Supermarket Perimeter - October 2022 - 46

Produce
SWEET
POTATOES
BY ANDY NELSON
THANKS TO THEIR " SUPERFOOD " STATUS, sweet potatoes aren't just for Thanksgiving
and Christmas anymore. Retailers who tap into this surging category's year-round
possibilities will reap rich rewards.
Bakersfi eld, Calif.-based Country Sweet Produce Inc., which ships sweet potatoes
under the Bako Sweet label, reported strong demand heading into the peak fall/winter
season, said Prescott Leyba, the company's sales director.
" Thanksgiving is just around the corner and sweet potato demand is high, " he said.
" Shoppers are looking for something convenient to pick up for those casserole dishes. "
Bako Sweet keeps momentum going with comprehensive marketing eff orts promoting
sweet potato consumption across the board, said Alexandra Rae Molumby, the company's
marketing director.
Those eff orts start long before the Thanksgiving and Christmas push.
This summer, for instance, Bako Sweet partnered with a local retailer in southern
California, with 99 stores promoting sweet potatoes as a BBQ item in Traeger grilldesigned
bins.
" It was a huge success, " Molumby said. " We saw an average 35% case per store per
week lift. "
Targeted advertisements to drive foot traffi c and original recipe creation are among
the Bako Sweet brand' s other initiatives to keep demand strong year-round. In addition,
the company's website has cooking information, storage tips, social media giveaways
promoting its retail partners and media placements.
Key to those eff orts, Leyba said, are strong relationships with the shipper's retailer
partners.
" Retailers are always looking for trust, experience, and reliable partners, " he said. " They
want companies to create new categories in fresh produce to drive the market to have
a go-to fresh produce brand. We focus on value-added products to benefi t both the
retailers and the shoppers they serve. "
It all comes down to having a high-quality product that's displayed well with
consistently sized sweet potatoes, added Molumby. No longer will inconsistent, bulk
sweet potatoes do for today's shoppers.
" Be the shopping destination that's known for triple-washed, consistently-sized, high
quality sweet potatoes that you can only get from Bako Sweet, " she said.
Fortunately, Bako Sweet and other shippers have been getting a fair amount of help in
their marketing eff orts from soaring consumer demand for sweet potatoes.
Thirty-four percent of shoppers bought sweet potatoes in 2020, up from 8% in 2019,
and sweet potato consumption per capita increased from 4 pounds a year in 2000 to 6
pounds a year in 2022.
46 - OCTOBER 2022
supermarketperimeter.com
Supercharge your
sales by playing
up big health
benefits
* Over four times the
recommended daily
amount of Vitamin A,
which comes from the
beta-carotene in the
sweet potato and plays
a vital role in vision,
bone development and
immune function.
* Provides 37% of your
daily value of Vitamin
C, (good source) which
helps fi ght infections, heal
wounds and absorb iron.
* Contains 15 IU of
Vitamin E, which is the
daily recommended
dietary allowance.
* Contains 4 grams of
fi ber, often more than
a packet of oatmeal.
* Good source of
manganese, which helps
maintain normal blood
sugar levels and optimal
thyroid function.
* Low in sodium,
containing only 40 mg.
* Low in calories: a
medium sweet potato
contains approximately
100 calories.
* Ideal for diabetics:
even though they are
called " sweet " potatoes,
diabetics can enjoy
them too. One medium
cooked sweet potato,
without skin, has a GI
ranging from 63 to
66 and is considered a
medium glycemic food.
(Source: American Sweet Potato Marketing Institute)
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9/30/2022 1:36:33 PM
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