The tide may not have completely turned as far as convenience stores are concerned and it is generally acknowledged that there will be fewer such outlets on the high street in the future, but it was interesting to read reports in last week’s FPJ that this retail sector is enjoying a surge of public interest at the moment.

I have always believed that if convenience stores are well run and well lit with good displays, they offer substantial opportunities for selling fresh produce. This is mainly due to the demise of traditional greengrocers - or fruiterers, as they preferred to be known when they once numbered in their thousands.

Historically, however, the benefits for such a store of selling fresh produce have not always been apparent to retailers, for a number of reasons. First, fruit and vegetables require a particular enthusiasm to maintain year-round continuity, which is a major customer attraction. They also need an awareness that quality and seasonality, even within a limited range, can be a powerful marketing tool, particularly as public demand for local produce is now increasing.

However, if the leaves of salads and brassicas are becoming brown and withered, the skins of apples are crinkled and citrus looks desiccated because of poor stock control, offering fresh produce can do more harm than good to the whole outlet’s reputation - even for non-perishables.

And this brings me to the nub of the problem, which I believe is why there has not been the growth so far in the sector that might have been expected. Small shopkeepers are put off by the threat of the potential level of wastage. This is generally exacerbated because traditional packaging options can be too large.

One example years ago was when the Outspan organisation implemented a marketing strategy to boost lemon sales - not just to convenience stores, but to sell the fruit in off-licences next to the gin.

The company found that potential retailers simply could not afford to stock a carton of more than 100 lemons, despite small but regular demand. The result, to the organisation’s credit, was to introduce a half carton, which I seem to remember did very well for a time, but then disappeared - apparently because of the increased packing cost. Nevertheless, the point was proven.

The other element is, of course, how convenience stores are supplied, which often seems to be on a franchised basis, which in turn is through a further franchise back into the industry. In my experience, convenience store groups have, perhaps not unnaturally, tended to put produce fairly low on their agenda.

Convenience shops could buy more directly from the wholesale market or even approach local growers, but this may not be part of their sourcing arrangements. Even if stores have the freedom to do this because of their geographic location, it may still be inconvenient, time-consuming and an added expense.

The fact remains, however, that fresh produce can be a draw on the front shelves before the bottles and cans, in the same way that this category is recognised as the flagship offer for most supermarkets. Surely the opportunity is still there?

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