Signage plays large role at retail for Florida avocados
Mary Ostlund advises retailers to start building their displays — it’s time for green Florida avocados.
“You see large displays for hass and you’d better have big displays of Florida avocados for the contrast in color — bright and dark green — and to give consumers a choice,” said Ostlund, marketing director for Homestead-based Brooks Tropicals.
She said social media is another valuable tool to help consumers and store employees differentiate between the small hass and the big, green, smooth-skinned Florida fruit, which Brooks markets as SlimCado.
“We get more than 3,000 hits a month on our SlimCado page alone and more than 1,000 hits a month on recipes,” she said. “People are doing searches within Facebook and Twitter to find out what they are and where they can get them.”
Ostlund also interacts on social media with produce managers “and the guy who has a question while putting out your displays,” she said. “It’s definitely a good avenue for talking to them and giving them ideas and links on how to display and sell the product.”
As for consumers, signage is key, Ostlund said.
“First and foremost, a heads-up that Florida avocados aren’t huge hass avocados and they have a buttery taste of their own,” she said. “Second, that they stay green as they ripen. And third, offer some ideas on how to enjoy them.”
She also advises retailers not to keep Florida avocados “fenced-in” in the produce department, suggesting an avocado display near the seafood department or a photo of avocados on the grill for a display in the meat aisle.
A salad theme works well, she said, whether it’s surrounding Florida avocados with fixings such as onions and tomatoes or encouraging the use of the empty shell as a bowl for fruit and seafood salads.
“Tempt a tossing of new ingredients in tonight’s salad with a ‘What’s in your salad?’ display that suggests a couple of ingredients to add to that night’s dinner,” she said.
Ostlund said Florida avocados also make a great add-on sale that could increase sales of prepared salads.
“With more people eating avocados and discovering the light, buttery, creamy taste of Florida avocados, consumers want a choice,” she said.
