“We’re delighted to once again award sweepstakes grand prizes in each of our three amazing IPC regions in the U.S.,” said Ross Johnson, IPC vice president of retail. “As the contest gets larger every year, we love seeing Idaho potato sales shoot up when produce managers get creative with their store displays. It’s the perfect way to leverage the power of the Idaho brand name and have some fun too.”

Produce Manager Ted Elliott cranked up the volume in his produce department to take home 1st place in the 10+ registers category with a jukebox-themed display. “We used a cooler that looks similar in shape to a jukebox for our refrigerated tie-ins,” said Elliott, who works at Tops Friendly Market in East Aurora, NY. “Myself, my assistant and another associate built the display in one morning after a few days of planning.”

It was time well spent, said Elliott, because sales of bulk Idaho potatoes nearly doubled during the weeks the display was up. “Any time we create excitement in a secondary display, we see an increase in units and sales,” he said. 

At B&T’s Food Fresh Market in Athens, GA, shoppers rocked out to an Idaho potato display initially inspired by the Wayne’s World skits on Saturday Night Live in the 1980s, said Produce Manager Bobby Inman, 1st place winner in the 6-9 registers category. “The customers were really shocked when they saw the display—the pictures do not do it justice!” said Inman. “When you walked in the store, the display was in your face, and we had live music playing and strobe lights on the curtain in the back.”

Paying homage to the Wheel of Fortune game show, Produce Manager Tina Fisher spun off an interactive Idaho potato display that offered shoppers a chance to win prizes at Babbs in Spencer, IN, which won top prize in the 1-5 registers category. Fisher and three colleagues created and built the display, putting to use a spinning wheel that the store had put out during an anniversary sale.

“Customers would spin the wheel and got to win a prize,” said Fisher. “Indy Fruit donated 3-pound bags of Idaho potatoes to give away, and we had knives, pens, hats, chip clips and Babbs gift cards for prizes too. We have been doing the IPC display contest for six years, and we’ve placed in five of the six years.”

The surprise announcement that he had won a Victrola jukebox grand prize was music to the ears of Erick Velasquez, store director at Superior Grocers in Pico Rivera, CA, and one of the three IPC regional sweepstakes winners. “I had no idea this was coming,” said Velasquez. “This isn’t just about a display — it’s about the passion our entire team brings to the store every day.”

Marco Alvarez, produce manager at Winn-Dixie at Palm Coast Corners Shopping Center in Palm Coast, FL, and Brian Castleberry, produce manager at Fresh Encounter Remke in Crescent Springs, KY, were also pleasantly surprised to discover they had won Victrola jukeboxes in the sweepstakes. 

“It was pretty shocking when they came into the store [to tell him he had won],” said Castleberry. “The jukebox is set up in my basement, and my little one has kind of taken it over!”

Each of the three sweepstakes-winning stores also received a second Victrola jukebox for the store’s category manager. Fresh Encounter category manager Dave Rhodes, who recently retired as director of produce and floral, said he looks forward to kicking back to some tunes as he eases out of working life. “It will be great for the whole family, and we will have our grandkids pick some of the music for it,” said Rhodes.

To check out all of the 2025 winning displays, 
visit www.IdahoPotato.com/Retail. 

IPC sponsored a separate display contest for military commissaries in 2025, with prizes awarded by sales band group to two winners per group. Each winner received a special plaque to display in their store, along with commissary gift cards to hand out to their customers.