MARKETING FLORIDA CELERY:
 A WHOLESALE AND RETAIL ANALYSIS


 Kary Mathis and Robert L. Degner

 INTRODUCTION

 This is the report of the second phase of a celery marketing

 study requested by the Florida Celery Exchange. This phase concen-

 trated on the wholesale and retail segment of the celery marketing

 system.

 The first phase of the study (AMRC IR 76-1, April 1976) was con-

 cerned with Florida grower and shipper reactions to different stalk

 lengths and packaging methods. The second phase, reported here, had

 the objective of determining wholesalers and retailers' practices

 and problems in purchasing and merchandising celery, particularly as

 affected by stalk lengths and packaging. The study sought to identify

 innovations and improvements in celery marketing that would benefit

 growers and shippers, wholesalers and retailers, and consumers.


 Procedure

 Structured interviews were conducted with executives responsible

for purchasing and merchandising produce in major wholesale and retail

firms in Philadelphia, Boston, and Detroit. The firms contacted are

listed in Table 1, and the questionnaire used is in the Appendix.


 KARY MATHIS is associate professor and ROBERT L. DEGNER is assis-
tant professor of food and resource economics, University of Florida.