Crespo Organic/RCF offer mango packaging options

El Grupo Crespo, which markets mangos in the United States under its Crespo Organic and RCF labels, is offering more choices for U.S. buyers with several consumer-ready packaging options.

Nissa Pierson, who handles marketing and promotion for the company, told The Produce News in mid-February that the packaging options are unique in the mango business. Over the last two years, El Grupo Crespo introduced a three-pound, retail-ready net bag in both the Crespo Organic and the conventional RCF labels. While last year was the first full year of this offering, Pierson still considers it to be new as the marketing challenges presented by the coronavirus has lengthened the introduction time for all new products. She said the three-pound net back is packed seven bags to a carton and has found good acceptance among the U.S. retail community.

Pierson said the unique presentation is in line with the thinking of the late Roberto Crespo Fitch, who started the family in the mango business more than 50 years ago. “He was avant garde in his thinking and far more advanced than his peers,” she said. “Today, the Crespo siblings think the same way and are constantly looking at new approaches in the category; new varietals, new growing techniques, new packaging, all of it.”

It is those four children of Crespo Fitch who launched El Grupo Crespo and have introduced a six-pound consumer case in the RCF label this season and plan to launch the Crespo Organic brand equivalent (A Case for Consumers) April 1 to coincide with the beginning of Mexico’s heavy mango shipping period. Pierson said the new case will be available in all 10 of the varieties shipped in the Crespo Organic and/or RCF labels. The new retail-ready consumer pack will be packed in a 48-pound master case.

Pierson explained that many of the nation’s top mango consumers like to buy mangos by the carton in the spring and summer when they are typically offered at a very attractive price point. The typical four-kilogram box is almost nine pounds, which is a bit too large for some consumers.  Pierson said that the six-pound offering should feature an attractive price point that will serve as a “collision point where everything explodes” and promotions proliferate.

In addition, the Crespo Organic case will be a consumer-driven box with QR codes connecting to more commodity information, how to’s and recipes. Pierson expects the carton to do very well during the peak sales season and as a great option for the big box stores, which often offer fresh produce in case quantities.

Both the fairly new three-pound net bag and the six-pound carton are perfectly positioned for the annual Crespo Organic Summer Mango Mania. Typically running in June, July and August to mirror the peak of the season, the promotion utilizes social media, merchandising tools, point of sale material, consumer contests and program pricing to tout the Crespo Organic brand.

While El Grupo Crespo offers both conventional and organic mangos, Pierson said the vast majority of the fruit is grown in certified organic groves, which was always the goal of the founder, whose initials (RCF) are the inspiration for one of the company’s two main labels.

The company has a long history in the organic sector and continues to grow its organic footprint. Pierson said they are constantly reviewing new core materials and research breakthroughs that should eventually lead to completely compostable packaging. Right now, she said even packaging that is labeled compostable is stretching the limits as to what compostable is. “It might be compostable, but it takes 11 years so they say,” she said, adding that the Crespos are in tune with new packaging concepts and when truly compostable material is available, El Grupo Crespo will adopt it quickly.

Two new labels are also being introduced this year, Mango King and Mango Queen, which will be used for the many specialty mango varieties that El Grupo Crespo grows and markets.