WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA - The fresh produce department is a treasure trove of retail opportunity, and one yellow fruit in particular is making waves with consumers. As Dole Food Company’s Bil Goldfield told me, bananas are an opportunistic category, and retailers should be taking advantage.

“Bananas are the satisfying, all-natural comfort food that customers turn to when times are uncertain, and this is how we message them to shoppers,” the Director of Corporate Communications told me. “Despite rising inflation and food costs across the board, bananas have done better than most other produce and household staple items in maintaining their appeal for consumers and average basket size purchase by showcasing their value for shoppers looking to stretch their food dollar. The beloved yellow fruit remains one of the best values throughout not just the produce department but the entire supermarket.”

As Bil explained, bananas are versatile at all stages of ripeness. Since consumer tastes and recipes vary widely, offering multiple color stages appealing to broader shopper usage preferences and demographics may increase purchase size.

Secondary displays near the high-traffic or complementary product aisles—cereal, dairy, nut butters, and check-out—can promote bananas as an impulse purchase or single-serve snack option. Bil also suggests communicating where and how the bananas are grown along with unexpected and inspirational usage ideas or recipe suggestions.

“Knowledgeable retailers and produce managers can maximize sales by first leaning into the fruit’s premium low-unit price and unsurpassed value as an all-day recipe ingredient as well as a healthier, economical alternative to breakfast and energy bars, snack foods, post-workout sports drinks, and just about everything in-between," Bil added. "Our April campaign touches on much of this amazing versatility.”

Speaking of campaigns, Dole has plenty of unique strategies in its back pocket. In the first and second quarters of 2022, Dole launched its Dole Fruit Love campaign in collaboration with classic Disney characters. To place a special spotlight on bananas, Dole also launched a banana bread bake-off for National Banana Bread Day in February. The Dole Fruit & Veg Tourney Brackets recently launched as well, aligning with the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.

In April, Dole will honor National Banana Day on April 19. 2023 will also be the year of Bobby Banana, one of Dole’s beloved mascots, who represents the energy, exuberance, and healthy fun of America’s most popular produce. Dole can also work closely with retail partners to speak to the unique value and differentiation that only a DOLE® bananas program can deliver.

“Beyond this, Dole offers retailers access to some of the most powerful—and appealing—characters, alliances, healthy-living initiatives, social media platforms, follower groups, and online recipe libraries in produce such as programs with The Walt Disney Company and No Kid Hungry,” Bil added.

Dole has a mission to Make the World a Healthier Place, which includes a broad definition of health and informs all of its marketing and communications programs. The company also focuses on a healthy planet with clean water and renewable energy, healthy farms with rich soils and quality products, healthy living with sustainable labor and wages, and healthy production with low emissions and smaller carbon footprints.

“As the company’s largest and most prolific crop, bananas will continue to play a pivotal role in this bold path moving forward. Dole banana programs help convert this rising consumer passion for sustainability and authenticity into increased sales and customer loyalty,” Bil concluded.

If this doesn’t have you looking intently at the banana display in your own produce department, I don’t know what will. For more produce news, keep following along with ANUK.

Dole Food Company