Mike Roberts: Rethink the Role of the Produce Manager

Walk into nearly any grocery store in America, and the first thing a shopper sees is produce. It’s the heartbeat of fresh retail — colorful, dynamic and demanding. Yet, despite its visibility and critical importance, the produce department remains one of the most misunderstood and undervalued areas in grocery operations, especially when it comes to leadership.

Too often, produce is treated as an afterthought. When a staffing issue arises, the default solution is to “just throw someone over there.” The assumption? Anyone can do produce.

This mindset is not only outdated — it’s costing us talent, profit, and long-term stability. It’s time we start recognizing the produce manager’s role for what it truly is: a skilled, strategic, high-impact position that should be a pipeline to executive leadership.

REFRAMING PRODUCE AS A SKILLED DISCIPLINE

Produce management isn’t just about stacking tomatoes and rotating bananas. It’s about managing margin on a knife’s edge. It’s about making real-time decisions on shrink, handling logistics under pressure, merchandising to drive movement, leading a team, and delivering on customer expectations — all within the tightest, most perishable category in the store.

Put simply, a great produce manager is part merchant, part operator, and part coach.

If more leaders with a background in produce were promoted into higher executive roles, we’d see more thoughtful decision-making around labor models, supply chain realities, assortment strategies, and waste mitigation. These are all areas where traditional corporate silos often overlook the nuance — and the cost — of fresh.

By continuing to undervalue produce managers, we risk:

• Burnout and high turnover from our most capable store leaders.

• Poor departmental performance due to lack of training or respect.

• A talent drain — where high-potential individuals leave because they don’t see a future in fresh.

And worst of all? We perpetuate a culture where the most critical department in the store is treated like the least strategic.

WHAT SUCCESS COULD LOOK LIKE

Imagine a future where produce is no longer seen as a starting point, but as a strategic pillar of retail success. Where produce managers are not just store-level operators, but part of the talent pipeline for district managers, merchandisers, category directors, and even vice presidents.

Success means investing in produce talent: formal training, leadership development, data literacy, and cross-department exposure. It means valuing real-world execution as much as traditional credentials.

If someone can run a high-performing produce department, there’s no job in the store they can’t handle. Start treating them that way. Give them visibility. Solicit their input. Include them in strategic conversations. Promote from fresh.

Also, stop setting people up to fail. Don’t treat produce as a catch-all for underperformers from other departments. This isn’t a place for trial-and-error — it’s a complex and high-stakes environment. When we treat it that way, we see results that match.

THE ROLE OF SENIOR LEADERSHIP

Senior leaders set the tone. If you value fresh, show it. Recognize talent in produce roles. Offer mentorship and sponsorship. Push back against the idea that produce isn’t “strategic.” It is. It always has been.

If you’re making corporate-level decisions without a fresh perspective in the room, you’re only seeing half the picture.

And if you’re making corporate-level decisions without a fresh perspective in the room — you’re only seeing half the picture.

A WORD TO NEXTGEN LEADERS

If you’re managing a successful produce department today, hear this: You are already operating at a high level. You juggle pressure, pace, people, and perishables — all while delivering results daily. That’s leadership.

Keep sharpening your skills. Learn the financials. Understand the broader retail business. Speak up. You have insights that corporate teams need to hear.

There is no ceiling for produce people — unless we believe there is one. The best operators I know came from the floor, from the trucks, from the wet rack. They know what works because they’ve lived it. And that’s exactly the kind of leader this industry needs more of.

Produce isn’t easy — and it’s not supposed to be. But when done right, it’s the most exciting, high-impact part of the grocery business.

Let’s stop treating produce managers like placeholders — and start treating them like the future executives they are.

Mike Roberts is vice president of produce operations at Arkansas-based Harps Food Stores Inc.