GR Fresh's Tony Incaviglia Discusses Cinco de Mayo Merchandising

MCALLEN, TX - Cinco de Mayo is an annual food-centric celebration, and fresh produce should absolutely be at the forefront. With a wide portfolio of high-quality products, I turned to GR Fresh’s Tony Incaviglia, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, to hear how retailers can take advantage of the holiday.

“Cinco de Mayo menus in the United States heavily lean on items like guacamole, tacos, nachos, and salsa, and provide an opportunity to highlight products that naturally align with this holiday by providing bold flavors. This is right up our alley, as avocados, Roma tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, and of course hot peppers such as Jalapeño, Anaheim, Poblano, and Serrano bring those festive ingredients to any celebration,” Tony began telling me.

For retailers, Tony pointed out that this is a meaningful opportunity to drive incremental sales through some creative display offerings focusing on convenience.

“Items such as pre-assembled guacamole kits, fresh salsa packs, nachos, tacos, and fajita kits simplify meal preparation,” he said. “Also, ready-to-grill vegetable assortments fit very nicely with consumers looking for convenience without extensive preparation.”

“Avocados are leading the way; with good volume out of Mexico combined with the start of the California crop, expectations are looking good. Tomatoes and some pepper varieties are proving to be much tighter with elevated pricing, which could limit aggressive promotions on salsa items. Overall, it should be a good holiday supply-wise with avocados’ promotional capabilities,” Tony concluded.

Cinco de Mayo is nearly here, so be sure to keep those avocado, tomato, and pepper displays well-stocked!