Merchandiser/broker/consultant Scott Horner on labor and customer service — State of the Produce Manager Series

We're delighted to have as our guest on this episode Scott Horner, owner of EMP, Everything Matters Produce. Scotty has a long history in produce retail, starting with about 20 years as a produce manager for Ahold, Shaw’s, Big Y, and Tri Town Foods. Since then he’s been a merchandiser, supervisor, specialist and broker for fresh foods, and he started his business in 2021. He also shares his knowledge on LinkedIn through merchandising photos and informational videos. The focus of one such video was labor — a topic that The Produce Retail Podcast host Ashley Nickle just explored at length in the first-ever State of the Produce Manager report — and a discussion about that challenge is what starts today's conversation. Scott talks about how labor percentage has changed over the years; how the lack of hours devoted to training is creating a talent vacuum; how his mentors taught him the business side of produce; the value of training associates to be true sales professionals who know their products; the case for trusting your produce managers to make certain decisions; performance indicators to consider along with labor percentage; how to encourage associates to deliver great customer service; managing to ensure a positive team dynamic; and much more. Enjoy! For inquiries about the full State of the Produce Manager report, please reach out to Ashley Nickle at [email protected] or on LinkedIn. Podcast Background This podcast is designed to cover all things produce retail: strategy, partnerships, planning, training, leadership, communication, merchandising and beyond. Scroll through our episodes list to find conversations with vice presidents and directors of produce, merchandisers, produce managers, retail dietitians and more. Get Involved The Produce Retail Podcast is hosted by Ashley Nickle, a former trade journalist turned consultant. Have an idea for a topic or a guest? Give her a shout on LinkedIn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.