Market Sales Associate

Position Overview

Crystal Valley West is looking for a Market Sales Associate to work on our sales floor at the Los Angeles Produce Terminal Market. This is a customer-facing role on the market floor. The Market Sales Associate will work alongside our lead salesperson, take care of walk-in and pickup customers, and help grow our regional customer base.

Position Details

• Location: Los Angeles Produce Terminal Market, Downtown LA
• Schedule: Early mornings, starting around 3:00 AM Mon-Fri
• Competitive Pay
• Benefits: Health, 401(k), paid time off.
  

Key Responsibilities

Sales & Customer Service

• Greet and assist customers on the market floor.
• Always accompany customers on the floor and walk them through available product.
• Quote prices from the daily price sheet and negotiate within pricing guidelines.
• Manage customer complaints and returns and document them correctly.
• Cover the floor when lead salesperson is out.

Inventory & Orders

• Check product quality and shelf-life daily and move older product first.
• Enter orders accurately in our ERP and make sure each sale is tied to the correct lot.

Account Development

• Turn walk-in customers into repeat accounts with scheduled pickups or deliveries.
• Bring in new customers from the market and the Southern California area.
• Identify and introduce new items into the existing Crystal Valley product line based on customer demand, working with procurement to source them.
• Share market feedback (pricing, demand, competitor activity) with the sales and procurement team.
  

Qualifications

Required

• 5+ years of fresh produce sales experience, preferably on a terminal market or in wholesale.
• Knowledge of produce quality, grades, ripeness, and shelf life.
• Strong customer service and negotiation skills.
• Comfortable with numbers and understanding market pricing.
• Basic computer skills (order entry, email, Excel).

Preferred

• Bilingual English/Spanish.
• Experience with a produce ERP (Famous, Produce Pro, Silo or similar).
• Existing relationships with LA-area produce buyers.
• Ability to find sources for newly introduced commodities.
• Knowledge of PACA and food safety/traceability basics.

Key Skills

• Terminal Market Sales
• Customer Service
• Negotiation & Pricing
• Produce Quality
• Order Entry and Consistent Inventory Checks
• Account Development

Success Metrics

• Walk-in customers converted to repeat accounts.
• Sales volume and margin vs. monthly targets.
• Move and sell aged product before it becomes shrink.
• Order, invoice and cash accuracy, with every sale tied to the correct lot.
• Customer issues and returns resolved the same day and documented.
  

About Us

Crystal Valley Foods is a family-owned specialty produce importer and distributor, founded in 1994 and based in Miami. Crystal Valley West is our Los Angeles operation, located on the LA Produce Terminal Market. We source from growers throughout the Americas and run year-round programs including asparagus, berries, beans, and tomatoes.

Crystal Valley West, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in accordance with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act.