Asda has appointed 150 specialist in-store greengrocers in its UK stores as part of a £9 million investment to increase the choice and quality of fresh fruit and vegetables available in store.

The new greengrocer positions, which are expected to be filled by a combination of existing colleagues and new hires, are being appointed exclusively to focus on Big 4 grocer’s fresh produce offer in store.

Each greengrocer will be based on the shop floor and will be responsible for quality standards, product availability and presentation of the produce area.

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They will also be on hand to support customers when required and will receive specialist training in all aspects of Asda’s fresh produce operation.

The training ranges from how and where fruit and vegetables are grown to the optimum conditions in which products should be stored and displayed to maintain freshness and quality.

The Big 4 grocer is also investing to offer customers a greater choice of premium fruit and vegetables from its “extra special” tier and in new fixtures and fittings to improve the presentation and layout of its fresh produce section.

“The fresh produce section is one of the most popular locations in our stores and more than half of our best-selling lines by volume are generated from this area,” Asda director of fresh produce Mike Snell said.

“We know how proud our colleagues are about product quality and store standards and we are making this investment to enhance the experience our customers receive when shopping for fresh fruit and vegetables.”

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