Avocados star in Cinco de Mayo promotion

If you’re not promoting your avocados front and center just before May 5, you’re missing a prime opportunity to increase sales. Yes, other types of fresh produce work great, too, for the Cinco de Mayo holiday.

“Cross-merchandising avocados with other fresh categories will help drive incremental purchases, as many consumers are looking for foods that help reinforce healthy eating for themselves and their families,” said Stephanie Bazan, vice president of shopper and trade marketing at Avocados From Mexico, a nonprofit avocado marketing organization based in Irving, Texas.

But Cinco de Mayo avocado shoppers make 19.4 trips per year compared to the average avocado shoppers at 10.7 trips per year, according to a shopper profile study provided by the organization.

And avocado consumption during the four weeks leading up to Cinco de Mayo has grown 27% in the last five years, according to Nielsen data. The holiday is the second biggest period for U.S. avocado consumption, after the Super Bowl.

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.
(Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)

Avocados from Peru aren’t available in the U.S. until June, but avocados from Mexico and from California are ripe and ready to party for the May 5 celebration.

The holiday marks Mexico’s victory over France in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. That battle was 15 years after everyone in California and other southwestern states, all part of Mexico, were made U.S. citizens by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.
(Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)

Promoting avocados for the holiday

Suggesting Mexican-inspired recipes in point-of-sale materials, ads, social media and with QR codes is an easy way to merchandise and market your avocados before the spring fling. 

You have to think, “What can you do to increase lift and ring even more during this holiday?” said Karen Nardozza, president and CEO of Moxxy Marketing. “If your company is consumer-facing, use recipe ideas, party ideas to increase consumption.”

The California Avocado Commission has 88 recipes under its Cinco de Mayo category on californiaavocado.com.

Besides the obviously delicious and popular guacamole and taco recipes, consider recommending something such as chicken albondigas soup, a Mexican meatball soup great for lingering chills, or California avocado pineapple salsa for those tortilla chips. And suggest shoppers wash it down with an Avorita, an avocado margarita recipe with a 4.5-star rating on the California avocado website’s recipe page.

The commission works with retailers to create customized promotions that include sales and display contests, in-store merchandising, and social and digital support.

Avocados, in whole form or in value-added incarnations, are really on a roll during this time.

“It’s one of our top-selling holidays. It can be almost as big as Super Bowl depending on promotional levels,” said Jay Alley, co-owner and vice president of sales for Fresh Innovations and its ¡Yo Quiero! brands based in Rhome, Texas.

Four Seasons Produce, Ephrata, Pa., started offering a Party Pak of West Pak hass avocados about six weeks before the holiday. The packaging says it serves three to four people, is “for your occasions” and includes a party guacamole recipe. 

Brian Dey, Four Seasons senior merchandiser and natural stores coordinator, sets up avocado-centric Cinco de Mayo produce displays in-store for customers. He trains the retail staff members to create festive, eye-catching displays with smart cross-merchandising for this holiday and throughout the year.