California Avocado Commission Gets an Early Start on 2027 Retail Planning; Ken Melban Shares

FULLERTON, CA - Spring 2027 may still be months away, but the California Avocado Commission (CAC) isn’t waiting for the season to arrive before getting down to business. Heading into the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) Global Produce & Floral Show, the organization is putting early crop conversations and retail planning front and center.

With peak California avocado availability landing in the spring and summer, the show gives CAC an early chance to sit down with retail partners, look toward the 2027 crop, and begin developing programs to support the peak period of the season.

“Our message at IFPA is really about looking ahead and helping our retail partners get an early start on planning for the 2027 California avocado season. With our peak availability occurring in the spring and summer, this is an important time to begin conversations about the crop and how we can work together to build demand and drive sales when California avocados are at their strongest availability,” Ken Melban, President, shared.

Building the Calendar Early

Those conversations will go well beyond an early crop look.

CAC plans to discuss customized retail marketing and promotional opportunities spanning merchandising and point-of-sale resources, advertising, digital and social efforts, and other strategies built around California avocados’ quality, freshness, and USA-grown positioning.

“We’ll be sharing an early look at the 2027 crop and discussing customized retail marketing and promotional opportunities that can be tailored to individual retailers and their shoppers to drive demand during the season,” Melban explained. “Our goal is to work collaboratively with retailers to develop programs that make sense for their stores and help them maximize the California season.”

That customized approach is an important piece of the equation. Rather than bringing the same strategy to every customer, CAC works with individual retailer partners to develop programs that will work for their stores and customers specifically—and the organization has some compelling numbers behind the California avocado story.

Over the past three years, markets with broad California avocado availability averaged 8 percent higher weekly unit sales and 14 percent higher dollar sales during the California season compared with the non-season, according to CAC.

“California avocados have a very distinct story to tell. They are responsibly grown by approximately 3,000 growers throughout the Golden State, and that connection to California, our growers and the care they put into nurturing the crop gives retailers an authentic story that resonates with shoppers,” Melban shared.

“But it’s not just a good story; California avocados can deliver meaningful results at retail.”

Connecting the Story to the Shopper

With retailers navigating a crowded marketplace, differentiation remains part of the challenge. CAC sees origin as one way the California crop can earn attention, with CAC merchandising resources noting that 65 percent of shoppers say knowing the origin of the fruits and vegetables they purchase is very or extremely important.

At the same time, the organization is working to connect its marketing investment more closely to what shoppers actually do.

“This season, for example, we expanded retailer-specific media and programs that reached consumers closer to the point of purchase, including retailer-tagged video and digital advertising,” Melban shared.

One Instacart campaign generated a 6.67x return on ad spend and more than $151,000 in attributed sales based on early results, giving the organization another set of learnings to carry into its 2027 planning.

“Those are the types of learnings we can build upon as we strive to create value for our retail partners and our growers in 2027.”

See You in Orlando

For retailers already thinking ahead to spring and summer, CAC’s team will be waiting at Booth #3342 in Orlando.

“Our California Avocados team, including members of our retail marketing team who work directly with customers on customized programs, will be in our booth. We encourage retailers and industry partners to stop by and talk with us about the outlook for the 2027 crop and, importantly, start planning how California avocados can fit into their spring and summer promotional calendars.”

For CAC, that head start is really what IFPA is all about: understanding what individual customers want from the season and putting plans in motion long before peak availability arrives.

“Whether they already have a strong California avocado program or are looking for ways to expand their participation next season, we want them to leave our booth knowing that our team is ready to work with them to make the most of the California avocado season in 2027 and beyond.”

The calendar may still say 2026, but California avocado season planning is already looking firmly toward next year. ANUK will be watching as CAC takes those early conversations from the show floor into the 2027 season.