How to drive grocery store traffic and add incremental sales with the consistently freshest and best tasting juice
Oranges and freshly squeezed orange juice taste amazing. This post will dive into some critical factors for driving a successful juicing program based on amazingly fresh and delicious orange juice.
There are, of course, many different options for drinking orange juice. You can buy many different brands of factory-produce juice, you can squeeze juice yourself at home, or you can buy freshly squeezed orange juice at a grocery store or a juice bar. This blog should also help you, the reader, determine which orange juice actually tastes the best.
Of course, when we speak about taste, we’re actually speaking about perceived flavor, which is driven by taste and aroma. It’s well documented that the flavor or oranges and orange juice is driven by the taste and the aroma. To learn more about why freshly squeezed orange juice tastes to good CLICK HERE.
By offering the best tasting orange juice, fresh in-store experiences, and physical proof that your product is a fresh, all-natural product, a grocery store can craft and support a message with its customers and build trust.
Once consumers taste the best orange juice and get used to drinking freshly squeezed citrus juices, they will crave the freshest juice possible. The store that can deliver a consistently high standard product, stands the best chance of winning that business.
THE BEST TASTING ORANGE JUICE
There are many tests out there for “Ranking Orange Juice”, “Orange Juice From Best to Worst”, and “Who Makes the Best Orange Juice”. These tests focus in on many different brands of factory-produced juice, but very few tests compare the factory brands with freshly squeezed orange juice. Many of these factory-produced juices are high quality: but they’re not fresh and don’t taste like a fresh orange.
As a grocery store, you have the ability to create your own freshly squeezed orange juice and support your own brand image.
Flavor is a very subjective matter. The definition of ‘fresh’ and ‘natural’ has been hotly disputed over the past 100 years. There are also many court cases taking on big brands on to dispute their claims regarding ‘fresh’, ‘natural’ and even claims about ‘no preservatives’. As a grocery store with your own juicing capability, you can BUILD TRUST WITH YOUR CUSTOMER by producing fresh juice on-demand and show your customers what you are doing for them: making fresh and all-natural orange juice.
When it comes to judging the best orange juice, Citrus America recommends you take matters into your own hands to quickly decide what’s best. We highly recommend people do their own testing to determine what is fresh, natural, and tastes the best.
HOW TO TEST ORANGE JUICE FOR THE BEST FRESH NATURAL TASTE
Step 1: Peel an orange and eat a wedge -or- cut an orange into wedges with the peel on and eat the inside of the orange. Remember the taste. Save some wedges to compare prior to tasting each of the factory-produced juices for proper comparison.
Step 2: Taste different orange juices and compare to the taste of actually eating the orange. Take a sip of the factory-produced juice you are testing, then eat an orange wedge. Which ones taste the closest? What tastes better?
Step 3: Manually squeeze your own oranges. (CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE). Depending on the fruit you are using (size, season, variety), you will probably need 3-4 oranges for an 8 ounce serving. If doing this test with 2 people, we’d recommend juicing 8 oranges, so you have enough to compare.
We’re confident that freshly squeezed orange juice will win the test, but everyone should prove it to themselves. The consumers will ultimately decide what the best tasting orange juice is and what juice they want to serve to their families.
PERIMETER GROWTH
In an earlier blog, 5 Ways Fresh Citrus Juicing Can Enhance Customer Experience and Perimeter Growth, we dive into the ideas how a fresh citrus juicing program can drive perimeter growth in grocery stores. While center store is important overall for the grocery segment, it’s the perimeter which allows grocery stores to be creative and differentiate themselves from on-line retailers and from other supermarkets.
Produce plays a critical role in the perimeter and, based on the research, can drive 60% of perimeter growth. The challenge is how to be innovative in the produce department. Naturally, there are innovative packaging ideas, introducing fresh cut fruit and vegetable programs, and bringing in new niche, gourmet produce articles.
We at Citrus America, are proponents of bringing in some excitement and action into the produce department. We have had plenty of discussions with a wide range of grocery customers across Europe and North America, and know that a well-run fresh citrus program can:
- Increase in-store foot traffic, that starts in the produce department
- Increase in-store frequency and repeat customers who need to replenish their fresh product at home
- Attract new customers who are looking for freshness and value high quality products
- Support store brand messaging by providing a fresh, all-natural product branded with the grocery store’s name
- Add incremental sales to produce departments ranging from 2-5%
WHAT IS A WELL-RUN FRESH JUICE PROGRAM?
A well run juice program is a juice program that delivers on Taste, Hygiene, and Efficiency for both the consumer and the grocery store. An in-store commercial citrus juicing program needs to be of consistently high quality and deliver on its commitment of great tasting, freshly squeezed juice.
- Taste – the best tasting products available
- Hygiene – a clean machine helps sell more juice
- Efficiency – easy-to-operate, easy-to-clean equipment that supports hygiene, labor efficiency, profitability, and functions easilty
- Freshness – smart program planning and daily freshness keeps the customers coming back for more
- Consistency – training, merchandising, regular juicing, and a clear supportive marketing message drives positive brand image and increased in-store customer frequency
You’ll need to source quality citrus fruit and use high quality commercial citrus juicing equipment to get the best tasting orange juice. You’ll need high quality, 304 stainless steel equipment and smart training programs to support hygiene and safety. High quality equipment with intelligent designs and robust employee training programs help drive efficiency and support profitability. Excellent equipment that’s easy to operate and clean, along with some smart planning, support on-demand juicing: so you juice when you need it for maximum freshness and reduced waste. High quality, reliable commercial juicing equipment and proper training videos support a highly consistent fresh juice program.
A well-run fresh juice program starts with fresh orange juice, but can expand into some exciting options. Many of our customers around the world have been extremely successful making fresh tangerine juice, squeezing lemons and limes, making lemonade, and even squeezing pomegranate.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF ORANGES
Orange juice not only tastes fantastic, but it packs in many vitamins, nutrients, and micro-nutrients that are proven to support a healthy and nutritious diet. Oranges are known to contain significant amounts of Vitamins C, A, B9 (folate), B1 (thiamine), potassium, dietary fiber, calcium, flavonoids, beta-carotene, and other nutrients.
Here are just a few major documented health benefits:
- General health and immune system – vitamin C and anti-oxidants are thought to play a pivotal role in supporting the immune system
- Helps fight heart disease – potassium for blood pressure, healthy natural fiber, dietary flavonoids, and, of course, anti-oxidants
- Known to fight cancer, with heavy vitamin C and other anti-oxidants for neutralizing free radicals
- Can help reduce diabetes II - the relationship between citrus juice consumption and the prevention of type 2 diabetes is complex and multifaceted but scientific studies suggest that there may be benefits, due to antioxidant properties of vitamin C, the fiber content, the presence of flavonoid compounds, and the low to moderate glycemic index of citrus fruits. As with all health matters, consult your dietician and/or physician for more information.
- Digestive health – learn more about The Health Benefits of Dietary Fibre
- Hydration during sports activities – CLICK HERE to learn more about using citrus juice in sports beverages
- Fights scurvy – Vitamin C is a well-documented preventative measure to fight scurvy (CLICK HERE to learn more about the history of scurvy from the US Naval Institute and discovering the use of citrus juices to prevent it)
SUPPORT YOUR OWN BRAND WITH PRIVATE LABEL SUCCESS
Whether you call it ‘own label’ or ‘private label’, it represents your grocery store’s brand and story. The days of supplying inexpensive, or cheap, low-quality products in a black and white packaging are long gone.
Private label strategies can transform your grocery business, support your brand, and give your customer, the consumer, attractive choices. A private label program should represent a smart value purchase for the consumer.
A fresh citrus juicing program provides the customer with product transparency, high value, outstanding taste, and an incredibly healthy product. When done well, it provides you, the grocery retailer with an attractive, high margin product that keeps the consumer coming back for more and supports your brand.
In addition to supporting your brand image and increasing in-store foot traffic, a fresh citrus juicing program drives very attractive ROI. (Click HERE to learn more about ROI). This is what we call Healthy Profits with Citrus Juicing.
SUMMARY
Selling the best tasting fresh orange juice, as well as other fresh juices, can help add incremental sales to your grocery store. Having a great tasting fresh product keeps customers coming back for more on a regular basis, so your grocery store benefits from increased frequency and foot traffic. A well-run, smart juicing program can help drive perimeter growth and success, which ultimately drives store growth and profitability.
Running a successful and consistent in-store commercial juicing program requires some know-how, excellent equipment, robust training, and reliable partners, both on the fruit supply side as well as with supplying and supporting your commercial citrus juicing equipment.
A well-run program should drive Healthy Profits for Grocery stores and make your customers happy with the best tasting orange juice.
About Citrus America – Citrus America has been driving innovation and quality in the juicing segment for more than a decade in North America and the Caribbean. We’re the exclusive master distributor for Citrocasa and have driven many innovations and quality improvements in juicing equipment. In addition to equipment solutions, we provide tailored training and support strategies to help our customers earn Healthy Profits.
About Citrocasa – Citrocasa has been the pioneer in producing the most innovative and highest quality food grade stainless steel commercial citrus juicing equipment to the grocery, hotel, and restaurant since 2005 across Europe. The Citrocasa 8000 Series was launched in 2005, with the 8000XB and the 8000SB. The 8000SB-ATS was launched in 2013. The Citrocasa Fantastic Series was launched in 2010 with the Fantastic M/AS. The Fantastic F/SB followed in 2011. Between 2015 and today, Citrocasa has launched the Advance upgrades, The Revolution, The Eco, and has added new options for on-line connectivity continuing its role as being the leader in commercial citrus juicing quality and innovation.