Produce & Floral Department - Assistant

Forty Acres Fresh Market; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 25,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare Reimbursement Plan

Paid sick time

Paid vacation time

10% in-store employee discount

Job summary

Forty Acres Fresh Market in Chicago is hiring a Produce/Floral Department Assistant to support daily operations, including fruit/veg prep, customer service, and inventory management. You will work with the Produce/Floral Manager to maintain margins, ensure product freshness, and uphold merchandising standards in a new store.

The position requires 1–2 years in retail, good math and communication skills, and a 18+ age threshold. Competitive hourly pay and benefits are provided.

Qualifications

• Must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or equivalent.
• 1–2 years of relevant retail experience with customer-facing roles.
• Strong customer service, communication, and mathematical skills.
• Ability to work independently or in a team and maintain accuracy.

Responsibilities

• Provide outstanding customer service and address questions or concerns.
• Manage inventory, rotate stock, and Cull for bad/outdated products.
• Maintain product signage, pricing, and country-of-origin information.
• Support Produce Manager to protect margins and reduce shrink.
• Assist in inventory control and product ordering to ensure freshness.
• Follow procedures to minimize department shrink and ensure safety.
• Assign daily tasks to team members for efficient workflow.
• Keep floral and produce displays clean and visually appealing.

Skills

Customer service

Inventory management

Pricing & margins

Merchandising

Communication

Teamwork

Safety standards

Cash handling

Education

HS Diploma or equivalent

Tools

POS system

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Who We Are:

Food is the foundation of good health. Forty Acres Fresh Market (FAFM) is an independent, Black woman-owned grocery business offering high-quality, fresh food to people across Chicagoland. We are working to restore healthy food access so that people across Chicago neighborhoods can have a worthwhile grocery experience regardless of zip code.

Who We Are:

Food is the foundation of good health. Forty Acres Fresh Market (FAFM) is an independent, Black woman-owned grocery business offering high-quality, fresh food to people across Chicagoland. We are working to restore healthy food access so that people across Chicago neighborhoods can have a worthwhile grocery experience regardless of zip code. Forty Acres Fresh Market has opened its first brick and mortar store in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood in 2025 and is looking for likeminded people to join our team.

Who You Are:

Do you want to be part of building a business that is a catalyst for community change? Do you believe that everyone should be able to access affordable fresh food in their neighborhood? Are you interested in rebuilding neighborhoods that have endured years of divestment? If so then this is the company for you. We are seeking an enthusiastic, detail and results oriented Produce/Floral Department Assistant who is eager to support the development and operations of a department in a new store.

The Job:

Are you a dedicated grocery professional who loves fruits and veggies, has enthusiasm for people, and believes that high-quality produce should be easily accessible for everyone? Forty Acres Fresh Market (FAFM) is looking for an assistant to support the daily operations of our Produce & Floral Department, including the preparation of packaged cut fruit, juices, and smoothies. The Produce Assistant is responsible for providing outstanding customer service while working alongside the Produce/Floral Department Manager in various key operational areas. We are seeking a detail oriented person to help manage department inventory, margin, pricing integrity, and adherence to merchandising standards. As a FAFM team member, this Assistant will exemplify Forty Acres’ values of Quality, Sustainability, Community Engagement, and Integrity.

Applicants must be 18 years of age, minimum.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Model and provide exceptional customer service by addressing customer concerns and questions.
• Ensure product quality by managing inventory, proper rotation, and culling for bad or out of date products.
• Consistently maintain product signage, pricing, and COOL information (country of origin).
• Assist the Produce Manager in overseeing a profitable and revenue-generating department by helping maintain margins and reducing shrink or waste.
• Support the Produce Manager in inventory control and product freshness by assisting in product ordering.
• Follow and maintain procedures and processes that are implemented by the Produce Manager and Store Leadership to minimize department shrink.
• Responsible for assigning daily tasks to team members to ensure efficient workflow during the day.
• Maintain safety, sanitation and regulatory standards, including proper handling and labeling of products.
• Keep both floral and produce displays clean, organized, and visually appealing.
• Other duties related to general store operations as assigned by management

Requirements

• Must be at least 18 years of age
• HS Diploma or equivalent
• 1-2 years relevant retail experience
• Must be capable of providing and modeling exceptional customer service
• Excellent communication skills to effectively interact with customers, store leadership, and team members.
• Detail-oriented, self-motivated, and able to work independently or in groups.
• Ability to facilitate a positive work environment with outstanding teamwork and mutual respect.
• Proficiency in computer and math skills for accurate inventory management, pricing, and ordering.
• Knowledge of basic math, particularly fractions and margin formulas
• Effective communication skills (written and verbal)

Preferred Qualifications

• 1-2 years of grocery experience in perishable department (Meat/Seafood, Produce, Deli)

Other Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Ability to manage time effectively, and prioritize tasks
• Must be detail oriented, self-motivated, and able to work independently or in groups.

Machines and Equipment Operated:

• Sharp knives, wrappers, scales, compactors, garbage disposals, hand trucks, pallet jacks; etc.

Work Environment/ Physical Demands

• Must have the physical ability to stand for extended periods of time, bend, climb, balance, stoop to grasp objects, kneel, crouch, crawl, frequently push/pull up to 100 lbs., frequently lift and/or move loads up to 50 lbs., and occasionally lift 75 lbs.
• Must work with sharp knives, blending/juicing machines, and slicers
• Ability to enter the coolers and freezers thereby being subjected to and withstanding frequent temperature changes for extended periods of time.
• Occasional high stress when dealing with systems/customers/staff.
• Able to work a flexible schedule with various shifts, including weekends and holidays, as determined by the store/business needs and as required to ensure adequate store staffing, and ability to be reached as needed after hours.
• Must have a reliable source of transportation, as this role requires timeliness for opening shifts.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.

Job Type: Full-time

This position is Chicago-based

Compensation: $19.00/hour

Benefits:

• Healthcare Reimbursement Plan
• Up to 40 hours paid sick time annually
• Up to 80 hours paid vacation time annually
• 10% in-store employee discount (excludes alcohol and Mabel’s Meals)

Forty Acres Fresh Market is an equal opportunity employer. We will not discriminate and will take affirmative action measures to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.