With the Southeast Produce Council (SEPC)’s Southern Exposure coming up, the Mission Produce team looks forward to connecting with customers in Orlando Florida for the produce industry's first major trade show of 2023. "This year, we will promote some of our most effective programs for driving avocado category growth, including ‘Ready!,’ ‘Size Minded,’ and our Mission bag lineup," says Megan Berenbach, director of sales.
Throughout Mission's nearly 40 years of growing, packing and distributing fresh Hass avocados, the company has learned that the avocado consumer profile is diverse–shoppers have various lifestyles, shopping habits and product preferences. So, to capture shoppers at all ends of the avocado spectrum, it’s important to diversify offerings. Mission supports customers with data-driven merchandising programs designed to do just that. Using insights from Avocado Intel, its in-house intelligence capabilities, its programs and product offerings target a diversity of consumers and promote increased purchasing.
Right: Megan Berenbach
Different programs
Mission’s ‘Ready!’ program enables retailers to simultaneously merchandise ripe and almost-ripe avocados. Its data revealed that for 33 percent of shoppers, desired ripeness level depends on their usage plans while the other 67 percent were split between typically buying ripe (28 percent) or firm (38 percent) avocados.¹ The program provides both ripe and almost-ripe options. It is also applying these same concepts to its ripe mango program.
Its ‘Size Minded’ program encourages retailers to merchandise two bulk sizes of avocados. Consumer size preferences often change according to their usage plans– small avocados can work well as a lunchtime snack, while larger avocados can be ideal for making guac. Data revealed that while 41 percent of shoppers prefer a large avocado, 24 percent prefer smaller avocados and 19 percent have no preference.¹
Additionally, the ‘Size Minded’ program also enables retailers to take advantage of the fluctuating size curves of the crop– if supply is tight on one size, they can promote the other. Being flexible on sizing can lead to more promotional opportunities, which are important considering that one-third of avocado purchases happen on impulse.¹
Mission also offers a lineup of packaged avocados: Minis, Jumbos, World’s Finest, Emeralds in the Rough and Organics. In the last five years, sales of bagged avocados in the U.S. more than doubled, while bulk avocado sales grew only 11 percent during the same time frame.² Including bagged avocados in a store can bring value says Berenbach – for heavy avocado consumers, bags are a grab-and-go solution and typically offer better prices per avocado.
Mission looks forward to catching up with current and prospective customers to strategize how its suite of offerings can help customers maximize sales and drive category growth. Stop by booth #1034.
1.Mission Produce Avocado Intel Survey. December 6, 2022.
2.IRI Total U.S. Multi-Outlet. Calendar years 2017 to 2022.
For more information:
Jenna Aguilera
Mission Produce, Inc.
press@missionproduce.com
https://missionproduce.com/