Orlando, Fla – The National Mango Board (NMB) named ShopRite as the 2018 Mango Retailer of the Year. The award was announced during the NMB’s Annual Mango Industry Reception on October 19, 2018 during PMA’s Fresh Summit Convention & Expo in Orlando, FL. Present at the ceremony were award recipients Perno W. Young III, Category Manager at Wakefern Food Corporation; Derrick S. Jenkins, Vice President of Produce/Floral at Wakefern Food Corporation; mango industry leaders, including many of ShopRite’s suppliers; and several NMB board members.
The Mango Retailer of the Year award recognizes retailers that go above and beyond to offer strong consistent support to the mango industry and deliver outstanding mango promotion results. ShopRite was selected from over 100 retailers that partner with the NMB across the U.S. For many years, this Mid-Atlantic retailer has raised the bar by aggressively promoting mangos thorough all channels including ads, expanded displays and social media.
Throughout the years, ShopRite has strived for mango promotions 12 months of the year, creating unique and timely seasonal opportunities for mangos. They often incorporate multiple varieties of mangos in their promotions, fresh-cut and case sales. They utilize and reinforce the mango message through their supermarket dietitian program, promoting mangos through demos, blogs, and ongoing nutritional information, reaching millions of potential mango customers in their market. These marketing efforts result in consistently achieving one of the highest volumes of mangos per store per week in the country about 700 mangos per store per week.
In addition, back in 2014 Wakefern Food Corp took a leap and bet on ripe mangos as the right thing to do for their customers. They received training by the NMB’s ripening consultant and have been providing ripe mangos for nearly five years. Combining quality ripe mangos and strong sales strategies have proved to be a winning recipe for the ShopRite team and Wakefern Food Corporation.
“Being named the 2018 Mango Retailer of the Year is not only an honor, but a testament to the hard work that everyone in our organization has given to ensure that our customers’ needs are met,” stated Perno W. Young III, Category Manager at Wakefern Food Corp. “The mango category has grown exponentially in sales as the communities that we serve have become more diverse.”
“This Northeast retailer’s commitment to driving mango volume with a fully integrated retail marketing approach 12 months out of the year not only delivered exceptional results but gave us even greater confidence in our vision for mangos to move from exotic to a daily necessity in the U.S.,” stated Valda Coryat, Director of Marketing at the NMB. “This sends a clear message – mangos are an integral part of a healthy, flavor-filled diet for all seasons and all eating occasions. We look forward to our continued work with Perno and the ShopRite team, as well as all our retail partners in helping them achieve mango success.”
About the National Mango Board
The National Mango Board is an agriculture promotion group supported by assessments from both domestic and imported mangos. The board’s vision, to bring the world’s love of mangos to the U.S., was designed to drive awareness and consumption of fresh mangos in the U.S. marketplace. One cup of the superfruit mango contains 100 calories, 100% of daily vitamin C, 35% of daily vitamin A, 12% of daily fiber, and an amazing source of tropical flavor. Learn more at mango.org.
Source: National Mango Board
