“Today, it’s much more predictable and retailers are actively building programs around it, similar to other major food holidays,” Becker said. “Promotions and merchandising often begin weeks in advance, which has effectively turned Cinco de Mayo into a full campaign period rather than a single-day occasion. That extended window gives retailers more opportunity to build basket size and drive repeat purchases leading up to the holiday.”

At the same time, Becker continued, success has become more coordinated. 

“It’s no longer just about having supply in place, it’s about aligning in-store execution with digital support to drive conversion,” she said. “When those elements come together, we tend to see stronger engagement and more meaningful lifts across the category.”

Mission Produce takes a very collaborative approach with its retail partners, including aligning on merchandising strategies, optimizing assortment and leveraging insights from its AvoIntel platform to guide decision-making. 

“We focus on helping retailers create a seamless in-store experience — from the right product mix to clear messaging — so shoppers can easily find what they need for the occasion and feel confident in their purchase,” Becker said. “We support promotion programming both in-store and online, working closely with our retail partners to align on timing, messaging, and activation strategies that bring the occasion to life with the World’s Finest Avocados.”

Cross-merchandising continues to be one of the most effective strategies to drive avocado movement around the holiday. 

“Displays that bring together avocados with complementary items — like tomatoes, onions, limes and chips — help simplify the shopping experience and inspire usage,” Becker said. “Secondary displays and high-visibility placements also perform well, especially when they’re tied to the occasion and supported with simple recipe ideas or usage cues.”

Preparation starts well in advance for the holiday and aligns closely across its sourcing, operations and sales teams to ensure it’s positioned to support customer demand during this key window. 

“Our global sourcing network allows us to maintain consistent supply and we coordinate closely with customers to align on timing, product specifications and ripeness needs to help ensure a smooth execution at store level,” Becker said. “For Cinco de Mayo, ripeness is one of the most important factors in delivering a great shopper experience. Shoppers are often purchasing for immediate use — whether it’s for a gathering that day or later that evening — so consistency and reliability really matter.”

As Mission Produce heads into spring, the category continues to show strong engagement, particularly around key consumption moments like Cinco de Mayo. 

“There’s a lot of focus on how we can continue to elevate the shopper experience, whether that’s through better merchandising, more targeted insights or stronger collaboration with our retail partners,” Becker said. “That ongoing alignment across the value chain has been a key area of momentum.”

Looking ahead, Becker sees even more opportunities for expanding avocado consumption around Cinco de Mayo and other culturally driven food occasions.

“There’s a meaningful opportunity to continue expanding usage beyond traditional occasions,” she said. “As shoppers become more comfortable using avocados in a wider range of meals, we anticipate that culturally driven moments like Cinco de Mayo can serve as a gateway to more everyday consumption. Continued focus on education, inspiration, and ease — both in-store and digitally — can help drive that evolution and support long-term category growth.”