L et this year be one that’s green, not with envy, but possibility. The sky’s the limit, and nothing showcases that more than the days when California avocados come to fruition, becoming an increasingly valued addition to coffee and dinner tables, be that for the everyday or any occasion. Here are a few experts to help make sure that your sales this season are in the green…
“Retailers, I have always felt the best way to merchandise is to speak to your customers. Produce Managers need to talk to people and see if they have any questions—discover what they are looking for so you can plan your displays and verify your marketing plan. Make your displays count so that they will drive business. Design them so that the customer will not be able to miss them. With small displays, make them eye-grabbing, eye-level, and leverage informational signage. Make sure to keep things well stocked and freshly rotated, which makes customers feel like they are getting the best of the best, and monitor your sales to see how these strategies are working!”
“Getting that avocado merchandising strategy for seasonal events like the Big Game right is key to any retailer winning big. Running bag promotions the two weeks leading up to events, whether the Big Game or eating holidays like Easter and Cinco de Mayo, and switching to ripe bulk promotions the week of will help capture every sale.”
“California avocado season offers supermarket retailers a golden opportunity to create excitement for avocado lovers within California, the West, and other selected parts of the United States. Retailers can effectively merchandise premium California avocados in-store through colorful, eye-catching point-of-purchase signs and specially made bins developed by the California Avocado Commission. Additionally, retailers can utilize digital marketing, including social media, to communicate California’s unique seasonal exclusivity, local terroir, freshness, quality, nutritional/health benefits, and the Golden State’s overall sunny lifestyle and culture.”
“Themed events, from Super Bowl and Cinco de Mayo to the Fourth of July, have evolved into some of the top opportunities for merchandising avocados. Retailers win with strong primary displays of avocados and complementary produce items, building higher basket rings. Additional avocado displays in and beyond the produce department, as part of themed promotions, are excellent ways to boost sales. For California avocados, the opportunity is already local, with the season just getting underway, and some picking being done before the Big Game. The harvest should build into March, with peak promotable volumes in spring and summer. Meanwhile, I’m rooting for my hometown Kansas City Chiefs to become repeat Super Bowl champs!”
“The California avocado season promises good supplies, continued great quality, and solid demand. Overall acreage remains stable state-wide with over 3,500 growers from San Diego to San Luis Obispo, and many growers, including Eco Farms, are planting more trees and boosting their per-acre yields, which has been a trend in California in recent years. After a huge 2020 California avocado season, the 2021 season will be slightly lower than last year’s 380 million-plus pounds packed and shipped, but will exceed 300 million pounds. Eco Farms began packing in late January and will plan to go through October to November 2021, with peak harvest set for April through August.”
“Working with an infinitely flexible and healthy superfood is exciting and rewarding. As we’ve seen more adventurous cooking at home over the last year, consumers are finding even more awesome ways of incorporating avocado into their daily diets. As an industry, we need to make sure our merchandising and packs meet the different needs of all consumers, from single-serving sized options to bags for that once a week shop to ripe and ready-to-eat offerings.” 
