Deli departments are the ideal space for marketing olives, with various marketing opportunities for successful selling.
Olive popularity shows no signs of waning in the U.S., with varieties expanding and uses growing.
The North America Olive Market is expected to reach $7.3 billion in 2025 and grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.74% to reach $9.64 billion by 2030, according to Mordor Intelligence.
Deli olives are typically sold in self-serve olive bars, grab-and-go sections, and full service from behind the deli case.
“Retailers offer various formats for selling olives and antipasto, each catering to different consumer preferences,” says Daniela Jensen, business development manager at Elizabeth, NJ-based Atalanta Corp.
These include:
- Branded Packs: containers of olives or antipasto mixes are convenient for shoppers looking for quick, ready-to-eat options and specific attributes
- Olive Bars: customizable, bulk-style self-serve areas where consumers can select specific olives or antipasto items by weight
- Deli Cups: bulk items are purchased and re-portioned by weight and sold directly from the deli/retailer in generic packaging
- Antipasto Platters: ready-made assortments featuring olives, cheeses, cured meats and other accompaniments for entertaining or personal indulgence.
“Olive bars, in particular, are growing,” says Al Sozer, president of Valesco Foods, in South Hackensack, NJ. “We just put up five new bars; bigger containers also are a trend, as these offer better eye appeal.”
Bulk olives are ideal for self-serve salad and Mediterranean bars and lend themselves to prepared food and other ingredient-based programs within delis, notes Brandon Gross, senior vice president of brand for Divina and FOODMatch, New York City.
“It’s essential that delis offer all packaging formats to ensure they activate customers in-store, online, for delivery and more,” says Gross.
TODAY’S CLIMATE
The olive industry took a bit of a hit during the pandemic, with the shutdown of self-serve olive bars in delis. Fortunately, since that time, there has been a resurgence of this popular format.
“The olive bar remains the best merchandising tool even post-pandemic, offering superior visual appeal to customers shopping in the deli,” says Giuliana Pozzuto, marketing director at George E DeLallo Co., Mt. Pleasant, PA. “It encourages customers to browse and purchase more variety and volume than they would from pre-packaged options.”
“The olive bar remains the best merchandising tool even post-pandemic, offering superior visual appeal to customers shopping in the deli.”
— Giuliana Pozzuto, George E DeLallo Co., Mt. Pleasant, PA
Innovative retailers have continued olive bar programs, since this approach has consistently proven to be the most effective way to increase olive sales volume.
“Many of our major retail partners either immediately returned to olive and antipasti bars post-pandemic or have done so in the past 12 to18 months after seeing a fuller data story of the revenue being left off the table by leaving this popular program out of the deli,” says Gross.
“What we’ve seen in our insights for years has been a sharp split among customer preference and loyalty in deli to either the bar or prepack — but not both. Often, the tradeoff when a deli doesn’t have a consumer’s preferred package is a migration to center-store, or worse, a competitive retailer. Bars also help set retailers apart from one another – they provide theater, engagement and life,” he says.
Atalanta’s Jensen says olive bar popularity depends on the retailer. Sprouts is one chain that has permanently closed its olive bars.
“But many remain open and have become part of a broader approach with expanded formats to meet diverse consumer preferences,” says Jensen. “Rather than offering one platform like a self-serve olive bar, many retailers are merchandising accompaniments on and around the olive bar, accompanied by pre-packaged olive/specialty sets that include an expanded assortment of branded olive and antipasti items.”
With pre-packaged olives continuing to drive sales, retailers need to commit to the category.
“Grab-and-go selling options can be effective when treated as a full program rather than just a few SKUs,” notes Pozzuto. “This requires a commitment to a large enough assortment to create an attractive, colorful destination like an olive bar. The benefit of packaged options is the ability to directly merchandise product next to complementary items, like charcuterie and cheese, to increase basket sales.”
On the grab-and-go side, Divina offers pre-packed cups and smaller, single-serve pouches. Many of these selections are brineless for added convenience, flavor and optimal texture.
In delis, the most popular olives are the Greek Kalamata, the newer Italian Castelvetrano and stuffed and marinated olives.
“The North American market is dominated by pitted olives, generally mixed or stuffed with garlic, blue cheese and red pepper paste, all items in Ficacci’s catalog,” says David Dottorini, export manager, Ficacci Olive Co., based in Castel Madama, Lazio, Italy. “Concerning Italian olives, the most famous are the Sweet Castelvetrano, the Huge Cerignola and the black Gaeta olives from Rome.”
Ficacci also offers grab-and-go items ranging from 4.4- to 7-ounce packages and bulk olives conceived for olive bars and deli counters, with sizes ranging from 2 to 5 pounds.
“Over the past several years, beyond the tried-and-true staples like Kalamata, Castelvetrano and others, we’ve seen a massive rise in popularity among uniquely marinated olives,” says Gross. “Our Divina Tangerine and Chili Marinated Olives have quickly become a top seller along with other favorites like our protein-packed Calabrese Antipasti Salad, which is a mix of olives, peppers, asiago cheese and calabrese salami. The category has an educated and engaged consumer, which means some of the unique mixes and marinades are really moving the growth needle.”
Olive medleys, or blended varieties, continue to sell well for entertaining.
“Pitted Jubilee-style medleys are also still top-ranking for their versatility,” says Pozzuto at George E. DeLallo Co.
Of the 79 different olives in Valesco’s warehouse, 25 to 30 are blends. It also uses whole foods to stuff olives, with no chemicals added.
“Customers like different colors and textures in the same blend,” notes Sozer at Valesco. “Blended olives can be different varieties, not only different olives but also different spices and marinades.”
Olives seasoned with herbs, citrus or chile oil are growing, and stuffed olives with garlic, blue cheese, almonds or peppers are entertaining favorites, says Jensen.
Bell-Carter Foods’ Lindsay Olives are available in a variety of pantry-friendly formats, including cans, jars, pouches and single-serve cups. The olives are pitted, sliced, halved, stuffed or whole (with pits).
“U.S. consumers continue to choose black ripe olives due to their versatility and flavor, allowing them to be used in a variety of recipes ranging from shareable appetizers to salads and main dishes,” says Scott McCoy, vice president, olives at Bell-Carter Foods, Walnut Creek, CA. “Kalamata olives, specifically, have grown in popularity and are one of the fastest growing segments in the category.”
McCoy attributes this to increased visibility due to viral recipes such as baked feta pastas and tapenades.
“Additionally, stuffed green olives continue to thrive as consumers are enjoying them in snacking and beverages,” notes McCoy.
Sozer at Valesco says olive shelf life is long since pH levels are lower than 4 and salt levels are 5.5% to 5.7% so bacteria can’t grow.
“We have shelf life on the buckets, and it’s not less than eight months,” says Sozer. “If a retailer is not selling a bucket in eight months, then they shouldn’t have an olive bar.”
The challenges of shelf life can be improved by moving away from industrial/chemical curing and going back to naturally fermenting olives.
“Vacuum-sealed or brine-filled containers also extend shelf life while preserving freshness,” Jensen at Atalanta notes.
“Fresh olives have shorter shelf lives (240 days) compared to glass-jar pasteurized olives (1,080 days); however, consumers are drawn to the taste, texture and freshness, leading to a quicker sell-out,” says Dottorini at Ficacci Olive Co. “Therefore, shelf life acts as a motivating factor rather than a problem.”
NEW INTROS
Olive launches in delis have focused on signature flavors, as well as convenient packaging formats.
Ficacci has introduced a paper-based range with olives that are free of preservatives and liquids packed in sustainable 100% recyclable packaging. Currently, three lines are available in the U.S. — the PaperTray, a 6-ounce retail single tray; the Mini Trio, a multi-pack weighing 7.5 ounces, and the Paperboard, a larger 1.65-pound platter.
George E. DeLallo’s newest olives are inspired by restaurant-marinated antipasto salads, where the marinade includes flavorful herbs and spices.
“We launched two new citrus-centric items — lemon peel, garlic and Italian herb marinated green pitted olives, and the second is made with crushed Calabrian chile peppers paired with sweet orange pieces marinated pitted green olives,” says Pozzuto at George E. DeLallo Co. “We have a third new item that features a marinated feta cheese with roasted tomatoes, garlic and herbs.”
Regenerative Organic Certified products are trending across all major categories, and Atalanta’s Big Picture Foods is the first and only brand offering olives, peppers and capers that are nutrient-dense and have a positive impact on carbon sequestration and climate.
Valesco has introduced Triple S olives, which are a combination of sweet, sour and spicy, as these are marinated in orange juice, chile pepper spices and sugar.
“People taste sugar first, then taste sour from the orange, and the taste ends with heat from the chile pepper,” says Sozer. “We also introduced grilled olives a couple of years ago that are growing.”
Divina recently expanded its “On the Go” line of olive pouches to include pitted green, pitted Kalamata and Orange Chili marinated green olives.
“These are a great grab-and-go option for cross-merchandising displays across the deli or an ideal inclusion with entertaining boards, catering trays and more,” says Gross.
Bell-Carter Foods’ Lindsay Olives brand offers shelf-stable California-style black ripe olives and Pimiento-Stuffed Spanish olives, along with premium olives across the Lindsay Crafted and Organic portfolios.
Last year, Lindsay introduced a handful of new varieties to its specialty olives collection, driving growth of stuffed green olives for the category.
“[This includes] Lemon Twist Martini Olives, a Spicy Trio Medley and an organic Greek Green Olive Stuffed with Real Red Pepper,” says McCoy.
MARKETING & MERCHANDISING
Cross-merchandising different olive varieties in the deli helps drive both customer awareness and trial.
Jensen recommends pairing olives and antipasti items with wine or cocktail mixers or regenerative items in a themed display. Also, bundling olives with cheeses, cured meats and crackers creates entertainment options.
“Place olives near salad kits or dressings to encourage salad enhancements and conduct tastings to familiarize customers with lesser-known varieties or marinated options,” Jensen recommends.
Another effective marketing method is storytelling with education, which highlights the origin of olives, unique production methods or regenerative agriculture practices using signage or QR codes.
Seasonal promotions work, as well.
“[Retailers can] tie olives to holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas or events like the Super Bowl, when entertaining spikes,” Jensen says.
Sozer at Valesco says the most important thing is maintaining olive bars, which need a lot of attention.
“If staff just stirs them, it’s OK for a while, but it’s important to change and clean buckets,” Sozer says.
Valesco supplies retailers with ingredients and nutrition fact cards to put on olive bars so customers are aware of what they’re purchasing.
“We provide entertaining ideas, recipe pairings with cheese and wine pairing suggestions,” Sozer says.
Gross often sees olives being purchased with specialty cheese, jams and honey, crisps and crackers, and dips.
“Basically, if it goes on a cheeseboard, it’s in the basket,” he says. “Our products also merchandise well with fresh pasta programs and rotisserie chicken.”
George E. DeLallo Co. seeks collaboration opportunities with retail partners.
“This initiative allows us to feature a selected olive or antipasto item each month, helping to build customer baskets and drive incremental sales,” says Pozzuto.
“By highlighting our products this way, we can not only increase visibility, but also encourage customers to try complementary items, enhancing their overall experience.”
Consumers continue to explore new olive varieties in different ways, from beverages and entertaining to snacking and cooked meals.
