Shoppers Want Avocados Year-Round

Q1 and Q2 avocado buys can turn into Q3 and Q4 repeat sales.

Originally printed in the April 2023 issue of Produce Business.

Avocados are maturing as a product category, and food retailers should promote them beyond just feature displays for Super Bowl and Cinco de Mayo.

Karim Wahhab, produce division manager at Draeger’s Markets, South San Francisco, CA , says demand for avocados is strong, with his customers opting for California fruit in season “even if it’s more expensive.”

Consumers in the Southwest and up the Pacific Coast are recognized for their strong affinity for avocados. However, gains in sales and consumption have occurred throughout the United States. Wegmans, for example, enjoys big avocado sales and isn’t shy about merchandising conspicuously. In fact, during an early December visit to the company’s Brooklyn, NY, store, avocados were featured along with other fruits and vegetables used in guacamole.

The merchandising push was due to high demand, but also because Wegmans recognizes conspicuous merchandising can drive sales. Jordan Wise, produce manager, pointed out that the Brooklyn Wegmans, although the smallest in a chain of 110 stores stretching from western New York to southern New England then south as far as central North Carolina, punches above its weight in a few produce categories.

EVENTS REEL THEM IN

Major occasions that have become avocado sales drivers can still generate momentum and energize sales through the year.

“Avocado holidays and events like the Big Game are a perfect opportunity to introduce consumers to the category or to re-engage with our moderate buyers that purchase avocados a few times each year,” says Alejandro Gavito, senior business insights and data services manager for the Hass Avocado Board (HAB), Mission Viejo, CA. “Our Avocado Holiday Retail Recap report shows that holiday avocado sales continue to expand, and the insights within can help marketers and retailers with promotion planning for the coming year.”

In an interview earlier this year before her retirement, Jan DeLyser, vice president of marketing with the California Avocado Commission (CAC), Irvine, CA, said when the CAC began promotion for occasions such as the Super Bowl, guacamole wasn’t a celebratory staple, and it took a while for it to become a regular feature of festivities. However, when CAC began promoting avocados for the Fourth of July occasion, the idea caught on quicker, in part because consumers had moved beyond guacamole in their use of the fruit. Now, guacamole and avocados put to other uses are a regular feature of occasion entertaining in the U.S. and increasingly incorporated into everyday eating.

To capture consumers of varying lifestyles, it is important to offer a variety of avocado products: ripe, firm, packaged, bulk, organic, and conventional.

— Jennifer Anazawa, Mission Produce

Jennifer Anazawa, senior category manager, Mission Produce, Oxnard, CA, says demand does spike for the major sales occasions, Super Bowl and Cinco de Mayo, but adds that sales support should extend throughout the year to maximize the potential avocados offer.

“Nearly one-third of consumer avocado purchases occur on impulse and are prompted by large displays of avocados and sale signage,” she says.

FIRST QUARTER IS KEY

Gavito points out that beyond the Super Bowl, basketball’s March Madness championship tournament has emerged as a significant sales occasion that can help build sales before the traditional Cinco de Mayo selling spike.

“Shopper purchase behaviors have changed over the past four years and have sparked change in the seasonality of avocado sales,” Gavito says. “One of the key findings in our recent Avocado Seasonality Drivers study is that the avocado category has seen an increase in the number of households that purchase avocados during Quarter One, and this trend coincided with an increase in unit sales during the quarter. These trends were supported by an increase in avocado supply during the period, as well.”

At the same time, he says, consumer store visits to pick up avocados have gained, and that the greater traction can be the basis for driving even more purchases.

In 2022, Gavito says, shoppers averaged more than 13 purchase trips, compared to 12 purchase trips in 2018. “This allows retailers to connect with the shopper more often, which can help drive incremental purchases.”

William Watson, managing director of the Colombia Avocado Board, Orlando, FL, says research has demonstrated how critical the first quarter is to year-long sales of the fruit.

“There’s no doubt that holidays like Cinco de Mayo or Super Bowl create natural opportunities for affinity marketing conversations that make it synergistic to talk about avocados.”

Kirk Marquardt, vice president, North American Avocado Sales, Del Monte Fresh, Coral Gables, FL, agrees Cinco de Mayo and the Big Game are critical for the company and the avocado industry, but chances to keep consumers buying roll on.

‘Ultra’ households make up less than 10% of all avocado shoppers, but drive more than a third of purchases.

“Overall, Fresh Del Monte has seen substantial sales growth in the avocado category over the past few years,” says Marquardt. “This is largely due to new shoppers entering the category and shoppers making additional trips to the retailer to purchase avocados, with Millennials leading the charge. Since avocados are grown year-round, there is a consistent supply available, which can be added to recipes in each season. We also partner with local and national influencers to generate brand awareness for our product offerings year-round.”

For its part, Robinson Fresh, Eden Prairie, MN, has been pushing the growth of avocado sales and has the means to sustain the momentum.

“Avocados are already a growing and popular commodity, but key events such as Cinco De Mayo and the Superbowl generate a significant lift in demand,” says Gina Garven, vice president of customer strategy. “C.H. Robinson is the mover of more truckload freight than anyone else in North America, and as such, we have an unmatched carrier network that allows us to not only offer high-quality avocados, but also provide transportation capacity assurance so we can successfully deliver on time and in full to meet the growing demand.”

BUILD YEAR-ROUND DEMAND

Avocados bloom year-round in Mexico, so Avocados From Mexico runs promotions across the calendar. Although Super Bowl and Cinco de Mayo represent top consumption occasions for the avocado category, “it is important to maintain momentum throughout the year, given our ability to supply fruit all year,” says Stephanie Bazan, senior vice president of commercial strategy and execution at Avocados From Mexico (AFM), Irving, TX.

“We know that creating demand for avocados is something AFM must focus on year-round, given that AFM has 82% market share. Our per capita consumption has more than doubled in the past 10 years, and the demand for fresh avocados continues to grow.”

Bazan says Avocados from Mexico now promotes across the breadth of the football season because “there are over 600-plus football viewing occasions that translate into eating occasions for avocados. There is a strong association with guacamole and football.”

Bazan also points out that independent market research found avocado shoppers, on average, spend twice as much when the fruit is in their shopping baskets versus when it’s not. And AFM offers retail programs to boost baskets and “help drive conversion across the path to purchase.”

AFM also prioritizes education throughout the year, as Bazan says that is the top purchase barrier. It offers in-store signage that promotes AFM’s “Fresher Longer” message around ripening techniques and features education messaging on bags. “It is key to reinforce consumer confidence, especially at the moment of truth, as we want consumers who are purchasers to buy more avocados.”

High visibility is important given that impulse purchasing is still a critical part of avocado sales, so having the fruit in front of shoppers and in their preferred form is an advantage.

“It’s important to merchandise avocados in influential locations in-store to drive conversion,” Bazan says. “Assortment and selection are key to driving units per trip, including a dual-size offering with bags. Consumers prefer to pick avocados that are ripe and unripe in the same shopping trip because they want the ability to eat their avocados today and later.”

In the past, Fresh Del Monte has partnered with select retailers to better showcase their avocado selection ahead of select holidays and events, says Marquardt. However, he adds, “it is also important to keep moving various products in and out of focus, so each produce piece gets some time in the spotlight, any time of year.”

GRAB A PARTNER

Depending on the season, avocados can be cross-promoted alongside select products to increase sales, Marquardt says.

“For our value-added fresh fruits and veggies, like avocados, we see the value in investing in product displays, social media marketing and cross-merchandising,” he says. “Colorful, eye-catching and full displays are key when it comes to merchandising, along with good lighting and creative signage. Empty, picked-over displays are not nearly as effective for obvious reasons. You want to draw the consumer over to the display, even if it is just to observe the creativity.”

Cross promoting avocados is key to getting consumers to add avocados to their dishes, says Bazan. “Cross-merchandising avocados with other fresh categories will help drive gradual purchase, as many consumers are looking for foods that help reinforce healthy eating for themselves and their families. Avocados are typically bought with other fresh items that extend beyond the produce area, such as meat, tortillas, cheese and eggs.”

If they are going to drive bigger market baskets, retailers should leverage the store perimeter, “as this is key to continued growth of the category,” Bazan says. “We have a big focus around the perimeter of the store to ensure shoppers are aware they can add avocados to those occasions that feature these complementary items.”

“It’s often finding the intersection of a novel trend and common approachability. There’s no doubt that avocado toast and avocado as a sandwich topping helped propel avocado consumption beyond guacamole. Now, as those trends mature and become mainstream, we need to start promoting and looking for additional cross-merchandising opportunities,” Watson says, adding pineapple and smoothies are trending ingredients paired with avocados.

“We can look for ways to cross-merchandise for avocado smoothies, tacos al pastor and salads, and even affordable meal hacks that help consumer shopping dollars go farther with satisfying meals.”

SHOPPER DIFFERENCES

California Avocado Commission’s DeLyser says retailers and suppliers should evaluate their approach to merchandising and promoting the fruit and explore how they can do more.

“This question depends on the market and retailer,” she says. “Where the category is highly developed, like in California, some retailers maintain generous avocado displays year-round, and they supplement with extra displays promotionally.”

California is a highly developed avocado market, but other regions may not have the same experience with avocados. So, merchandising and promotion has to take into consideration how far individual retailers have come along with avocado sales and how fast their operation can advance.

“We work to customize retail programs on a retailer-specific basis, rather than a market-wide basis, including support programs with loyal customers outside of the West who do a fantastic job merchandising California avocados. In this way, it is less about geography and more about working with customers to create win-win programs,” she says.

Personalized, local-level help is available from other sources within the industry, too. At Mission Produce, the category management program uses Avocado Intel, Mission’s data-driven intelligence capabilities, to make recommendations to customers to promote sales growth in their avocado categories, Anazawa says.

At the same time, the market can be considered from a perspective of big purchasers. AFM’s Bazan cites Numerator research that found Gen X’ers and Millennials represent 65% of avocado shoppers and contribute 69% of the category spend.

And the recent Hass Avocado Board Avocado Segmentation study showed that there is a key group of avocado shoppers that make up a disproportionate impact on avocado sales trends, Gavito says. “These ‘ultra’ households make up less than 10% of all avocado shoppers, but drive more than a third of purchases. This core group is imperative to the current size and growth of the category.”

The most enthusiastic shoppers are likely to want choice in their purchasing, including different degrees of ripeness. However, he maintains that, as important as enthusiasts are, it’s important to offer propositions that bring in new avocado shoppers.

“Experiences and promotions that drive trial can help nudge non-buyers to purchase avocados,” Gavito says. “It is important to engage with the consumer and pique their interest.”

• • • 

AVOCADOS: GREEN GOLD FROM THE GOLDEN STATE

By Mike Duff

Californians eagerly await their native avocados, but the fruit’s reputation extends far beyond the state’s border.

Karim Wahhab, produce division manager at Draeger’s Markets, South San Francisco, CA, says his customers await California avocados, as they generally consider the Golden State crop to be more flavorful.

“There is a push for California avocados,” Wahhab says, and cost isn’t the overriding concern of Draeger’s shoppers who are looking for the fruit during the California season. “The educated customers are the ones who really want to eat them. They know the flavor, and they wait for California avocados in season.”

The preference isn’t just for the favorite son, he pointed out.

“The best avos are from California. They’re left on the tree longer, have more oil content and get to ripen a little more.”

With the season just beginning in March, availability increases into summer. “This year, we expect peak availability of California avocados to be from April through July,” says Jeff Oberman, California Avocado Commission president.

It should be noted the California organic avocado crop remains limited, representing less than 10% of the total California crop, Oberman says, although the percentage can vary year-to-year.

The California Avocado Commission supports the crop in a variety of ways, and its efforts parallel the season.

During the season, the commission provides targeted consumer media support, including video, digital, audio and outdoor advertising. “We maintain social media programs year-round and ramp them up during California avocado season,” Oberman adds.

The commission does pre-season promotions for the Super Bowl and through Valentine’s Day using social media as a vehicle. From mid-February, the commission placed social media ads on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram to engage with targeted consumers and generate excitement for the season starting in March. Video ads on YouTube featured creative from the successful “The best avocados have California in them” campaign.

For retailers that merchandise the fruit, CAC can provide display bins, point-of-sale materials, tailored advertising and social programs as well as other retailer-specific promotions.

For foodservice operators, the commission supports limited time offers and other customized programs in California and the West.

The opportunity for avocado sales takes a specific turn when it comes to the California crop, which typically begins in March. Cinco de Mayo and NCAA basketball-generated March Madness and baseball season are beginning, and merchandising can link to those occasions. And California avocados are peaking during the early warm weather holidays. This is when the fruit can enliven dishes other than guacamole, and retailers can position California avocados as a prime choice for salads, as a burger addition and meal component. Also critically, the California crop availability peaks as availability from Mexico declines and before the next supply peak among imports, these from Peru, comes in the third quarter. As for crop conditions, the overall impact of the recent rains was being assessed at press time.

“The drought, water cost and water quality all have been challenging for California avocado growers and the crop,” Oberman says. “For this reason, the recent rains were, for the most part, very welcome. Rain is beneficial to avocado fruit quality, helping with tree health by leaching excess salts from the soil. Rain also can help with overall sizing. However, there was a lot of rain in a short period of time, some very cold temperatures and wind, as well. The California Avocado Commission is assessing the situation for California avocado growers.”

• • • 

Ready-to-Eat or Soon-To-Be-Ready Avocados: Shoppers Want Both

By Mike Duff

As consumers become more familiar with avocados, having ready-to-eat and soon-to-be-ready items can help fulfill avocado sales potential, particularly as consumers find additional ways to enjoy them beyond guacamole.

Some consumers eat avocado several times a week, others mostly on particular occasions. As their popularity grows, satisfying their several preferences becomes the more important.

“Offering a combination of firm and ready-to-eat avocados can help maximize the sales potential of your avocado category,” says Jennifer Anazawa, senior category manager, Mission Produce, Oxnard, CA.

“In a Mission Produce Avocado Intel survey, 33% of shoppers said the ripeness at which they buy avocados depends on their usage, while 38% reported that they typically buy firm avocados and 28% reported that they typically buy ripe avocados. To capture consumers of varying lifestyles, it is important to offer a variety of avocado products: ripe, firm, packaged, bulk, organic, and conventional.”

Options make for satisfied consumers, especially considering that big avocado users may make different purchase choices during any store visit.

“First, it is most important to ensure ripe avocados are always available for shoppers to purchase so they can consume them the same day they buy,” emphasizes Jan DeLyser, newly retired vice president of the California Avocado Commission, Irvine, CA. “As the category has grown and consumers are eating avocados on multiple occasions between shopping trips, it can be beneficial to also offer avocados that will mature in a few days.”

“Offering different ripeness levels, with good merchandising management, can also reduce shrink,” she adds.

OFFER BULK AND BAGGED

Although bulk fruit has become the staple for many avocado shoppers, sales of bagged avocados have continued to strengthen in recent years. Alejandro Gavito, senior business insights and data services manager for the Hass Avocado Board, Mission Viejo, CA, cites market researcher IRI retail sales data that found bagged avocado volume increased 58% from 2019 to 2022.

“This growth may provide an opportunity for avocado marketers and retailers looking to expand their product offerings to include bags alongside bulk avocados.”

“Bagged avocados and other packaged avocados are growing considerably,” DeLyser says, “and it is important to offer them in addition to bulk fruit.”

THINK ABOUT MEAL PLANNING

According to William Watson, managing director of the Colombia Avocado Board, Orlando, FL, the average consumer makes one stock-up grocery trip per week, with three to four fill-in trips per week at different stores. “This frequency of shopping trip has been increasing over the last year as shoppers resume post-pandemic behaviors.”

“The value of ripe and unripe fruit addresses consumer need for immediacy. Many consumers plan their meals same day, or adapt their meal plan based on how much time they have to prep a meal,” Watson adds. “If they only have unripe avocados, they won’t make it into the meal. If they have a combination of ripe and unripe avocados, they can use them in multiple meals throughout the week.”

As avocado purchasing has multiple dimensions — regular, occasional and impulse — having only one ripeness available is certain to chase away sales. As such, suppliers are looking to help accommodate consumers.

“We find it is important to have a variety of options to meet customers’ different needs,” says Gina Garven, vice president of customer strategy, Robinson Fresh, Eden Prairie, MN. “One way that Robinson Fresh sells and packages avocados is called Daily ’Dos. This includes a four-pack of avocados that are at different stages of ripeness. The avocados are packed in a proprietary tray lined with a film that absorbs ethylene to delay the ripening process helping to extend the shelf life by 21% or more compared to bulk-ripened fruit.”

“We have seen that adding in sustainability packaging or a post-harvest technology that extends the shelf life has been extremely successful,” Garven adds. “Point-of-sale signage that educates consumers about sustainability efforts can help increase avocado and produce sales and make a greater impact on the environment.”

• • •

Summer Meals and Avocados Go Hand-in-Hand

By Mike Duff

There are plenty of opportunities to push avocados this summer, to keep sales ringing after the early May Cinco de Mayo event.

Avocado momentum is likely to gain given the interest today in its use as an ingredient across more occasions and cuisines.

“There are three major summertime occasions that are perfect to reinforce avocado consumption: Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day,” says Stephanie Bazan, senior vice president of commercial strategy and execution at Avocados From Mexico (AFM), Irving, TX. “These are all holidays that are heavily focused on handhelds, such as burgers, hot dogs, and sandwiches, and represent great opportunities for retailers to include avocados in summer grilling in-store opportunities and offers.”

Promoting avocados as a natural addition that can perk up barbecues and summer meals should generate interest.

“Summertime is perfect to grill up some avocado goodness,” Bazan says. “AFM has fun plans to support them all and help shoppers get their grill on, Merchandise with items shoppers use when buying avocados for outdoor grilling like tomatoes, onions, burger buns, hot dog buns and chips provides a convenient solution for shoppers and helps generate interest.”

The California Avocado Commission (CAC), Irvine, CA, offers display bins, signage, images and recipes to support retailer promotional activities around summer, grilling, salads and burger themes featuring California avocados, according to Jan DeLyser, recently retired vice president.

“Spring and summer are the season for peak California avocado availability and the fruit itself enhances all of those eating/recipe themes,” she says. “We have worked with retailers who have created California beach-themed displays complete with surfboards and sun and sand-type signage that bring excitement to the produce department. Themed circulars, email and social media all can be effective and often most effective with layered support.”

Avocados have become more commonplace in outdoor cooking across the U.S., which means that growth in grilling itself can help boost avocado sales.

“Research indicates that consumers grill out up to 10 times per month, and the most popular grilling holidays are Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day,” says William Watson, managing director of the Colombia Avocado Board, Orlando, FL. “These are great times to develop recipe inspiration and promote via social media and digital advertising.”

Reaching consumers online in their path to purchase is also critical, he adds, as the majority of consumers do some meal planning and shopping trip planning online prior to visiting the store.

“We want avocados to be on their mind, in their meal plans and on their shopping list when they get to the store so they end up in the basket,” says Watson. “Additionally, utilizing inspiring point-of-sale materials, cross-merchandising and summer-ready displays can help with the impulse purchase.”

Fresh Del Monte is prepared to support retailers with summer avocado promotions, according to Kirk Marquardt, vice president, North American Avocado Sales, for the Coral Gables, FL-based company.

“Ahead of summer, we plan to cross-merchandise a variety of produce items that pair well with avocados,” he says. “For instance, anything from pineapples to guacamole ingredients, such as onion, cilantro, lime and tomato, to even exotic center-of-the-plate items like barbecue brisket guacamole, are ideal for summer avocado consumption.”

• • •

Avocados: What Size Do Shoppers Want? (It Depends)

By Mike Duff

Although varieties and sizes are critical in many produce items, only certain geographies have strong preference for particular avocado varieties. Otherwise, purchasing is generally based on how avocados are to be used.

“Consumers generally gravitate toward specific avocado sizes according to their usage plans,” explains Jennifer Anazawa, senior category manager, Mission Produce, Oxnard, CA. “A shopper may want small avocados to take in their lunch bag, but large or jumbo avocados to make guacamole for a party.”

She adds consumers have also realized that size is not indicative of quality.

Kirk Marquardt, vice president, North American Avocado Sales, Fresh Del Monte, Coral Gables, FL, says consumers have set expectations for fruit size, even if not everyone has the same preference. Size is an important consideration when it comes to fruit, but not everyone has the same set idea of what’s right at all times.

“Not only is fruit size important to consumers today, but so is convenience and variety,” he says. “For instance, Fresh Del Monte recently launched Goodvocado avocados, a new way for consumers to purchase various sizes of avocados all in one pack. Featuring avocados that naturally range from small to large, the inclusive Goodvocado pack features avocados sized for all occasions. From small single-serving sizes to large shareable ones, Goodvocado avocados lessen the possibility of leftover product and help reduce consumer food waste.”

Even consumers who gravitate toward a particular size aren’t necessarily married to it.

“Large avocados are consumers’ top choice by a large margin, but increasingly some consumers also like small avocados,” says Jan DeLyser, newly retired vice president of the California Avocado Commission, Irvine, CA.

In a survey the California Avocado Commission (CAC) conducted last year among avocado shoppers, the percent who say they prefer to purchase small avocados jumped from 20% to 26%, says DeLyser. “Many said small avocados are the perfect size for one person. And some consumers prefer extra-large sizes, so there’s opportunity for merchandising multiple sizes of avocados to encourage incremental sales.”

A MARKET FOR BIG AND SMALL

“The most important consideration is the right fruit at the right value,” asserts William Watson, managing director of the Colombia Avocado Board, Orlando, FL. “There is a market for both large fruit and small fruit.”

Traditionally, small fruit makes up bag programs that are becoming increasingly popular, he explains, and cites Hass Avocado Board research that indicated 32% of avocado purchasing households purchase both bag and bulk product “and these purchases tend to be high consumption users that drive up to 50% of total avocado purchases that are helping to drive incremental purchases, spending twice as much on avocados each year as a bulk or bag only household.”

“This is good news for developing programs like Colombia where we have a lot of new orchards and young trees and see a full manifest of sizes, including more small fruit.”

DeLyser says although it’s a relatively minor issue in most U.S. markets today, avocado varieties can and do matter to some consumers. Even if it is to a limited degree, a proportion of consumers are beginning to garner more interest in varieties.

“About 95% of avocado sales in the U.S. are the Hass variety,” she says. “Other varieties can offer retailers promotional opportunities, highlighting the varieties’ uniqueness and limited availability to add immediacy to the offer.”

The two California avocado varieties other than Hass with the greatest volume are the Lamb Hass and the GEM, DeLyser says. Retailers interested in specifically promoting those California avocado varieties can contact CAC retail marketing directors.

Marquardt says that evaluating the opportunities to promote specific varieties might be something to consider, although it may be limited initially.

“Across all our markets, the Hass avocado is still the No. 1 variety among consumers,” he says. “We believe this is because consumers want the rich, nutty taste and high oil content in their avocado. Although Hass is the customer favorite, there is always opportunity to introduce more varieties. However, they may not be as widely received by consumers, as many other types of avocado appeal to a smaller demographic or customer base.”

SOURCING AVOCADOS

In terms of production region, consistent supply remains the main concern, although some partisanship does exist.

Mission Produce sources avocados from growing regions across 11 countries to leverage the seasonality of each origin and fill in supply gaps and remain a reliable supplier to customers worldwide, says Anazawa.

In a blind taste test comparing consumer preferences between Mexican and Peruvian avocados, 93% of participants reported to have a ‘good eating experience’ with fruit from both origins, she adds. Additionally, both Mexican and Peruvian avocados were described as ‘creamy’ and ‘flavorful.’

“Country of origin ranks low on a shopper’s decision to purchase.”

“Ripeness indicators may vary by origin, so it is important to educate the consumer on avocado usage in order to encourage a positive eating experience,” she cautions. “For example, Peruvian avocados have thick skin and may not darken when ripe, unlike California avocados, which generally transition to darker green the riper they become.”

DeLyser says consumer preference for local and regional products expresses itself in avocado sales. Consistency of supply and availability are important to selling avocados all year long, so the development of new growing regions that can produce quality fruit can help push consumption.

Still, DeLyser asserts, “When California avocados are available, it is very important to prominently indicate their origin.”

“This encourages consumers to purchase because they like to support locally grown produce, local farmers and the economy. Consumers also express favorability toward the California origin, so it is a lost opportunity when retailers do not call out the origin.”

“Consumers love Hass avocados and Colombia is the fourth largest supplier of Hass avocados in the world and quickly growing in volume to the U.S.,” Watson says. “There is certainly a lot of country pride when it comes to avocados and every growing region has great assets to take advantage of and stories to share. In Colombia, we are noted for our tropical climate and one of the most biodiverse regions in the world, which has our growers placing a high priority on sustainability initiatives to continue to protect the environment.”

For retailers, where avocados are grown is important due to quality, availability and shipping times, he adds. “Colombia is able to offer ease of shipping and transport, with fast arrivals to Eastern states, along with year-round availability.”

“For consumers, we find the country of origin is less important, and they are eager to enjoy high quality, delicious Hass avocados.”

Watson adds each avocado growing region “has an opportunity to help expand consumption, and we’ve seen proof in that fact by increasing availability and ultimately increased consumption. Every region has brought more fruit and more opportunities for consumers to get their hands on fresh, high-quality Hass avocados”

“At the end of the day, consumers want high-quality fruit that tastes delicious and meets their expectations.”