Orlando, Fla. – The winners of the first Mango Mania Display Contest have been announced by the National Mango Board (NMB). Participating stores competed for $10,000 in prizes and reported a collective 1095% increase in mango volume compared to the same period in 2010. The contest was open to retailers with up to 50 stores.
“The display photos we received were so impressive,” said NMB Marketing Director Wendy McManus. “The very best entries used creative themes, built multi-level displays and incorporated fun props to attract attention to the mango display.” The NMB provided a contest kit with point of sale materials, but the stores were encouraged to supplement the POS with their own signs and other visual flair.
Entries were judged based on the creativity of the display, overall visual appeal of the display, and the effectiveness of the display in educating shoppers about mangos. Display entries had to be in place for at least one week (seven days) during the month of July.
According to the NMB, the emphasis on small chains and individually-owned stores was the first step in a larger campaign to engage retailers that are not currently being contacted by the NMB’s retail account managers. “It’s not feasible for us to make direct contact with the hundreds of small retailers out there, but we want them to have access to our information and tools for growing mango sales,” said McManus. “We plan to repeat the contest with small retailers again in 2012, and will work to enhance our relationships with them throughout the year.”
Top prize winners in the Mango Mania Display Contest are:
Ten or more cash registers
- 1st place, $1000 prize: Kevin Thompson, Price Rite, Chicopee, MA
- 2nd place, $750 prize: Aaron Preece, Macey’s Grocery, Providence, UT
- 3rd place, $500 prize: Vincent Venditti, PriceRite, Pawtucket, RI
Six to nine cash registers
- 1st place, $1000 prize: Doug Dallo, Foodland, San Diego, CA
- 2nd place, $750 prize: Dawn Beckby, Henderson’s IGA, Valentine, NE
- 3rd place, $500 prize: Michelle McAreavy, Patricia’s Food Store, Columbia, NC
One to five cash registers
- 1st place, $1000 prize: Chuck Gurvitz, Lawrence Brothers IGA, Ruidoso, NM
- 2nd place, $750 prize: Leif Lobner, North State Grocery Quality Foods, Cottonwood, CA
- 3rd place, $500 prize: David Gwaltney, Lawrence Brothers, Breckenridge, TX
Price Rite, Chicopee, MA
Foodland, San Diego, CA
Lawrence Brothers IGA, Ruidoso, NM
In addition to those listed, honorable mention prizes worth $200 each were awarded in each category. For a complete list of all winners, visit www.mango.org/contest.
About National Mango Board
The National Mango Board is a national promotion and research organization, which is supported by assessments from both domestic and imported mangos. The board was designed to drive awareness and consumption of fresh mangos in the U.S. One cup of mango is only 100 calories, an excellent source of vitamins A and C, a good source of fiber and an amazing source of tropical flavor.
Mango availability per capita has quadrupled since 1990 to an estimated 2.24 pounds per year in 2010. Mango import volume for 2010 was 770 million pounds. Learn more at www.mango.org.
Source: National Mango Board
