fino alla preparazione degli ordini in uscita. Una collaborazione che Cristina Bambini, head of marketing di Dole Italia, commenta così: “Crediamo fortemente nel valore della collaborazione con i nostri partner e in iniziative che permettono di condividere competenze e conoscenza del prodotto, elementi fondamentali per valorizzare al meglio le categorie della frutta e supportare il lavoro quotidiano nei punti di vendita“.
Un concetto caro anche a Dem che ha portato i suoi addetti all’interno delle aziende che riforniscono i prodotti sotto il marchio premium Benfatti-Fatti d’Amore, appena entrati in assortimento di frutta e verdura e raccontati nell’articolo a questo link.
Per Serena Marilungo, ispettore tecnico ortofrutta e formazione addetti Supermercati Dem, la formazione “deve necessariamente passare dall’esperienza diretta sul campo perché i collaboratori possano vivere in prima persona il percorso che un prodotto compie prima di arrivare a scaffale“. E aggiunge: “Per trasferire un concetto o un’informazione al consumatore, il miglior modo è conoscerlo alla perfezione, farlo proprio. E la visita nelle aziende di riferimento rappresenta non soltanto un valore aggiunto ma anche un’attività indispensabile per chi come Dem crede nel rapporto vis a vis con il consumatore“. 
The Value of Direct Training in the Fresh Food Supply Chain
Etruria Retail, Dem and Lidl are investing in fresh produce staff training, with a series of tailored initiatives aimed at strengthening skills, quality and the value of the department
Offer, pricing, and services are undoubtedly the main drivers on which a brand’s distinctiveness is built. But the training of sales staff, the true point of contact with consumers, is equally crucial, as these workers are called upon every day to provide information, guidance, and purchasing advice. It is no coincidence that retailers and discounters are increasingly investing in staff training, both through internal academies and in collaboration with industrial brands. This synergy produces a twofold benefit: on the one hand, it enhances the skills of the sales staff, and on the other, it offers branded companies the opportunity to promote their products and convey technical and commercial content directly to the end customer. This approach takes on even greater value in the fresh produce sector, where training in close contact with producers and crops, whether in greenhouses or open fields, allows a deeper understanding of the supply chain and transforms it into a more credible, concrete, and effective narrative.
Starting from this premise, here are some emblematic cases.
Etruria Retail (Selex), a group operating under the Famila and A&O brands, has developed a calendar of events as part of Etruria Days. This initiative was designed to strengthen corporate cohesion, share innovations, and support this group’s growth. These days are designed as an opportunity for training and discussion, and also include a collaboration with Dole Italia. This initiative allowed a team of store operators to visit company ripening and distribution center in Calcio (Bergamo), participating in a day of in-depth training dedicated to product knowledge, department management, and consumer trends. The tour took place in an 8,500-square-meter facility dedicated to the storage, ripening, and distribution of fresh fruit, equipped with five storage rooms and twenty-three banana ripening rooms, constantly monitored via dedicated software. The participants were able to experience the entire product journey firsthand, from quality control to incoming goods and preparation of outgoing orders. Antonio Mercugliano, junior buyer for fresh produce and dried fruit at Etruria Retail, emphasized: ‘Proper product management, knowing how to recognize quality, and understanding the supply chain are the most effective tools for building a high-performance department that is attractive to consumers and capable of generating value. Our partnership with Dole, a company that has been with us since 2018, is a steady point for us. This is also true for certain strategic products, starting with bananas, where Dole boasts a recognized global leadership position thanks to its cultivations in Ecuador and its management of the ripening process, not to mention avocados and exotic fruits: these categories continue to experience significant growth’. The value of initiatives like this is also emphasized by Cristina Bambini, head of marketing for Dole Italy: ‘We strongly believe in collaboration with our partners and in processes that foster the sharing of expertise and product knowledge, which are essential for maximizing the value of fruit categories and supporting the daily work in stores’.
The same philosophy also guides Dem (Gros-Selex), which invited its produce department staff to visit the companies that produce the references with premium Benfatti-Fatti d’Amore brand. This brand is already present in other categories and recently expanded to include fruit and vegetables. The entry into the fresh produce sector was born from a partnership developed in the Agro Pontino region, an area with a strong agricultural tradition. Here, the group identified a company specializing in tomato production, both conventionally grown and hydroponically grown, characterized by high quality standards. This collaboration gave rise to a dedicated packaging that combines local production with this brand’s identity. Alongside tomatoes, Dem stores will also propose Benfatti-branded peaches and melons. Serena Marilungo, technical inspector for fruit and vegetables and employee training at Dem Supermarkets, explained: ‘I really wanted to bring this brand to the fruit and vegetable sector, to products that reach our customers’ tables every day. Our goal is simple: to ensure that customers associate our brand with a guarantee of quality. For this reason, we will continue to select companies and producers who share our standards, enhancing their work through a brand that conveys attention, care, and reliability. But it is equally important that our employees have a thorough knowledge of what they are offering on the shelves. Direct experience in the field represents a precious opportunity to communicate to customers values, contents and information on the product and its path’.
Lidl Italy, too, is investing in the professional growth of its employees through dedicated initiatives. Among these, FRUTtiAmo is noteworthy. This internal training and development project is entirely dedicated to the produce department. On his LinkedIn account, Ciro Monopoli, project manager for training and selection at Lidl Italy, recounting a visit to the branch in Montevarchi, wrote: ‘It was a moment of discussion and training to share concepts, tools, and best practices, strengthening awareness of how central this department is to our customers’ experience. Freshness, quality, meticulous display, and attention to detail are as many elements that contribute to distinguishing our work every day. We continue to invest in training our employees, because competence and passion are the foundation of our daily results’. Alessandro Varisco, Lidl’s regional director for Friuli-Venezia Giulia, shared the same goal. During a similar initiative in Molfetta, he observed: ‘We started by analyzing the Italian fruit and vegetable market, our KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), and our assortment, and then we moved on to where everything takes shape: in the logistics center and in the stores. Knowing the numbers is crucial, but seeing, consistently monitoring, and experiencing firsthand every stage of the process, from receiving goods from suppliers to the counter, is what really makes the difference’.
