Planting seeds for big growth
Planting seeds for big growth
When it comes to spuds, bigger is definitely better: bigger crops, bigger potatoes, bigger package sizes. It’s all adding up to bigger opportunities for category growth this season, said Mark Daniels, Idaho Potato Commission retail promotion director-Southeast/Central.
“It’s a very promotable Idaho® potato crop this year,” said Daniels. “We’re encouraging retailers to be promoting larger bags. If they promoted 5-pounders last year, then try promoting 8- and 10-pounders this year. I remember my days as a produce director and you have to find unique ways to get more dollars in the category.”
By the numbers
Real-life numbers back up this strategy, said Daniels. “We’ve done some category reviews, and those retailers that promoted bigger bags saw their volume and dollars go up,” he said. “Those who just did the same thing as the year before saw that their volume might be slightly up, but their dollars were flat or even down.”
In fact, the 8-pound jumbo is the No. 1 success story for the category in every region, said Daniels. “Some retailers weren’t even carrying that item, and they added it, and it’s been a significant success for their offerings in the category,” he said.
“Ten-pounders have also been a great sales item, and we even have a few retailers already committed to promoting a 15-pound bag,” Daniels added. “We’re hoping to see the results on those 15-pounders fairly soon.”
A boost from IPC
Retailers don’t have to go it alone in promoting larger-size spuds, added Daniels, because IPC offers a wealth of promotional funding that often can be tied into supporting specific promotions they have in mind. In addition, the IPC website provides downloadable resources for retailers including point-of-sale kits, retail advertising guidance, certification marks and nutrition information, seasonal and sports clip art, bagged potato photos and more than 1,700 recipes with high-quality color photos.
“We’ve also got our long-running promotion coming up in the beginning of the year, the Potato Lovers Month retail display contest, which we support with promotional materials that help produce managers draw in more shoppers during what can be a slower time of year,” said Daniels. “From larger russets in larger bags to smaller spuds like 24-ounce gourmet packs, a variety of Idaho potato offerings can complement each other and enhance the entire category. Consumers already have potatoes on their shopping list when they hit the grocery store, so retailers can maximize that demand by providing top-quality tubers like Idaho potatoes.”
