Supply of avocados in the late summer and fall will support the continuing growth of the category, says Andy Bruno.
Bruno, president of Naturipe Avocado Farms, said the marketer has four growing regions contributing to the U.S. market, including California, Colombia, Mexico and Peru.
“As we work toward the fall months, we expect available supply to dwindle from California, Colombia and Peru, and Mexico will regain a large percentage of the market share,” he said.
Selling both organic and conventional avocados is at the core of the Naturipe avocado program, Bruno said.
“We understand many retailers have consumers with different preferences, and our goal is to offer both conventional and organic avocados to help our retailers meet the demand of their shoppers,” he said.
Bruno said Naturipe continues to contribute to the growth of Colombian avocados, which are still in early adoption within the U.S. marketplace.
“Overall, we, and our customers, have found a lot of success with Colombia, so we’re really looking forward to that continued growth,” he said.
The marketer capitalizes on holidays and events that prominently feature avocados, such as the Super Bowl.
“We also like to promote the versatility of avocados (such as the marketer’s featured Avocado Truffles dessert) and their health benefits, including that a single serving is a source of over 20 vitamins and minerals,” he said.
Still growing
Avocado demand is growing, and the expectation is that the industry growth will continue, Bruno said. In the past year avocados were featured at attractive promotional pricing, and that should translate to continued consumer consumption growth, he said.
Bruno said Naturipe updated its bagging film this year with enhanced graphics and scannable recipes to resonate more with avocado consumers and improve their experience with Naturipe.
Naturipe also supports private-label programs for the retail community, Bruno said.
“Our goal is to help our retailers’ programs maximize their experience with their shoppers, and we work with them to ensure we comply and constantly fulfill the needs of their private label programs,” he said.
Beyond U.S. borders, Naturipe markets avocados in key markets across the globe, he said.
With Naturipe operations in Spain, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Colombia and the U.S., the marketer can leverage its knowledge from those regions to offer a competitive supply of avocados to its customer base that spans multiple countries, Bruno said.
