SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA - From zesty culinary in-house offerings to turning displays inside out, Gelson’s Markets immediately jumps to mind among banners ensuring shopping for holidays like Cinco de Mayo is an experience.

“We want to make celebrating all holidays fun with food!” Paul Kneeland, Senior Vice President of Sales and Merchandising, shared. “Our valued vendor partners help us by providing knowledge support; food trends, cutting-edge ideas now in the restaurant scene, and what is hot for this holiday. They also provide merchandising support, such as how to best position product on a display, and product support—what are the ‘must-haves’ and how do we get the best quality products available.”

This knowledge is especially critical as Gelson’s “unpacks” the produce department in the spirit of Cinco promos. Displays of veggies near the meat case, fresh guacamole and salsa near foodservice areas and near the check stands—as Paul puts it, it’s pull-out-all-the-stops as far as merchandising goes.

“When we plan our displays we are thinking about what the customer needs and—as importantly—what they don’t know they need. Adding all the produce items together in one spot for Cinco de Mayo will be our merchandising approach, as well as cross-merchandising center store items to add to the shopping experience. For us it’s thinking about our customer profile and putting together a section of culinary produce items that will fulfill those needs is essential,” Paul reflected.

This is done so expertly that it’s easy to forget there is a function behind the fashionable lengths Gelson’s goes to in ensuring fresh produce really shines. This, Paul emphasized, is thanks in no small part to the support both of the team and the vendors collaborating to bring such events to life.

As we continue to cover exciting strategies for Cinco de Mayo opportunities and beyond, keep reading AndNowUKnow.