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merchandising review  tropicals
and established goals, choosing what items to carry will become easier.
Of course, much of this will be determined by their customer base as Ronnie Cohen, vice president of sales at Vision Import Group, Hackensack, NJ, points out. “Each banner and each footprint will vary depending on what community it is serving,” says Cohen. “One person’s store you may consider mainstream for a tropical item while others consider it as specialty or exotic.”  e bottom line, Cohen stresses, is to know your customers.
Carolina Garcia, marketing manager, Fy es North America, Coral Gables, FL says Asian and Hispanic shoppers are most likely to purchase ethnic tropical produce. “Retailers should consider the holidays that are cele- brated by these groups to plan for in-store promotions and ensure that their ethnic trop- ical displays are fully stocked.”
Good intentions on tropicals do not always translate to the bins, however, and some retailers may not be doing their due diligence when it comes to tropicals. “I think most are reason- able in some o erings,” says Cohen, “but there are pockets in the country that simply do not have the diversity, so hence produce managers
Jackfruit
in those areas have limited knowledge due to the fact their trade doesn’t buy what is available, creating no or little demand.”
“Sometimes Northern specialty fruits end up in the tropical section,” cautions Mary Ostlund, marketing director, Brooks Tropical, in Homestead, FL. “Since we get so much of our produce from the Tropics, it’s under-
standable. But it’s nice to make the distinc- tion that the tropics produces some unique fruit that can only be grown in the tropics.“
EDUCATE AND COMMUNICATE
Education is key for customers who may be unfamiliar with the breadth of the tropicals category, and digital communi-
nMERCHANDISING MATTERS
Tropicals lend themselves well to bright, colorful displays and retailers would be wise to make this a part of their merchan- dising plans, especially when many domestic items aren’t in season. “Tropical colors in winter are a huge draw,” says Mary Ostlund, marketing director at Brooks Tropical, Homestead, FL. “Although most tropical produce comes from Florida, Central and South America, your consumers will treat any Polynesian theme as apropos.”
Allan Acosta, tropical general manager at Robinson Fresh, Eden Prairie, MN, sees the Super Bowl as a great opportunity for promotion with tropicals. He says it makes sense to capitalize on the work that commodity boards are already doing by advertising to consumers with such campaigns as Avocados From Mexico’s advertising during the Big Game. “Providing recipes and meal ideas around the known item of avocados and pairing with a less- er-known item like a mango can be a fun and creative way to market,” he says.
Cross merchandising with secondary displays at checkout with products such as cereal, yogurt and ice cream is another way
to boost sales during the winter months and capture the attention of impulse buyers, according to Bil Goldfield, director, corpo- rate communications, Dole Food Company, Westlake Village, CA. “Like few other fruits and vegetables, bananas and pineapples can trigger impulse purchases, so retailers are wise to leverage this opportunity to the fullest potential,” says Goldfield.
According to Dionysius Christou, vice
president of marketing for Del Monte Fresh Produce, based in Coral Gables, FL, “The year-round availability of this cate- gory opens the door to a wide variety of cross-promoting opportunities. Pineapple rings go great with ham during the holiday season and burgers during grilling season. Similarly, fresh-cut mangos can be enjoyed alongside ice cream or pudding for dessert or at any time throughout the year.” pb
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