California Avocado Commission’s Jan DeLyser Talks Cinco de Mayo Merchandising Strategies
IRVINE, CA - Cinco de Mayo is nearly upon us, which means shoppers are already frequenting the avocado section to build out their festive snacking menus. As the holiday falls during peak California avocado season, California Avocado Commission’s (CAC) Jan DeLyser offered some tips for maximizing sales ahead of this lucrative time frame.
“For Cinco de Mayo merchandising, it is helpful to create a festive atmosphere in the produce department, and avocados are a truly festive produce item,” the Vice President of Marketing begins. “Cross-merchandising California avocados within the produce department alongside tomatoes, chiles, onions, limes, and lemons is an easy and colorful way to build around the Cinco de Mayo theme. Displays of bagged avocados placed outside of the produce department near tortillas or chips can also be a great way to encourage incremental sales.”
To make the most of this increased traffic to the produce department, retailers should have well-stocked displays in place ahead of the holiday to maximize sales potential. Bolstering displays with California avocados that are ripe for same-day consumption and some fruit that will be ripe later is a great way to meet the various needs of shoppers, whether they're purchasing in advance for celebrations or picking more ripe fruit closer to May 5.
Helping buyers get a leg up in the category, CAC provides display bins that can be used throughout the California avocado season, along with recipe cards, including one for guacamole that is excellent for Cinco de Mayo.
“The greatest retail avocado sales take place during the California Season,” adds Jan. “The season encompasses some exceptionally high-performing holidays, including Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. These holidays all see spikes in retail sales performance with large volumes of fruit being purchased. Foodservice also sees spikes in avocado movement during these times.”
While this prime merchandising period continues to create endless opportunities for the avocado category, keep reading ANUK for the latest insights and sales-driving strategies.
