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mangos merchandising review Getting More Out Of Mangos
Educating consumers on different varieties and uses can lead to repeat business.
“Communication plays an important role in advising retailers when is the best time to promote,” notes Tom Hall, sales manager for Freska Produce International LLC in Oxnard, CA, “but again, they don’t always want to promote when we need them to promote. I am sure there is a variety of factors that play into their decision-making.”
Mangos play an important role not only in traditional recipes, says Ronnie Cohen, the principal of Vision Import Group in Hack- ensack, NJ, but also as “a playful substitute in recipes with other more traditional ingredi- ents. Fruit has tremendous versatility.”
The story of mangos begins with their variety, something consumers love more than nearly anything else. Bob Sickles, the third-generation owner of Sickles Market in Little Silver, NJ, says he “loves mangos. I think they are the second-largest seller in the world next to bananas.” First and foremost, he emphasizes, “variety matters. The most common, yet least palatable, is the Tommy Atkins variety. Their flavor is fair at best, and they are very fibrous. Unfortunately, they are very red and pretty on the outside, hence more acceptable to North American shoppers.”
Among the top varieties in Sickles’ view are:
• Kent, which comes from South America, California and Mexico. “Fantastic flavor when fully ripe, and the flesh is smooth as silk with no fiber. Their skin is mostly green to yellow with occasional orange blush. It is a personal favorite.” Stores that work to popularize this variety, he says, will have “great success. Cutting them up into cups for sale can more than double your return. Customers will repeat-buy often when you do this correctly. This is one of the best fruits in the world.”
• Keitt. “Similar to Kents, maybe a bit smaller,” says Sickles. “All the same charac- teristics. Not quite as available as Kents. There is a lot grown in Puerto Rico.”
• Champagne, or Ataulfo or Haitians. “Now officially proclaimed the ‘Honey Mango’ by the National Mango Board,” says Sickles.
Consumers drive what retailers put on the shelves with their purchasing decisions and requests, points out Napolitano, “so while different varieties are beginning to become available, education and sampling is key to continuing growth and change. While Tommy Atkins is the most prevalent variety available, there are so many others that are far superior in taste and texture.”
Tommy Atkins is the top variety in the
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of reasons — their freshness,
Y HOWARD RIELL
mericans love mangos for lots
taste, consistency, variety, color,
nutrition, and because they are almost always in season somewhere.
Enticing consumers to buy in large volumes then becomes a matter of presenting mangos in an inviting matter. But while quality is a given, and strong merchandising is the norm, getting more information into the heads of consumers and retailers alike remains a never-ending challenge.
“We find that educating consumers on different mango varieties and their differ- ences, as well as what they can be used for, is the biggest challenge,” says Michael Napoli- tano, sales manager for HLB Specialties in Fort Lauderdale, FL. “We also see hesitation from consumers to try mangos when they have previously had one and may not have had a good experience. For example, having an unripe mango that lacks the flavor and sweet- ness of a ripe fruit may deter future purchases.”
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