As part of IPC’s retail support efforts, we held l Potato Lover’s Month from April 8, 2024, to May 17, 2024, with the goal of increasing the supply and sales of Idaho potatoes in participating stores.
POS materials were sent out and used for displays. Store staff were assisted with setting up and maintaining the displays. The stores with the highest increase in sales were the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. The displays were posted on the Idaho Potato Facebook Page and were put to a vote based on the number of likes to determine a winner.
The Potato Lovers Month at HEB in 2024 was a success with unit sales increasing over 50%, thanks to the participation and enthusiasm of the managers and associates at each store.
Expo ANTAD, that took place from March 12 to 14, is a trade show focused on the retail sector with more than 1,100 exhibiting companies and an estimated 10,000 professional visitors.
This year IMALINX coordinated a total of 17 booths for 6 of our clients, organizing logistics, business meetings and follow-ups with importers, distributors and supermarkets of various categories of food and beverages; from fresh produce such as Idaho Potatoes, grains and nuts such as Popcorn and California Raisins, dairy products with California Milk and various companies from the South and West of the United States.
The show was a success and has allowed us to see products in the supermarket in a short period of time after the show.
On February 26, Pistachio Day is celebrated worldwide. This year, American Pistachio Growers did different activities to celebrate and let the world know why pistachios are everyone’s favorite snack.
Campaigns were carried out with different media in order to spread the message through digital platforms, including reels, recipes, posts, and detailed editorial notes. One of the favorites was the pistachio butter that Gastronauta DF made with a spectacular production, where in addition to having the pistachio as the protagonist, it included green elements to combine it with the product.
In total, 36 articles were published about Pistachio Day, impacting 685,000 people. Media such as Cosmopolitan, Selecciones and Kena highlighted the benefits of American pistachios, as well as their versatility in food.
In December 2023, WUSATA’s largest trade mission (Mega Mision) was once again held.
As every year, as representatives of the Western U.S. Agribusiness Association in Mexico, we hosted and organized the Trade Mission that offers U.S. exporting companies an exceptional opportunity to meet with buyers from Mexico and Latin America.
It took place in Mexico City and Monterrey from December 3rd – 6th, 2023, where B2B meetings were held between exporters and potential buyers from Mexico City, Monterrey, Panama and Costa Rica, such as supermarkets, importers, distributors and food service institutions. Two exhibition spaces were set up in Mexico City and one in Monterrey, where participating U.S. companies were able to meet with different importers and showcase their products.
A total of 13 U.S. companies attended the Mission coordinated by the Washington State Department of Agriculture and the California State Department of Agriculture.
A total of 160 meetings were coordinated during the mission with 54 buyers in Mexico City and Monterrey. In addition, 4 Latin American companies, 2 Panamanian and 2 Costa Rican companies flew to Mexico City and 4 regional Mexican buyers flew to Monterrey to meet with the delegation.
Imalinx in coordination with WUSATA coordinated a Seafood Trade Mission as In-Country Representative from August 21-24, 2022 in Oregon with assistance from the Oregon State Department of Agriculture.
The objective of the trade mission was to help educate suppliers in the western US about the Mexican market, inform them of key contacts within the import industry in these markets, and establish business relationships.
The visits included visits to production plants, offices of suppliers and a menu demonstration with products from the region. The following Cities were visited: Portland, Astoria and Newport. The final delegation had 4 participants (3 buyers and 1 gastronomic journalist).
As part of the 2023 program, SUSTA organized a trade mission to Houston. Texas and Atlanta, Georgia for 4 Mexican buyers to meet with nearly 40 companies from the Southern United States that are members of SUSTA (Southern U.S. Agricultural Trade Association) to develop commercial opportunities between both countries.
The buyers traveled to both cities being received by the Texas Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Department of Agriculture, coordinating meetings between buyers and sellers in a Table-top format, combined with visits to supermarket stores and other suppliers. Trade leads were generated that we hope will result in sales in the near future.
Potato Lover’s Month is an exhibition contest within a supermarket chain which consists of mounting the most creative display using the Idaho potato. The first edition of 2023 was held in 80 Calimax stores distributed in Tijuana, Ensenada, Mexicali, Rosarito and SLRC.
More than 150 fruit managers and staff on the sales floor participated through their support in the arrangement and assembly of the displays, with the aim of creating an eye-catching display that would capture the eye of the consumer.
All displays were posted on the Idaho Potato Commission’s Facebook page where hundreds of consumers and participants voted for their favorite display by liking.
Thus, achieving an increase in sales of 51.74% in pesos and 11.93% in volume; likewise, a shrinkage reduction of 24.61%. On the other hand, more than 150 interactions were obtained between likes, comments and shares on the Facebook page.
Through the support granted by the Idaho Potato Commission, a cooking show was held at the Grupo Tarahumara facilities in one of its main warehouses within the Guadalajara, Jalisco supply center.
The activity consisted of the execution of a live recipe by a professional chef. During the execution of the recipe, the benefits, uses and versatility that characterize Idaho potatoes were communicated.
The results obtained through the promotion were the following:
Sales increased over seven times the average sales of Idaho Potato sacks.
It should be considered that the customers who carried out the promotion had not previously purchased the product and the purchase was to get to know the potato.
SUCCESSFUL ACTIVATION
The WUSATA Mexico Consumer Oriented Outbound Trade Mission took place in Mexico City and Monterrey from December 5th – 9th , 2022. These activities included logistics arrangements and meetings scheduled with potential buyers from both cities such as supermarkets, importers, distributors, and foodservice institutions. Additionally, a market briefing was provided by the Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) in Mexico City and Monterrey as well as an imports seminar. 2 tabletops were coordinated in Mexico City and other 2 in Monterrey where U.S companies were able to meet with different importers and showcase their products.
A total of thirteen companies attended the Outbound Trade Mission coordinated by the Washington State Department of Agriculture and the California State Department of Agriculture.
A total of 192 meetings were conducted during the mission with 45 different importers, retailers and distributors in Mexico City and Monterrey averaging 15 meetings per company.
Additionally, 6 buyers from Central/South America were flown to the mission in Mexico City and 4 Mexican regional buyers were flown to Monterrey in order to meet with the delegation.
California pomegranates are a specialty fruit that have delighted the palates of Colombian consumers. In coordination with the California Pomegranate Council, an industry training program was implemented with the objective of opening new business opportunities with importers, distributors, and retailers in Colombia through training on the handling of pomegranates.