OXNARD, CA - The time to celebrate Cinco de Mayo has come, and Mission Produce reports that shoppers are hitting both retail and foodservice outlets to get their fix of fresh avocados. Galen Johnson, Senior Director of Foodservice Sales, gave me the inside scoop.

“During the last few weeks, foodservice customers have been preparing for the Cinco de Mayo holiday, which more than half of consumers plan to celebrate in 2023 according to a Mission Produce Avocado Intel Survey. The survey also showed that approximately 52 percent of consumers plan to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in 2023, an increase of 36 percent from 2022,” Galen told me.

With a plentiful supply of avocados across all sizes and grades from Mission Produce, both retail and foodservice customers can anticipate an opportunity to run promotions and generate sales this Cinco de Mayo.

“This year, the industry anticipates a significant opportunity for the foodservice sector to leverage the holiday in hopes of generating a spike in business,” Galen continued. “More than half of consumers intending to celebrate are planning to go out or order delivery, according to a Numerator Consumer Survey Report.”

As Mission suggests, some potentially effective methods to capture Cinco de Mayo sales this year include offering themed dishes, providing deals on chips and dips, and sharing small guacamole samples to inspire more orders.

“Cinco de Mayo is what Mission calls an ‘avo-cassion’—a holiday with avocados at the forefront. In a Mission Produce Avocado Intel survey, 60 percent of people associated avocados with Cinco de Mayo, and 68 percent associated guacamole with Cinco de Mayo. Additionally, 65 percent of consumers celebrating said they plan to purchase avocados,” Galen shared.

The Numerator survey found that despite inflation, approximately 80 percent of Cinco de Mayo shoppers plan to spend the same amount of money they did last year, or more. Those who plan to spend less money are planning to buy items on promotion, prepare budget-friendly foods, and use coupons in their Cinco de Mayo shopping, according to Mission’s survey.

“The industry anticipates a strong Cinco de Mayo this year for several reasons, including an increase in travel and hospitality, the holiday landing on the start of the weekend, and a strong supply of avocados from both Mexico and California,” Galen concluded.

Are avocados at the forefront of your Cinco de Mayo strategy? If Mission Produce is in your corner, I bet that is a resounding “yes.”

Mission Produce