As the fall college football season kicks off, avocado suppliers from Mexico and Colombia are gearing up to meet peak autumn demand by cementing guacamole as an essential item on game day. Leading the charge, Avocados From Mexico is launching its fourth consecutive fall initiative, leveraging crucial October, November and December, or OND, promotions to build retail momentum in the critical runway leading up to the Super Bowl.
Avocados From Mexico’s Fall Play to Win
Avocados From Mexico is gearing up for another high-impact fall promotional window, doubling down on the powerful connection between football tailgating and guacamole consumption. Speaking on the brand’s commercial approach heading into the fourth year of its college football initiatives, Stephanie Bazan, senior vice president of commercial strategy and execution at AFM, emphasizes that the organization remains focused on building momentum through the critical OND corridors leading up to the Super Bowl.
“We continue to focus on this football frequency driving baskets during the fall time period because we know that there are over 1,600 viewing occasions that happen during that time period in college football and with many games happening on the weekends and many gatherings happening on Saturdays specifically,” says Bazan.
And while Bazan says she can’t reveal all the bells and whistles of AFM’s fall campaign just yet, it will play to the “rituals” consumers engage in as they prepare for weekend football.
A core pillar of AFM’s strategy is cementing guacamole as an essential ritual for college football fans. Bazan notes that building long-term consumer associations takes time, but the payoff is substantial. AFM sees immense opportunity to engage passionate fan bases whose weekend game rituals naturally center around food and social entertaining.
“We want to make sure that we’re embedding ourselves with those consumers who are fans of college football because it helps us reinforce that association with guac,” she says. “We know at these gatherings there continues to be a lot of food, and specifically guacamole that’s at the center, and we want that to continue to be part of the ritual of their football viewing.”
And it’s not only about boosting fall avocado sales; Bazan says avocados are a major opportunity to boost the entire basket.
“We do know that avocados boost the basket, and they increase the basket size during the whole college football time period by an average of $41,” she says.
Omnichannel, Multifaceted Strategy
By partnering with media and entertainment entities, AFM aims to keep avocados front and center in grocery baskets throughout the autumn months. While specific campaign details and new promotional features remain under wraps, the primary objective is clear: capitalize on peak weekend viewing rituals to boost shopping frequency, drive basket size and maintain strong category volume across retail partners all season long.
As retailers gear up for fall avocado promotions, consumer purchasing behavior shows a distinct shift toward bagged fruit during OND. Bazan says football tailgates and home watch parties drive increased demand for higher-volume, convenient take-home options like bagged avocados.
“Last year avocados were already trending more bag heavy during that time period, with bags at 39% of the assortment, and usually the overall market throughout the year is about a 30%-70% mix,” she says.
Bazan says that surge is tied directly to seasonal gatherings.
“We think a lot of that’s driven by what’s happening naturally in consumption when you’re preparing for tailgates or home gates and parties ... bags become a great vehicle to get that immediate consumption,” she says.
To capture this seasonal momentum, effective merchandising is critical. Retailers are finding success by moving away from flat displays on produce tables and instead using upright fixtures that maximize visual appeal.
“What we’ve seen that’s been very successful are those displays that actually are upright — so that the bags are merchandised facing forward in line,” Bazan says, highlighting that AFM offers dedicated bag racks and thematic packaging to help retailers capitalize on this high-volume period.
While bulk avocados continue to account for the majority of overall market sales, optimizing space for bagged fruit alongside bulk offerings allows retailers to cater to every shopper need during peak entertaining season.
“I’m not saying everything is about bags, because bulk is still the majority of the market,” Bazan clarifies. “I think it’s very interesting to note that there is a trend in that time period more so on bags that we’re seeing [than] any other time of the year ... and I think one that you will see us focus a little bit more on making sure that we have bag solutions in place for retailers.”
Beyond physical displays, standardizing a seamless omnichannel experience is central to AFM’s autumn strategy. Bazan emphasizes the importance of reaching consumers across all touchpoints, using thematic packaging, store displays and turnkey digital collateral.
“From an in-store perspective, it’s very important that we have a surround-sound, 360 omnichannel program,” she says.
To bridge the gap between physical stores and e-commerce, AFM is providing digital toolkits featuring college football-themed messaging for social media and digital ads, as well as customized support for online grocery shoppers.
This fall campaign relies heavily on consumer engagement, particularly surrounding game day rituals. A robust media plan — spanning online channels, experiential partnerships and targeted advertising — aims to keep avocados top of mind as shoppers prep for weekend watch parties.
In tandem with sports-themed messaging, cause marketing remains a cornerstone of the organization’s fall efforts. Marking its sixth consecutive year partnering with Susan G. Komen, AFM continues to lead breast cancer awareness initiatives through this select regional, retail promotional program in October.
“We’re very proud of that multiyear partnership, and it’s had a meaningful impact with shoppers, retailers and the industry,” says Bazan, adding that AFM is also broadening its health-focused reach by expanding its existing partnership with the American Diabetes Association.
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Complementary Colombia
As U.S. retailers look ahead to fall and winter promotions, Colombia is gearing up to play a vital role in meeting avocado demand. With the main harvest kicking off in August and September, availability is expected to build through October and November. According to Manuel Michel, managing director of the Colombia Avocado Board, steady investments have cemented Colombia’s position as a dependable, growing source of premium hass avocados in the U.S.
“Colombia has been one of the fastest-growing avocado origins in the U.S. market over the past several years, supported by continued investment in orchards, packing capacity, export infrastructure and quality programs,” he says.
Michel says while year-to-year shipments naturally fluctuate based on crop conditions, market dynamics and global demand, Colombia has experienced significant long-term growth in the U.S. market and continues to build on that momentum.
“Our industry’s focus is not simply on maximizing volume, but on providing retailers with exceptional flavor, consistent quality and dependable availability when they need it most,” he says.
Early reports indicate excellent fruit quality from this season’s crop, says Michel, adding that the Colombia Avocado Board is working with importers and retailers to plan fall and winter promotions.
“We expect availability to build through October and November and continue throughout the winter months, creating meaningful opportunities to support strong retail programs,” he says.
And as retailers increasingly recognize the importance of sourcing avocados from multiple growing regions to help maintain a consistent supply throughout the year, Colombia is well positioned to play an increasingly important role in that strategy, says Michel.
“Our objective is not to replace other origins but to complement them,” he says. “A diversified sourcing strategy gives retailers greater flexibility to respond to changing market conditions while maintaining attractive avocado displays and promotional programs for consumers.”
Storytelling That Sells
Storytelling is proving to be a powerful sales driver at retail, with the Colombia Avocado Board’s “Raised by Colombia” campaign delivering double-digit sales growth during promotional periods. By connecting consumers directly to the people and landscapes behind the fruit, the initiative is helping Colombian hass avocados stand out in a crowded produce department, says Michel.
Through QR codes that link to the Colombia Avocado Board website, consumers can discover how Colombia’s unique growing conditions and farming communities contribute to producing premium-quality hass avocados. The board has also partnered with retail dietitians and supported retailer digital and social media initiatives that connect the “Raised by Colombia” story with flavor, quality and nutrition.
“As the ‘Raised by Colombia’ campaign continues to gain momentum, participating retail promotions have delivered encouraging results, including double-digit sales growth during promotional periods,” says Michel. “Just as importantly, retailers have told us they find the campaign refreshing because it introduces consumers to a growing avocado origin that delivers excellent flavor and quality while bringing a new authentic story to the category.”
Customized Campaigns
The Colombia Avocado Board says its primary objective is to help retailers build stronger avocado programs by supporting the Colombian avocado industry with marketing, merchandising and promotional initiatives that highlight its reliable supply, consistent flavor and quality and engaging origin story.
“Colombia’s complementary harvest seasons and expanding production base allow us to work with retailers on meaningful fall promotional opportunities while aligning programs with expected availability,” says Michel.
The Colombia Avocado Board also develops customized point-of-sale materials and promotional assets that complement each retailer’s seasonal themes and marketing objectives, says Michel.
“Fall naturally creates exciting merchandising opportunities centered around football season, tailgating, family gatherings, holiday entertaining and other occasions when people come together over food,” he says.
“Avocados pair naturally with these occasions, whether through guacamole, appetizers, sandwiches, bowls or fresh meal solutions,” he adds. “Cross-merchandising with tomatoes, onions, limes, cilantro, tortilla chips and other complementary items helps retailers create engaging displays that inspire impulse purchases.”
Prime Location
Michel says Colombia’s location on the northern edge of South America provides a significant logistical advantage for the U.S. market.
“Fruit shipments can reach Florida in as little as three days and Philadelphia in approximately five days, making Colombia one of the closest overseas avocado suppliers to the East Coast,” he says. “For retailers, shorter transit times provide greater flexibility in managing inventory, supporting promotional programs, responding to changing demand and maintaining fresher inventories.”
Michel says this proximity to the U.S. market means fruit can remain on the tree longer and be harvested at a more optimal stage of maturity, resulting in higher dry matter, more consistent oil content and better flavor.
“Combined with Colombia’s complementary harvest seasons, these logistical advantages help retailers maintain dependable avocado availability throughout much of the year while delivering the premium flavor and quality consumers expect,” says Michel.
Sustainability Spotlight
Through its “Raised by Colombia” campaign, the Colombia Avocado Board has integrated sustainability into the broader story of Colombian avocados, Michel says.
“As a country, Colombia has one of the most comprehensive environmental regulatory frameworks in Latin America,” he says. “Environmental protection has been embedded in the country’s legal framework for decades, with today’s regulatory framework building on legislation dating back to the 1970s and major reforms adopted in the early 1990s.”
Michel says growers in Colombia operate under strict regulations governing the protection and management of forests, water resources, farmland and other natural resources. What’s more, he says Colombia’s abundant natural rainfall and favorable growing conditions help reduce the need for irrigation in many producing regions, while supporting responsible farming practices.
“As a result, sustainability is deeply embedded in the Colombian avocado story and serves as a central element of the ‘Raised by Colombia’ campaign,” he says. “In Colombia, sustainability extends beyond environmental stewardship. It also includes supporting rural communities, generating employment, and continuously improving production practices.”
Through Corpohass, the hass avocado grower and exporter association, the Colombian avocado industry is developing a comprehensive sustainability platform that will provide standardized and verifiable information on environmental, social and economic performance, Michel says.
“This initiative will strengthen transparency and allow the industry to communicate credible sustainability information to retailers, importers and consumers,” he says.
How Sustainability Drives Growth
For GLC Cerritos, sustainability isn’t a buzzword; it’s a core business strategy baked into every level of its vertically integrated operations. Owned by Saúl Medina and his family, the grower-packer-shipper not only handles premium avocados but also stands as one of the top five berry growers in Mexico, as a supplier to Driscoll’s.
“Part of being successful at that scale is attention to detail in a culture of continuous improvement,” says Giovanni Cavaletto, CEO of GLC Cerritos.
That drive toward formalizing the company’s best practices took root about 12 years ago during a SENASICA (Mexico’s National Service for Agrifood Health, Safety and Quality) audit, during which Medina realized the company was already engaging with sustainability measures but wasn’t communicating them.
While Cavaletto says GLC Cerritos’ growers naturally lean toward sustainable practices because much of their farmland is worked by multigenerational family farmers hoping to pass it down to the next generation, the operational gap was documentation.
“We were already doing a lot of things, but we weren’t documenting them very well, and we were doing an even worse job at driving the narrative,” Cavaletto says. “We see these certifications as a way for us to show the good that we’re doing in the communities where we live and work and share that with a broader audience.”
The company’s inaugural sustainability report in 2024 established a key benchmark to drive continuous improvement, with the 2025 edition set to release this summer. The 2024 report set a baseline, tracking crucial environmental and ethical impacts, including the company’s water and carbon footprints, pesticide and fertilizer usage and fair-trade initiatives, giving the team clear targets to improve upon year over year, says Cavaletto.
To support these goals, the company is actively measuring key operational areas to identify year-over-year progress. Major initiatives include generating electricity for their packinghouse using solar panels and tracking vehicle mileage across farm management, harvesting and transport to market, allowing them to evaluate past performance and find actionable ways to reduce their footprint moving forward.
Cavaletto says the Medina family’s approach to farming and commitment to sustainability is focused on using less of resources to bring more high-quality avocados to market.
“In the past, the avocado category was grown mostly by adding new acreage. And we know that farm ground is in limited supply, but it used to be you added more acreage to get more avocados and the productivity or pounds per acre didn’t really grow,” he says.
While Cavaletto says with hass avocado production, the average is about seven tons or 14,000 pounds per acre worldwide, the productivity at GLC Cerritos is over 20.
“It’s about three times the national average in Mexico, and so by getting more avocados per unit of input — whether it’s land, water, fertilizer, labor — that builds on the sustainability,” he says. “And we know avocados can do more if they’re farmed more intensely. We’re achieving not only greater yields, but also a bigger size through 21st century farming.”
Sustainability Certifications
While Cavaletto says some produce growers view third-party certifications as burdensome overhead, GLC Cerritos has leveraged them to secure high-value market share. The company has embraced standard-setters like GlobalG.A.P., Rainforest Alliance and Fair Trade USA to build a distinct competitive edge.
“For a lot of growers, there’s kind of a knee-jerk reaction against certificates, viewing it as extra work that doesn’t necessarily add to the bottom line,” Cavaletto says. “But our approach is a bit different ... We saw GlobalG.A.P. and Rainforest Alliance as an opportunity to differentiate ourselves from competition, rather than just as an added cost.”
Additionally, Cavaletto says GLC Cerritos is the only Mexican avocado grower-shipper in the Ethical Charter Implementation Program.
That sustainability and socially responsible distinction has become even more vital as economic conditions tighten for growers, he says. Following several lucrative seasons, farmgate returns for avocado producers have faced tougher headwinds in recent years, making market positioning crucial for survival and growth.
“I think growers are now seeing [sustainability certifications] more as a way to differentiate themselves from the pack,” says Cavaletto. “If I want to get into that blue-chip customer that tends to pay at the top of the market, this is a way for me to do that.”
And to drive home the message that the added cost of fair trade avocados is actually just pennies more, GLC Cerritos ran a “What’s your 2 cents?” campaign a couple years ago.
“Historically avocados have been kind of expensive, and so some retailers would shy away from adding a fair trade premium on top of an expensive case of fruit,” says Cavaletto. “But you know when you do the math, it’s 2 cents or less per avocado.
“So, we did a campaign saying, ‘Hey, what’s your 2 cents?’ With fair trade, it’s a small investment that could be almost negligible at the store shelf, but can have a big impact on the community,” he says.
