What does a produce manager do?
A produce manager works at a grocery store and is responsible for maintaining and creating the produce display. Each grocery store has standard operating procedures for sales and production, and the produce manager has to work within those guidelines to improve the sales and net profit of the store. They help negotiate prices with suppliers, ensure that they deliver the best quality stock on time, prioritize, and place orders based on the demand for such items as organic or locally grown produce. The produce manager also timely provides pricing updates, and he/she or she supervises the placement of shelf tags.
Produce manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real produce manager resumes:
- Manage receipts, handling of perishables, co-packing and re-packing, maintenance and dispatch of goods.
- Conduct quality control evaluations to ensure cleanliness and customer satisfaction.
- Include all bread, ice cream, frozen foods, beer and wine, meat dept.
- Balance monthly the FTD report, greet and serve the customers.
- Lead the grocery, frozen, bulk, and beer and wine departments.
- Break down pallets load with produce and stack them in the cooler where they belong.
- Take inventory of produce, scheduling of orders, coordinating of container delivery, unloading pallets of products.
- Process the payroll, monitors the attendance of the subordinates, and performs the duties of the manger in his absence.
- Assure that sales are being make throughout the day along with making sure payroll stays within the budget of the department.
- Maintain department cleanliness and sanitation according to OSHA rules and regulations.
- Provide strategic, operational and fiscal leadership and maintain local presentation and service standards.
- Work closely with outside companies (DSD) to maintain day to day sales as well as special promotions.
- Drive the achievement of financial goals by managing customer inventory flow process and SWAS planning.
Produce manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 13% of Produce Managers are proficient in Cleanliness, Pallets, and Customer Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Creativity, Customer-service skills, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Produce Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Cleanliness, 13%
Maintained department cleanliness and sanitation according to OSHA rules and regulations.
- Pallets, 12%
Break down pallets loaded with produce and stack them in the cooler where they belong.
- Customer Service, 9%
Embrace the customer 1st strategy and encourage associates to deliver excellent customer service by providing and outstanding customer experience.
- Food Safety, 8%
Attained Food Safety Certification by achieving the highest score in-store for a written examination covering food safety in public-sales environments.
- Pallet Jack, 6%
Maintained sanitary conditions, operated forklift/electric pallet jack, unloaded grocery trucks.
- Food Handling, 6%
Managed 10-15 employees while abiding by Federal, State and Company Regulations, regarding proper food handling along with others.
Most produce managers use their skills in "cleanliness," "pallets," and "customer service" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential produce manager responsibilities here:
Creativity. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a produce manager to have is creativity. Their role and responsibilities require that "floral designers must develop appropriate designs for different occasions." Produce managers often use creativity in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "provided leadership, training and direction for department supervisors in the acquisition and management of millions of dollars in produce inventory. "
Customer-service skills. Another essential skill to perform produce manager duties is customer-service skills. Produce managers responsibilities require that "floral designers spend much of their day interacting with customers and suppliers." Produce managers also use customer-service skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "manage store operations to ensure friendly and efficient customer service. "
Organizational skills. produce managers are also known for organizational skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to produce manager responsibilities, because "floral designers need to be well organized to keep the business operating smoothly and to ensure that orders are completed on time." A produce manager resume example shows how organizational skills is used in the workplace: "provided leadership with energetic attitude and strong organizational skills. "
The three companies that hire the most produce managers are:
- Jetro Cash & Carry Enterprises Inc.131 produce managers jobs
- ShopRite Supermarkets Inc.
30 produce managers jobs
- Kroger21 produce managers jobs
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Compare different produce managers
Produce manager vs. Assistant deli manager
An assistant deli manager is in charge of performing various support tasks to maintain the smooth flow of operations at deli shops. They typically handle the documentation procedures, answer calls and correspondence, manage inventory and pricing, arrange product displays, liaise with external partners such as vendors and suppliers, and assist customers by answering their inquiries and processing their orders. Moreover, in the absence of a manager, an assistant deli manager typically assumes their duties in overseeing the shop's overall operations.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, produce manager responsibilities require skills like "dexterity," "excellent interpersonal," "pallet jack," and "manual dexterity." Meanwhile a typical assistant deli manager has skills in areas such as "product quality," "food service," "grinders," and "safety procedures." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Assistant deli managers really shine in the retail industry with an average salary of $33,267. Comparatively, produce managers tend to make the most money in the retail industry with an average salary of $36,177.On average, assistant deli managers reach similar levels of education than produce managers. Assistant deli managers are 0.8% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Produce manager vs. Assistant manager
An assistant manager provides assistance and support to the direct manager in ensuring that the business runs smoothly with guaranteed satisfaction. An associate manager helps organize daily projects and manages employees to make sure that tasks are being done in a timely and accurate manner. Assistant managers are also expected to develop a good relationship with the whole workforce and clients to contribute to a successful and healthy workplace. An assistant manager is also required to present practical strategies for business growth, monitor daily operations, and communicate with clients for any possible suggestions and complaints.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that produce manager responsibilities requires skills like "pallets," "dexterity," "excellent interpersonal," and "pallet jack." But an assistant manager might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "paperwork," "payroll," "cash control," and "loss prevention."
Assistant managers earn a higher average salary than produce managers. But assistant managers earn the highest pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $44,622. Additionally, produce managers earn the highest salaries in the retail with average pay of $36,177 annually.assistant managers earn similar levels of education than produce managers in general. They're 1.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Produce manager vs. Team lead/manager
A team lead or manager is an individual who is responsible for guiding and directing employees so that they can achieve efficient operations within the organization. Team leads manage all the activities of their employees and distribute information to them as well as stakeholders. They provide coaching and training to employees so that they can achieve goals and developed the necessary skills that get results. The team also leads set ground rules and properly assigns tasks to employees so that they can avoid conflicts among staff.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a produce manager is likely to be skilled in "pallets," "dexterity," "food safety," and "pallet jack," while a typical team lead/manager is skilled in "leadership," "performance evaluations," "payroll," and "direct reports."
Team lead/managers typically earn higher educational levels compared to produce managers. Specifically, they're 7.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Produce manager vs. Sales associate/manager
As the name entails, sales associates or associate managers are responsible for helping the store manager organize and run the retail stores. Their roles and responsibilities include ensuring that the store's goals are met by the sales team, hiring and training sales staff, and monitoring inventory. They are also expected to analyze consumer behavior, look for competitive products in the market, and communicate and evaluate clients' needs. To be qualified for this position, you should have experience as an assistant manager, organizational and leadership skills, and proficiency in MS Office.
Types of produce manager
Updated January 8, 2025
