AVOCADOS AND DON’TS

Avocado Best Practices Guide for Grocery Retailers

1 Mission Produce has grown to become the world’s leader in producing, distributing and marketing fresh Hass avocados. As a vertically integrated company, our total focus is avocados. We provide customers all over the world with the complete package: year-round supply, global availability and value-added services.

Mission Produce’s industry-leading Ripe Program sets our customers up for success because there is less inventory to carry, less guessing about ripeness and less shrink.

But the hero at the end of this avocado success story is you. Yes, YOU!

On the pages that follow, we’ve outlined the best practices for avocado handling and merchandising that consistently result in increased sales. By following these simple practices, you can offer your shoppers the world’s finest avocados at their peak quality and flavor, when they are ripe and ready to eat.

2 3 JUDGING RIPENESS

5 STAGES OF RIPENESS TABLE OF CONTENTS The first step to watching your avocado sales soar is understanding the stages of ripeness for Hass avocados. Color is NOT always an indicator of ripeness. The best way to judge ripeness is to feel for uniform softness.

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6 JUDGING RIPENESS 5 7

8

HANDLING AND STORAGE 10

11 STAGE 1 STAGE 2 STAGE 3 STAGE 4 STAGE 5 AVAILABILITY 11 12 Hard Pre-Conditioned Breaking Firm-Ripe Ripe

13 14 Fresh off Ripening has As it ripens, The avocado is The avocado is the tree, the begun, but the the avocado is ripe, and yields ripe, and yields SIZING 15 14 avocado is very avocado is still firm but yields slightly to gentle easily to gentle

16 hard with no very firm. slightly pressure. pressure. give. to pressure. 17 ORGANICS 17 APPROXIMATELY APPROXIMATELY APPROXIMATELY 18 1 DID YOU KNOW? 5+ DAYS 4-5 DAYS 2 DAYS RIPE RIPE

20 MERCHANDISING INSIGHTS UNTIL RIPE UNTIL RIPE UNTIL RIPE 1 Each piece of fruit in your BEST FOR BEST FOR 21 IF HELD IF HELD IF HELD Mission order is delivered at AT ROOM AT ROOM AT ROOM SLICES AND MASHING AND 22 the same stage of ripeness. TEMPERATURE TEMPERATURE TEMPERATURE CUBES GUACAMOLE All of our avocados are NUTRITION 23 23 expertly ripened to each of our customers’ preferred stage of ripeness at our nearest Ripening Center.

4 5 JUDGING RIPENESS JUDGING RIPENESS

THE BUTTON METHOD EDUCATE YOUR SHOPPERS

Until you get the hang of judging an avocado’s ripeness by how soft it Your shoppers have questions about avocado ripening and now you have the answers. feels, there’s another trick for determining avocado ripeness. “The Button Show them how to finish the ripening process at home with these simple steps: Method” will allow you to have more confidence in your assessment. Here’s how:

ROOM TEMPERATURE

Leave firm, under-ripe avocados at room temperature to ripen. Only refrigerate avocados once they are ripe, where they will stay fresh and ready to enjoy for several days.

1 2 3 TO SPEED RIPENING: Press lightly near the neck If you’re unsure it’s If the stem button is removed of the avocado and feel ready to eat, easily, your avocado is ready to for gentle yield. ‘pop the stem button.’ eat. If not, the avocado needs a 1 3 couple more days of ripening. Check for ripeness 2 periodically by feeling for softness. 4

Once ripe, place DON’T OVERDO IT Enclose avocados in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator along with an apple or banana, which Leave the bag on Your shoppers prefer to have the button intact, so do not use this method to to keep fresh for judge ripeness of all the avocados in a shipment. A relatively small sample size naturally release high levels of ethylene, a sunny windowsill several days. of 2–3 avocados in a shipment will tell you all you need to know. a gas that fruits give off as they ripen. for 18-48 hours.

6 7 JUDGING RIPENESS HANDLING AND STORAGE

IT’S IN THE WAY THAT YOU USE IT HANDLE WITH CARE Whether firm-ripe at Stage 4 or fully soft and ripe at Stage 5, Hass You’ll be an avocado pro in no time by familiarizing yourself with the following storage avocados can be served in a variety of ways. and handling procedures. With our industry-leading Ripe Program, our ripening experts have already begun ripening the fruit to your preferred stage of ripeness. Adhere to these simple practices to offer your shoppers the finest quality avocados.

STAGE 4 STAGE 5 Best for slicing4 and dicing Best for mashing5 and smashing Salads Guacamole

Sandwiches Smoothies Bring inside the store immediately Determine stage of ripeness. upon arrival. Heat is the greatest Burgers Spreads factor in destroying quality.

Tacos Avocado Toast

Omelets Baby Food

When stacking boxes, place those Do not toss or drop boxes. with ripe avocados on top. Avocados bruise easily at any ripe stage. DO DON’T Feel an avocado for softness to Don’t rely on color to judge X judge ripeness. If it yields easily ripeness. Feeling the avocado to gentle pressure, it’s fully ripe for uniform softness is the best 38 ° 42 ° and ready to eat. indicator.

Store ripe avocados at 38-42 Do not store near other degrees to slow ripening tropical fruit or ethylene-sensitive and avoid cooler damage. produce such as bananas or mangoes.

8 9 HANDLING AND STORAGE AVAILABILITY PUT ‘EM ON DISPLAY WITH MISSION, IT’S ALWAYS AVOCADO SEASON DO DON’T JAN FEB MAR APR M AY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC California Feature RIPE avocados in separate X Don’t display in cooler displays. displays to boost sales. Dominican Republic X Don’t display avocados on the wet rack Mexico Identify RIPE avocados with RIPE or READY or near misting systems. TO EAT Point of Sale materials that speed Chile sales rates and inspire impulse purchases. X Don’t display avocados next to tropical fruit or ethylene sensitive produce such Colombia Rotate displays daily, placing riper avocados as bananas or mangoes. Peru on top and removing those that are overripe. X Don’t build massive pyramid displays New Zealand Take overripe avocados from the display and because the weight of the display could develop an in-store guacamole program or bruise or damage the fruit. use in the deli for sandwiches. Each country of origin has its own unique climate and soil, and as a result our delicious avocados exhibit

subtle physical differences based on where they were grown. Display next to tomatoes, garlic, guacamole mix, lemon and limes for attractive color California Chile break and to increase produce department Bumpy, bright green skin when unripe. Elongated shape, bumpy skin. sales with fresh guacamole inspiration. Skin will darken during ripening. Depending on maturity, skin may

not darken during ripening. Go beyond guac by displaying ripe avocados with bread and seasonings for avocado toast, Dominican Republic Colombia or create a secondary display with avocados Slightly round shape with bumpy skin. Oval shape, granulated rough skin. and other ingredients for smoothies. DID YOU KNOW? Depending on maturity, skin may not Smaller in size with dark green skin darken during ripening. that turns purple-black when ripe. Mission will work one-on-one with you to help strategize your merchandising and category Mexico Peru management with data-driven insights. We Main Season: Slightly bumpy green or Thick, bumpy skin that may turn amber/red can also arrange for a ripening expert to come when ripe. Skin may not darken when ripe; Find more display black skin with some ridging. Skin will to your distribution center to assess and darken during ripening. thick skin may feel firm even when ripe. inspiration on page 22 improve your avocado handling operations. Email [email protected] Off Bloom: Smooth bright green skin. New Zealand to tap into our expertise! Skin may not darken and may possibly Elongated shape with thick, pebbly skin checkerboard during ripening. that changes from light green to deep

10 brown when ripe. 11 AVAILABILITY AVAILABILITY

READY FOR THE WORLD Mission Produce avocados are ripe and readily available for customers around the world thanks to our strategically located ripening centers. We scouted the globe to find the most centralized locations so our customers always have ripened avocados within reach. These specialized, state-of-the-art facilities were custom-built to create the precise conditions for ripening avocados.

Breda Calgary

Seattle Toronto Chicago Denver New Jersey

Oxnard Atlanta Shanghai

Mexico Dominican Republic

Guatemala

Colombia

Peru

South Africa

Chile

New Zealand

12 13 SIZING SIZING

ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL FIND THE RIGHT SIZE FOR THE JOB Size is determined by the number of avocados that fit in a standard carton, called a “lug,” that weighs approximately 25 pounds when full. For example, a size 40 avocado refers to the fact that 40 avocados fit into that standard size lug. Therefore, the larger the size number, the SMALL LARGE JUMBO smaller the avocado. Conversely, the smaller the number, the larger the avocado. Sizes: 60, 70, 84 Sizes: 40, 48 Sizes: 28, 32, 36 PLU: 4046 PLU: 4225 PLU: 4770

28 Count Approx. 13.9 oz Approx. Yield 9.6 oz 36 Count 1 1/5 cup Approx. 10.7 oz Approx. Yield 7.4 oz 48 Count 15/16 cup Approx. 7.7 oz Approx. Yield 5.4 oz 4046 4225 4770 2/3 cup 70 Count Approx. 5.0 oz Approx. Yield 3.6 oz 7/16 cup

28 32 36 BEST SIZE FOR BEST SIZE FOR BEST SIZE FOR 40 48 60 70 84 Single-Serving Snack Half Now/Half Later Stuffed Avocados Baby Food Recipes Families

Smoothies Versatile Usage Guacamole 32 Count 40 Count 60 Count 84 Count Approx. 11.9 oz Approx. 10.0 oz Approx. 5.9 oz Approx. 3.7 oz Approx. Yield 8.0 oz Approx. Yield 7.0 oz Approx. Yield 3.9 oz Approx. Yield 2.6 oz 1 cup 7/8 cup 1/2 cup 1/3 cup

THE PERFECT MIX DID YOU KNOW? Follow our recommended formula of large, small, and organic for a Every 25lb lug yields roughly the same volume perfect product mix to meet your shoppers’ needs. For example: of pulp. So you can make the same amount of guacamole with a box of 70s as a box of 48s! + Small Avocados in Bags or Bulk + Large Avocados in Bulk + Organic Avocados in Bags

14 15 SIZING ORGANICS

SIZING UP PROMOTIONS ORGANICS

Mission is the go-to source for fresh organically grown avocados. As with all of our products, we have mastered the art of growing, packing and ripening certified organic avocados to meet the SMALL LARGE needs of our customers all year long. AVOCADOS AVOCADOS As the demand for organic avocados grows, Mission continues to invest additional resources Small fruit moves better Large fruit has on promotion rather than a somewhat greater into organic programs, pursuing innovative ways to support and develop the category. We work price reduction. Consumers sensitivity to everyday closely with our organic growers and lead by example with production technology innovations feel they’re getting a deal. price adjustments. and best practices for organic growing.

Mission’s organic growers are certified by USDA

60% 70% accredited inspectors and meet all the requirements set by the Organic Foods 50% 60% +40.1% +43.7% 50% Production Act of 1990. Each of our 40% 40% grower partners is audited annually. 30% As Mission supplies both organic 30% +18.3% 20% discount +19.9% 20% discount 20% and conventional fruit, we follow promotion results 20% promotion results 10% discount in a 40% sales lift in a 44% sales lift promotion results strict guidelines to ensure the

% Change-Base Volume 10% % Change-Base Volume in a 18% sales lift 10% integrity of organic product 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% throughout the supply chain. % Discount Amount % Discount Amount

DO DON’T Offer a variety of sizes to give your Don’t assume that bags of avocados GO PURPLE shoppers a choice that suits their can only have small sizes. Small, usage needs and educate shoppers large and jumbo avocados are all Mission Organics are distinctively about usage tips for different sizes. available in bags. packaged in purple so shoppers can easily differentiate organic and conventional on the shelf.

* Hass Avocado Board 2015 Market Basket and Shopper Trends 16 17 ORGANICS MERCHANDISING INSIGHTS

THE ORGANIC SHOPPER DEVELOPED VS. EMERGING REGIONS

of US Shoppers % DEVELOPED EMERGING 73 purchase organics Source: The Hartman Group, “The Evolving Organic Marketplace,” 2015

ORGANIC

$78,837 $58,732 College Graduate % or Higher Average Income of Average Income of 50 Organic Buyers Non-Organic Buyers

of housholds in of housholds in “Being organically grown” is considered a % developed regions % emerging regions purchase driver by 60% of a target audience 1 Ethnicity: 66 buy avocados 45 buy avocados CAUCASIAN AFRICAN 50% of heavy avocado users consider organic to % AMERICAN 78 % be an attribute of importance, where only 22% of 13 avocado buying avocado buying light users consider it an important factor 2 7 trips per year 5 trips per year 51% of heavy users and 30% of light users prefer to buy organic 2 HISPANIC OTHER avocado spend avocado spend % % per year per year 1 Hass Avocado Board 2016 Consumer Tracking Study 13 10 $ $ 26 (up 25% vs. PY) 17 (up 32% vs. PY) 2 Hass Avocado Board 2015 Path to Purchase Study

18 * Hass Avocado Board 2015 Market Basket and Shopper Trends 19 MERCHANDISING INSIGHTS MERCHANDISING INSIGHTS

MEET THE AVOCADO CONSUMER OFFER BOTH BULK AND BAGS Display bulk and bagged avocados together to boost sales while offering shoppers a choice. Mission offers a full range of avocado sizes in bags, from small, to large to jumbo. 2/3 of the population have purchased Women buy the majority of avocados: Mission can pack custom bags, too! avocados for home use in the past year 3 68% women—32% men 3

62% of avocado consumers purchased 55% of heavy avocado purchasers 37 or more avocados per year, one have an annual household income of of the highest percentages of heavy $50,000 or more 3 BULK ONLY BULK & BAGGED BAGGED ONLY avocado purchasers ever recorded! 3 SHOPPERS SHOPPERS SHOPPERS

68% of avocado purchasers are married Heavy avocado purchasers account or living with a domestic partner 3 for 93% of avocado purchases 3

3 Hass Avocado Board 2016 Consumer Tracking Study

90% of Hispanic consumers purchase avocados monthly 3

5 10 2 avocado avocado avocado purchases purchases purchases Likelihood of avocado purchase based on presence of children 4 per year per year per year

Have kids 50% 1 kid 49% $ $ $ 2 kids 48% 17 42 13 3 or more kids 55% spend on spend on spend on No kids 40% avocados avocados avocados per year per year per year 4 Fresh Trends 2016, The Packer

20 * Hass Avocado Board 2015 Market Basket and Shopper Trends 21 MERCHANDISING INSIGHTS NUTRITION

INSPIRED DISPLAYS A NUTRITIONAL POWERHOUSE While they may be relatively high in calories and fat, avocados are a good caloric investment because they are nutrient dense and the fat they contain is the ‘good’ kind—monounsaturated, which is readily used by the body as energy.

Heart Healthy approved by USDA

Superfood approved by USDA

Position avocados in the front of the Establish a permanent, year-round FOODIE FACTS produce department to draw shopper destination display with multiple sizes—in attention and inspire impulse purchases. bulk and in bags—displayed together. 3 servings Zero sugar, in 1 medium sodium, or avocado cholesterol

Good source 8g Vegan of fiber, 8g

Gluten Free

Accent your avocado displays with Create eye-catching secondary displays tomatoes, limes and guacamole near other products like sliced and artisanal seasoning or fresh smoothie ingredients. bread, seasonings, tortillas or tortilla chips. DID YOU KNOW?

96% of health professionals surveyed recommend avocados LEARN MORE when recommending increased Find more display inspiration specifically for your RIPE avocados on page 9 intake of fruits and vegetables.

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