When it comes to potatoes, the spring months bring retailers a full slate of opportunities to drive category sales and grow total basket size. With this in mind, Potatoes USA is sharing practical merchandising strategies retailers can use to capitalize on seasonal occasions ranging from brunches and graduations to grilling season and Mother’s Day.
According to Potatoes USA research based on Circana data, potatoes help drive larger basket sizes across the store. Shopping baskets containing potatoes average about $99, compared to about $50 without, underscoring the category’s ability to lift overall grocery sales.
“The entire spring calendar, all the way through Father’s Day, is packed with food occasions where potatoes fit naturally,” says Nick Bartelme, global retail development manager for Potatoes USA. “For retailers, that creates real opportunities to inspire meal ideas, connect potatoes to the season and capture stronger basket growth.”
Among the merchandising opportunities retailers can activate this spring:
1. Own the Spring Table
Brunch season, Mother’s Day and graduation gatherings all create demand for easy, crowd-pleasing side dishes. Bartelme says retailers can help shoppers picture spring meal solutions by cross-merchandising potatoes with eggs, ham, asparagus and fresh herbs for dishes such as brunch hashes, roasted sides and seasonal salads.
2. Let Color Stop the Cart
Spring shoppers often respond to vibrant displays that reflect the freshness and color of the season. Featuring the full spectrum of potato varieties together in a single display can drive impulse and encourage shoppers to try new types of potatoes for roasting, grilling and salads.
“Shoppers buy with their eyes, especially in spring,” Bartelme says. “When retailers highlight the color and variety of potatoes, it can spark curiosity and encourage trial.”
3. Fire Up Grilling Season
As grills come out in the backyards, retailers can position potatoes near steaks, burgers and chicken to help reinforce must-have grilling sides such as foil packets, grilled wedges and warm potato salads. Memorial Day and Father’s Day present two of the season’s strongest opportunities to promote these grilling solutions.
4. Make Potatoes the Picnic MVP
Warmer weather brings picnics, park gatherings and backyard get-togethers where simple, shareable dishes are in demand. Merchandising potatoes alongside mayonnaise, herbs, scallions and mustard can inspire fresh potato salads and other picnic-ready sides. Secondary displays near deli salads or rotisserie chicken can further reinforce convenient warm-weather meal solutions.
5. Show Potatoes in More Places
Visibility remains one of the most important drivers of potato sales in produce. Retailers following Potatoes USA’s merchandising best practices can see up to a 12% lift in category volume.
“Keeping potatoes visible throughout the department helps shoppers connect them to more meal occasions across the season,” Bartelme says. “Those additional touchpoints can translate into stronger category performance.”
Retailers can access additional merchandising ideas, signage and category resources through the Potatoes USA Retailer Toolkit, available at potatoretailer.com.
