Don’t break your customers’ hearts by being out of stock on Valentine’s Day this year! This year, more than half of U.S. adults say they’ll celebrate the holiday. With uncertainty around pandemic safety and consumer prices on the rise, many will be dining in. That creates a big opportunity for grocery stores to really shine, especially in fresh departments.

Valentine’s Day falls on a Monday this year. The orders grocery retailers place between Thursday and Sunday need to be on point to make sure this year’s holiday is a hit.

Consumers are expected to spend an average of $175.41 on Valentine’s Day in 2022. While that’s not all budgeted for a meal, a sizable portion will go toward food. Some will attempt to prepare the fanciest dinner they would have ordered at a restaurant while others may opt for a comforting classic like steak, baked potatoes, and asparagus with a decadent dessert. Whatever customers choose to eat, they’re sure to look to their local fresh departments to make the menu happen. 

Here’s how fresh departments can plan for the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday:

• Keep strawberries front and center, full and fresh. Strawberries are a top sales driver in the winter months and especially during Valentine’s Day. Make sure to display other berries nearby to capture easy incremental sales, too!
• Stock up on staples for a fancy dinner. Customers cooking at home may want to duplicate the dinner they would have ordered at a restaurant. Focus on go-to foods like asparagus, potatoes, onions, mushrooms, other popular vegetable sides, high-quality cuts of meat, and fresh seafood.
• Don’t forget about fresh herbs. Whether it’s the garnish for a berry-mint dessert or the herbaceous flavor in the main dish, fresh herbs are often listed in recipes. Don’t stock out and let customers’ Valentine’s Day dinner fall flat on flavor.
• Expect customers to shop on the weekend. While some may procrastinate, many who plan to celebrate with a home-cooked meal will purchase ingredients over the weekend. That means shelves need to be full and the food needs to be fresh so it lasts until the big day.
• Prep last-minute meals for the unprepared. Keep displays of heat-and-eat meals full on the day before and day of the holiday so your customers can be sure to have a fool-proof meal available.

Keeping shelves full goes a long way in solidifying customer loyalty, especially lately. Nobody knows what to expect when they walk into the grocery store—will they have everything on the list? So this Valentine's Day, make sure you stay in stock so customers don't lose that loving feeling for your fresh departments!

Don’t let the next holiday catch your store teams by surprise! Place perfect orders that meet demand every day of the year with Afresh.