San Jose, CALIF. – Pink mushroom tills fill shelves across the nation as retailers participate in the Mushroom Council’s in-store City of Hope Pink Campaign supporting breast cancer research and awareness to coincide with October’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Now in its fourth year, mushrooms were the first produce item to “go pink.” The power of pink at retail has a strong visual appeal as it attracts consumers’ attention and provides a lift in sales. Research indicates that 92 percent of women want to purchase products that support a cause and mushroom sales support this trend.
Last year, during the time of the Pink Campaign, national mushroom sales saw a 5.4% increase in dollars and a 5.9% increase in pounds for browns. Value added also saw an increase in dollars and pounds: 16.9% and 29.9%, respectively.
Retailers have been encouraged to promote the healthy benefits of mushrooms through POS signage, Best Food Day ads and newsletters to their customers. In-store dieticians and wellness experts often help retailers expand the Pink promotion with opportunities unique to their store.
The Pink Campaign is supported at the consumer level with social media including Facebook, Guest Blog Posts and Twitter parties.
About The Mushroom Council:
The Mushroom Council is composed of fresh market producers or importers who average more than 500,000 pounds of mushrooms produced or imported annually. The mushroom program is authorized by the Mushroom Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act of 1990 and is administered by the Mushroom Council under the supervision of the Agricultural Marketing Service. Research and promotion programs help to expand, maintain and develop markets for individual agricultural commodities in the United States and abroad. These industry self-help programs are requested and funded by the industry groups that they serve. For more information on the Mushroom Council, visit mushroomcouncil.org
Source: The Mushroom Council