2024 ANNUAL MASTERS OF MERCHANDISING: Dole Food Company

RETAILER TIPS FOR GROWING BANANA SALES

How to entice your shoppers to buy more of the fruit they already love

• Don’t limit bananas to the produce section. Secondary displays near the cereal aisle, dairy section snack aisles or check-out can promote bananas as an impulse purchase or single-serve snack option.

• Go beyond the Cavendish. The yellow Cavendish is still America’s favorite banana, but other exotic varieties such as DOLE® Red Bananas, Manzanos, Plantains and Baby Bananas are increasingly popular. Stocking these varieties can boost incremental banana sales.

• Present Inspiration. Shoppers know everything about bananas – or do they? Offer unexpected usage ideas, recipe suggestions or complementary items at the point of sale to create an impulse to buy a few more fingers.

• Sell bananas at every stage. Bananas are versatile at all stages of ripeness. Consumer tastes vary widely so offering multiple-color stages appeals to broader shopper usage preferences and demographics, and may increase purchase size.

• Educate shoppers about their bananas. Most shoppers are eager to know where and how their bananas are grown and surprised to learn how many steps it takes to get those bananas from the farm to their smoothie, cereal bowl or favorite recipe.

• Offer Organic! Industry stats prove that organic produce is now a mainstream product. Your customers may be actively looking for organic bananas and will trade up for them, so it’s an important option to keep in-stock.

• First impressions are everything. Keeping your displays fully stocked with bright, beautiful, unblemished DOLE® Bananas is the key to attracting consumer attention.

• Leverage the power of the world’s most famous brands. Dole’s national nutritional alliance with Disney and partnerships with various health, wellness and hunger-relief groups offers myriad in-store, POP and other exclusive merchandising opportunities.

BANANAS: STILL RIPE WITH POSSIBILITIES AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

Bananas made one of their first appearances in America during the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876. Wrapped in foil and priced at a dime each, they were an instant hit with visitors who had never seen the South American import before.

Generations later, Americans’ love affair with the iconic yellow fruit is stronger than ever – and it’s not hard to see why. Convenient, economical, nutrient-packed, naturally sweet, just the right size for kids’ lunches, and offering their own bio-degradable packaging, bananas are practically the perfect food. In fact, bananas are consistently one of the top-selling items sold across all items in grocery stores
throughout North America with upwards of 90% household penetration.

With their ubiquity, bananas are the satisfying, all-natural comfort food your customers turn to when times are uncertain. Despite rising inflation and food costs, bananas continue to maintain their all-audience appeal compared to other household staples, with a basket size that remains near pre-pandemic level of 2.5 to 3 lbs. For shoppers looking to stretch their food dollar, bananas remain one of the best values – not just in the produce department but throughout the entire supermarket as well.

Savvy retailers and produce managers can leverage the banana’s staying power by leaning into the fruit’s premium nutrition story, classic taste, low-unit price and unsurpassed value as an all-daypart recipe ingredient and healthier, economical alternative to breakfast and energy bars, snack foods, post-workout sports drinks and just about everything in-between.

HELP US CELEBRATE OUR 125TH BANANA-VERSARY

Dole has been farming, shipping and selling bananas for 125 years – and we want you to join in on the in-store and online fun.

In 2024, Dole is celebrating its own banana history. It’s been 125 years since three Sicilian brothers and their brother-in-law in New Orleans pooled their life savings and began importing bananas from Honduras to give Americans their first taste of the exotic fruit.

Without knowing it, Joseph, Felix and Lucca Vaccaro, and Salvador D’Antoni, laid a foundation for what would eventually become a cornerstone of Dole Food Company and the ubiquitous DOLE® Banana, the world’s most popular banana and one of the most-purchased grocery items in history.

We’re marking this ripest of milestones with a year-long celebration of contests, partnerships, proclamations, recipes and special appearances by Bobby Banana, our 7-foot mascot committed to inspiring healthier living.

First stop is the Dole 125th Banana-versry landing page (dole.com/125) where both retailers banana lovers will find a constantly expanding hub of ways to satisfy their passion for the ubiquitous yellow fruit.

• Multiple waves of commemorative Dole 125th Banana-versary stickers on millions of DOLE® Bananas across the U.S. and Canada in 2024.

• A showcase of “125 Ways to Be Bananas” featuring fun, actionable banana tips, tricks and engagements being shared on Dole’s Facebook and Instagram stories pages all year long.

• Dole’s largest celebration of April 17’s National Banana Day in its history including appearances by Bobby Banana

• Free digital downloads and hands-on DIY activities celebrating all things DOLE® Banana throughout 2024.

• The Dole Banana Hall of Fame honoring the restaurants, people and places who continue to have a lasting appeal on the iconic nature and universal appeal of the fruit.

• Bunches of banana-focused breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snack and smoothie recipes created exclusively by Dole over the decades.

• A growing calendar of Dole 125th Banana-versry contests, events, proclamations and partnerships

• Opportunities to join in on the Banana-versry conversation and share Dole and banana memories through #DoleBananaVersary. To learn more about in-store POP, merchandising tips, recipes, nutrition education and the myriad other ways to leverage the heroic possibilities of DOLE® Bananas, contact your Dole representative.

SPECIAL 125TH BANANA-VERSARY RETAILER AND IN-STORE OPPORTUNITIES:

In addition to keeping a steady supply of DOLE® 125th Banana-versary-stickered fruit on hand, retailers can take advantage of this milestone year by working with their Dole rep to plan banana merchandising, promotions, special events and other in-store activities on banana holidays and during high-growth sales periods throughout the year. And with some advance planning, you can book an appearance by Dole’s Bobby Banana as a special in-store shopper treat.

• National Banana Day on April 17

• National Eat More Fruits and Vegetables Day on May 23

• Dole Whip Day on July 18

• National Banana Split Day on Aug. 25

• Back to School Days in August and September

DOLE FOOD COMPANY
200 South Tryon Street, Ste 600, Charlotte, NC 28202
www.Dole.com