50 • September | October 2026 • abasto.com • FOOD INDUSTRY A Great Opportunity During Hispanic Heritage Month New assortment matters just as much as price. Hispanic Heritage Month has be- come the moment when chains debut pri- vate label lines and supplier partnerships built specifically for this shopper. Southeastern Grocers recently used the occasion to launch SE Grocers Plantain Chips and Export Soda Crackers developed with Hispanic suppliers, while spotlighting more than 60 vendors across its stores. Cardenas Markets and Tops Friendly Markets are pairing vendor partners like Goya, La Preferida and Ole Mexican Foods with in-store events and community gi- veaways. The Strategy for Fruits and Vegetables The lesson for produce specifically is to extend that same energy into fresh. Re- ady-to-cook marinades, fresh salsas and bagged sofrito blends built around the core items give shoppers a reason to add incremental dollars while sticking to their budget. Promotion strategy should follow the same logic. Multi-buy pricing on staples, recipe-driven bundles that pair a protein with the produce needed for a traditional dish and loyalty offers tied to frequent pro- duce trips all reward the shopper for beha- vior she already exhibits. Cross merchandising fresh items with pantry and center store, avocados near chips, cilantro near proteins, roma toma- toes near tortillas, drives basket size wi- thout requiring deep discounts across the whole department. Hispanic Heritage Month gives retailers a permission slip to invest in storytelling, but the shopper does not need a new story as much as she needs the produce case to work for her budget every shopping trip. Retailers who treat September and Oc- tober as the start of a year-round commit- ment to affordable, well-merchandised fresh produce will keep the shopper who is already walking through the door 92 ti- mes a year instead of watching her not so quietly drift away. • Continuation of page 48