Alsum Produce, Inc.

Best in ClassUS Potato Board Logo

Best in Class is a program that was designed by the United States Potato Board. In 2000, the United States Potato Board developed a program called Re-Inventing the Potato Program. This was designed to address changing consumer demographics. The goals in “Reinventing the Potato” were to:

  • Create consumer-driven potato category offerings for every consumer group
  • Add value to supplier/retailer relationship
  • Increase sales and profitability throughout the supply chain

Potato PyrimidChallenges arose because retailers were not able to implement all of the best practices and suppliers were not comfortable enough to help their retailers. From here, a model was created for the industry to follow called BEST IN CLASS.

The Potato Pyramid, based on the consumer approach to the potato category, is the foundation of the category development plan.




Best in Class is based off of the following Top 6 Category Best Practices:

Top 6 Category Best Practices are the core of the model

Assortment:

  • Maintain a year-long potato pyramid assortment that includes a broad range of bargain, mainstream, premium and specialty segments.

Promotion:

  • Conduct promotions during non-peak periods (months other than November through January).
  • Promote multiple varieties and segments and bag/bulk ads concurrently – and promote as much as every week.

Packaging:

  • Offer more bag size options for the one- and two-person households, (i.e., 2.5#, 3# and 5#).
  • Develop and use packaging that is eye-appealing to consumers; packaging should include nutrition information, preparation tips and recipes.
  • Use packaging that looks and acts more like a consumer packaged good than a commodity potato bag.

Pricing:

  • Maintain a consistent, segmented pricing strategy that will communicate the value proposition to each offering.

Merchandising:

  • In produce department, merchandise all fresh potato category items together for better impact and the “Ultimate Potato Category.”

Communication:

  • Ensure communication of the Best In Class initiatives are being communicated with everyone involved; store level produce managers, merchandisers, category manager, buyer, VP or Director of Produce.

To learn more about Best in Class, please contact Heidi Randall at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 920-348-6703.