ORLANDO, FL - Jewel-Osco’s very own Michael Vesely is celebrating his award as the 2017 Mango Retailer of the Year. Vesely, who was gifted the award by the National Mango Board (NMB), was named the winner on October 20th during a reception at PMA, which is the Board’s Annual Mango Industry Reception. Heavy hitters in the industry were present, including many of Jewel-Osco’s suppliers and the National Mango Board’s own board members.

With this honor, the Board is recognizing Jewel-Osco’s ongoing efforts to be leaders in mango support within the industry. The Midwest retailer’s success lauds its sales and volume performances. Jewel-Osco beat out over 100 of its competitors for the award, according to a press release, having proven to be both a regional and national mango volume per week sales champion.

Whether they come in the form of fresh-cut or case sales, mangos enjoy the spotlight at the retailer's stores, offering continuous year-round mango promotions with tailored seasonal opportunities for multiple varieties. With multiple forms of messaging, ranging from print and online magazine to newsletters and posts, Jewel-Osco has proven to be a powerhouse in marketing by reaching millions of potential mango customers in the market for the goods. Further, they offer access to specialists within fields. From produce teams to registered dietitians and marketing groups, Jewel-Osco has covered all of the territory necessary to make its mango sales flourish while catering to questions anyone within the industry might have.

“Being selected as the Mango Retailer of the Year has been a tremendous honor; second only to seeing year over year sales increases,” stated Michael Vesely, Senior Produce Buyer at Jewel-Osco. “The NMB provided us with many tools to help create retail excitement. The displays our teams have built using the NMB’s Point of Sale materials have been amazing. Working with the NMB’s retail account managers Katie Manetti, Tim Beerup, and Wendy McManus have really energized the team and shown them what mangos can do for the produce department. We look forward to continuing to develop our relationship with not only the NMB but also with our valued vendor community.”

Taking home the prize for his company, Vesely is reaping the rewards of his hard work. Just like any doting parent would nourish the success of their offspring, Vesely made sure to highlight mango merchandise for consumers without deflating the same amount of love the retailer shows other categories. The goal was to catch the attention of new buyers with on-going promotions–a plan which has since proven successful for the retailer.

“Having a Midwest retailer as the recipient of this prestigious award is a testament to mango growth in the U.S.,” stated Valda Coryat, Director of Marketing at the NMB. “This sends us a clear message–there is a mango for all seasons and they are gaining momentum in this under-indexed consumption area of the country. We look forward to our continued work with Michael and the Jewel-Osco team, as well as all our retail partners in helping them achieve mango success.”

The National Mango Board award comes after a year-long drive for sales and consumer interest led by Vesely. To that, we say this: go, mango!

To learn more about the National Mango Board, visit them at mango.org. Or, you can take a peek into the life and times of Jewel-Osco at jewelosco.com.

Either way, keep checking back with us at AndNowUKnow for more produce news!

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