List Your Company

Tropical Fruit

Who doesn’t like a tropical getaway? Use tropical fruits to conjure up relaxing vacation memories that will get fruit moving off the shelves. The tropicals category includes a wide variety of often premium-priced and unfamiliar fruit. Market those fruits well, and you can see a big boost to your bottom line.

Commodities

Avocados

Bananas

Carambola

Coconuts

Kiwifruit

Mangoes

Papayas

Pineapple

Plantains

Sales Strategies

Consider offering a “Cooking with Tropicals” class if your store has classroom facilities. Teaching consumers what to do with the fruit is the best way to get it moving.
Cross-merchandise pineapple with stir-fry vegetables and sauces. Promote it and other tropical as part of Chinese New Year celebrations.
Remind consumers that while bananas make a quick, tasty snack, they are also a great addition to baked goods. Cross-merchandise them with pie and baking supplies.
Promote tropicals with fruit salad items like berries and stone fruit.
Sampling is key in selling lesser-known tropicals. Offer samples of several different tropical to introduce consumers to a variety of fruits. Have information about how to prepare and serve each fruit available.
Many tropicals are great to market to kids. Bananas are a longtime kid favorite, but kiwifruit and pineapple also have kid appeal. Include all three in back-to-school promotions.
A kabob full of tropical fruits can be a great summertime side dish. Encourage consumers to think about grilling some of their tropical fruit purchases.

Dynamic Displays

Bananas, pineapple, avocados and kiwifruit are the most familiar tropical to shoppers. Put them front and center on your display so consumers are not overwhelmed by the lesser-known fruits. The familiar fruit will draw shoppers in where you can introduce them to fruits they may not be familiar with.
Include as much information as possible on your tropical display. Besides identifying each fruit clearly, offer up preparation and serving instructions to help consumers identify fruits they might enjoy.
Tropicals are a great way to appeal to ethnic populations in your area. If your store is in an area with a high population of Asian consumers, tropicals may sell themselves. Mangoes work well in cities with high Hispanic populations. A large and varied tropical display targeted to a specific demographic can make your store a destination in your region. Experiment with different tropicals to find the ones that sell best in your area.