Oxnard, CA-based Mission Produce Inc., which claims to be the world’s largest avocado producer, is touting research showing that promoting avocados at retail is an excellent way to increase the overall performance of the produce department.

As U.S. avocado consumption increases without an accompanying increase in supply from California growers, the California Avocado Commission continues to focus on its “Tier 1 approach,” which involves targeting retailers, foodservice operators and consumers who are willing to pay a premium for its product.

Consumers across the country and in particular in the West are fulfilling their pent-up desire to travel and still stay relatively close to home by taking road trips. Recognizing this trend, the California Avocado Commission produced three road trip videos that meld iconic California locations with in-season California avocados.

WP Produce Corp., grows and ships avocados from its partner family farms in four growing regions in the Dominican Republic and Florida, delivering the highest-quality tropical avocados and consistent supply throughout the year.

“The fruit is gaining in popularity every year, and we continue to see increases in demand,” said Chris Gonzalez, vice president of sales for the Miami-based company. “We saw about a 10 percent growth in the category across the board.” 

The avocado has experienced almost unprecedented sales growth in the U.S. market over the past decade and there is evidence that it is the “super users” that are driving that growth and should be the consumer segment retailers target.

La Bonanza Avocados, a vertically integrated, two-generation, family-owned Mexican Hass avocado company, recently expanded its packing facility with new sorting and bagging capacity.