Opportunities to distribute mangos throughout North America continue to grow for C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc., headquartered in Eden Prairie, MN.

“While mangos are popular around the world, they are still gaining traction in the U.S. due to a lack of familiarity with the item,” said Category Manager Jose Rossignoli.

He went on to say data provided by the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reveals, “The U.S. imports more mangos than any other country yet represents only 1 percent of global consumption. Supply chain efficiencies, window of opportunity within each market, and cost structure are the major contributing factors to the point of origin for the North American marketplace.”

C.H. Robinson markets both red and Ataulfo mango varieties under its “Happy Chameleon” label in bulk, club packs and clamshell packaging.

Recently, the company received feedback from consumers through a produce research panel and found that 37 percent of consumers indicated feeling “somewhat comfortable” picking a mango. “The research finding also showed that the majority of mango consumption in the household is attributed to the shopper themselves rather than other adults or children,” Rossignoli said. “In response, C.H. Robinson distributes a Happy Chameleon club pack that includes cutting instructions that aim to educate consumers on how to cut and store the fruit.”

The company moves product to a wide variety of customers in the wholesale, retail and foodservice sectors. “In the foodservice space, mango proves to be a very versatile item on restaurant menus, appearing in drinks and smoothies, in salads, with fish, and in salsa,” Rossignoli said, adding that menu mentions of mangos increased 11 percent during 2013. “Although this item has become mainstream, it is still found most frequently on menus of independent restaurants that are more likely to introduce new flavors,” he added.

On the retail side, mangos are available to retailers from April through August “when the mango season is in full swing and imports from other growing regions protect the overall supply and drive down costs,” Rossignoli said.

C.H. Robinson encourages retail customers to take advantage of the many marketing programs and promotion ideas available through the National Mango Board. “For example, a Mango Mania display contest that ran in July 2013 was a great way to promote mangos in a fun way and drive traffic in the produce department,” Rossignoli said. “Another trend in mango promotion at the retail level is the retailer’s willingness to transition into the predominant size mango throughout the season. For example, promoting size 10 and 12 mangos when they are in season and then transitioning into size 8 or 9. This merchandising method and potential strategy allows retailers to provide their customers with more frequent promotional opportunities throughout the peak mango season.”