Highlights
- Observations on mango merchandising from produce retail veterans Armand Lobato, Mike O'Brien and Joe Watson.
- Mango merchandising inspiration from the Produce Artist Award Series.
- Example of an epic total-store mango event at Kowalski's Markets.
- A creative placement idea from the National Mango Board.
Category quick hits
Check out the video above to enjoy some great category conversation with the industry expert panelists from our Produce Artist Award Series Spring 2021 Results webinar. Armand's 40-year-plus retail career has spanned the produce manager, buyer, supervisor and other roles, and Mike and Joe both won Produce Retailer of the Year in their tenures as produce retail executives.
Takeaways
- “Mango is such an acceptable flavor now, across into packaged goods, into pastries and everything else, so it stands to reason why retailers are leveraging consumers' taste preferences into really expanding upon their mango promotions when the opportunity presents,” Watson said on the webinar. O'Brien added that mangoes have come a long way in the Midwest in particular.
- “As time goes on, especially with some good sampling and more education, it'll continue to grow,” Lobato said. “This category is ripe for upward growth, and the many varieties, the colors and the flavors, they'll lend themselves well to that.”
- Selling pre-cut fresh mangoes can be a great way to introduce them to new consumers because they don't have to worry about how to cut them. However, in-store production can be problematic because of the yield, Watson noted. In his experience, it worked best to source cut mangoes from a third party.
Mango takeover
If you're looking for ways to grow your mango category – and engage your store-level teams – consider a total-store mango-centric event like this one that Kowalski's Market pulled together. Impressive stuff!
Display inspiration
If you're looking for even more beautiful mango displays, check out the below videos of displays that have been submitted for our Produce Artist Award Series.
The case for mangoes in the citrus section
The National Mango Board has been advocating for years for retailers to take mangoes out of the tropicals section, give them more space and get creative with their placement. The board has recently been making the case for the citrus table as the perfect spot.