Retail Program Engages Consumers, Differentiates U.S. Pork Quality in Colombia

As competition intensifies in the region, USMEF ramps up a retail tasting program designed to differentiate U.S. pork and increase consumer trial.

A USMEF program for U.S. pork is generating growing interest among Colombian retailers, having expanded to 18 retail outlets of two supermarket chains in five major markets ‒ Medellin, Bogota, Cartagena, Cali and Barranquilla.

USMEF’s tasting program is an integrated initiative that helps retailers improve inventory management and merchandising techniques while providing critical information to consumers about handling and defrosting frozen U.S. pork. Overall, the tasting program drives home the superior quality of U.S. pork directly to consumers while showing retailers the profit potential of featuring a differentiated, high-quality protein product.

“It is important that we engage with consumers in modern supermarkets so we can address their misperception that frozen pork is an inferior product,” says USMEF Colombia Representative María Ruíz. “Because U.S. pork is shipped frozen, it must also be sold frozen at retail. The best way for us to demonstrate U.S. pork quality is through tasting samples and we do this through product tastings.  We train team members on proper defrosting techniques and on U.S. pork and its quality attributes. By arming our team members with skills and knowledge about product quality, we are able to engage one-on-one with consumers to address their questions and concerns.”

USMEF also records sales data and captures consumer feedback for participating retailers.  USMEF also shares sales data and market intelligence with Colombian importers on U.S. pork products that are seeing the greatest demand as well as those that have potential in Colombia.

The retail tasting program is made possible with support from USDA’s Regional Agricultural Promotion Program.