Misfits® available at lower price point

“About nine months ago, we started with the first pilot of our Misfits program,” says Hunter Winton with Robinson Fresh. The response has been very positive and Misfits® are now available at multiple retailers in the Northeast as well as the Midwest. “The product line is available in more than 300 stores and there is more in the pipeline,” added Winton.

The ugly produce program targets customers who are concerned about sustainability and food waste. The program helps connect customers to tasty, but misshapen fruits and vegetables. In addition, the program also meets the demand of the value-concerned consumer who can now buy fresh produce at a 20-40 percent lower price point.

4-6 commodities available

The program includes three primary produce categories: citrus, tropicals and dry vegetables. “Availability depends on the season and changes throughout the year. Usually, about four to six commodities are available at any given time and it is mostly a combination of items from the three primary categories,” shared Winton. “For retailers, it is definitely different from their traditional purchasing program as it is hard to plan for availability. However, we are working to ensure that participating customer’s supply, packaging and merchandising needs are met.” Retailers have responded very positively.

Easy to identify

Misfits are most often merchandised in wooden crates with Misfits signage on the bin. Signage educates the consumer about the program. All produce items from the Misfits program are available in one spot in the store, making it easy for customers to identify the produce. “Misfits are sold in bags and the label on the bag identifies the type of produce. They are separated from grade-1 produce items in the store and therefore, there is little competition with other products,” mentioned Winton. In Canada, Robinson Fresh partners with Red Hat Cooperative and the ugly produce line is sold under the Red Hat brand.