Green Grocer - Career Advice - Retail and Hospitality

Green Grocers sell fresh fruit and vegetables to either the general public or other businesses. Wholesale greengrocers place orders with growers and importers, and sell these on to fresh produce shops, market traders and catering outlets. Online greengrocers sell direct to consumers through a website. Future Growth Decline

Green Grocers will often buy directly from primary producers in order to obtain the freshest produce. They may also buy bulk produce from wholesale markets.

"A greengrocer, also called a produce market or fruiterer, is a retail trader in fruit and vegetables; that is, in green groceries. Greengrocer is primarily a British and Australian term, and greengrocers' shops were once common in cities, towns and villages. They have been affected by the dominant rise of supermarkets, but many can be found managing small shops or stores in towns and cities and in some villages. Greengrocers can also be found in street markets and malls, or managing produce departments at supermarkets. Such traders typically handle the entire business of buying, selling, and book-keeping themselves."

"Consumers are becoming more interested in healthy food. This has led to more small businesses selling organic produce through local farmers' markets, and weekly doorstep deliveries of organic vegetable boxes that can be ordered through the internet.

Some greengrocers sell additional items, such as other local produce, flowers, pot plants, homemade cakes or jam. They may also sell seasonal products such as Christmas trees."

ANZSCO ID: 1421

Knowledge, skills and attributes

be able to communicate and listen carefully to the needs of customers
have a pleasant and friendly manner
be reliable and hard working, and have energy and enthusiasm
be knowledgeable about a wide range of fruit and vegetable produce.

Did You Know?

Cyclochila australasiae, commonly known as the green grocer, is a species of cicada and one of Australia's most familiar insects.
It is distributed through coastal regions of southeastern Australia.
It is one of the loudest insects in the world.
Do you know why?...

"Green Grocer"

The loud calls of the male are heard over the summer months; harsh and high-pitched, these may reach 120 decibels. The sound is made by the rapid buckling of the timbal ribs, and amplified by resonation in an air sac; the frequency is around 4.3 kHz.Calls occur in the afternoon and dusk of warm days.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Duties and Tasks

Green Grocers perform the following tasks:

ordering supplies from wholesalers
weighing and checking stock on receipt
wrapping and packing goods for sale
pricing items
assisting clients (including hotels and restaurants) in purchasing fresh fruit and vegetables
rotating and checking stock in order to maintain quality and freshness of produce; and, regularly top up displays.
collecting payment for sales and operating cash registers
advising customers about cooking methods, storage requirements and nutritional aspects of fruit and vegetables
serving customers and weighing and wrapping goods

Working conditions

The majority of Green Grocers now telephone stock orders through to wholesale suppliers, although some visit fruit and vegetable markets to buy stock. Those running their own businesses are also involved in managing staff, keeping financial records, carrying out stocktaking and organising deliveries.

Green Grocer selection of fruits Green Grocers need to be aware of seasonal variations in fruit and vegetables in order to make sure they are selling the freshest produce.

Green Grocers need a keen eye for identifying freshness and quality in fruit and vegetables. Many Green Grocers will also sell fresh herbs, eggs and dairy products.

There may be opportunities to manage a shop or fresh produce department for a supermarket chain. It may also be possible to branch out into other business areas, such as a farmers' market unit, farm shop, vegetable box supplier or wholesaler.

Greengrocers managing their own business usually work long hours. They may start very early as they may need to buy fresh produce directly from wholesale markets.

Greengrocers work mainly indoors, and their job involves a lot of bending, lifting and carrying.

Education and training/entrance requirements

There are no minimum qualifications for becoming a greengrocer, but it is useful to be good with figures and have an interest in business. The Diploma in retail business may be relevant for this area of work. Experience of working with customers, selling, or handling cash is helpful. A clean driving licence may be needed.

Some larger retailers may offer Retail Apprenticeships.

People who work in a greengrocer's shop are usually trained on the job by more experienced colleagues. They learn retail skills and shop procedures, and may also undertake a food hygiene course and health and safety training.

Large retailers and supermarkets usually provide structured training for their fresh produce assistants and department managers, both on the job and with in-house training courses.

Did You Know?

That fruit and vegetables are needed for our bodies to receive all of the necessary vitamins and minerals?

That there are two Australian towns named after fruit? They are Orange, NSW and Banana, QLD (within the Banana Shire!).