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Mapping PLUs for hassle free sales

Hearing directly from the customer with Michigan WIC’s Shopping Survey

Apple Valley Natural Foods in Berrien Springs, MI is the preferred store for vegetarians and vegans in the area, as it serves no meat. When Michigan WIC asked clients for their feedback shopping at the store, most comments were positive. Yet one customer shared difficulties purchasing fresh produce. Michigan WIC staff and store management came together to resolve this common issue faced by WIC recipients—difficulty purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables.

Apple Valley Clementine Photo

Working with a WIC representative and POS provider to resolve issue

A Michigan WIC analyst visited the store and verified the issue was caused by the store needing to do PLU mapped. Store manager Dave B. called his point-of-sale (POS) provider, Retail Data Systems, to map the WIC-eligible PLU code 4469 to the universal product codes (UPCs )for bagged produce like potatoes and oranges in the store’s system. This step is necessary to enable the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables with WIC benefits.


The analyst then used a test card to confirm the PLU mapping was successful and WIC customers would be able to purchase eligible produce items without issue.
Apple Valley ISS45 Screen

Writing PLU mapping procedures to empower staff to continue necessary work

The Michigan WIC analyst and manager Dave B. documented each step of the PLU mapping process with their ISS45 POS system and created a concise procedure manual. This manual is designed to train store staff at Apple Valley Natural Foods and other stores using the same POS system. You can find this manual for ISS45 and other technical resources at on the Michigan WIC POS Equipment and Systems.

Committing to continue PLU mapping and responding to customer needs

"At Apple Valley, we believe in the importance of listening to our customers and taking action to meet their needs," said Dave B. from Apple Valley Natural Foods. "If one customer is having an issue, there may be others. We want our store to be a place customers can count on."


Apple Valley’s responsive approach serves as a strong example of how store owners, state staff, and POS providers can collaborate to address challenges in the WIC program.