PLANO, Texas, April 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Cinco de Mayo is just about here, so get ready to party in…the Midwest? According to party-centric research by Tostitos, a leading brand from PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division, residents of Omaha, Neb., St. Louis and Grand Rapids, Mich., are more party-ready for Cinco de Mayo than those of most other U.S. cities. The surprising Midwest standouts join Phoenix and Manchester, N.H. (and surrounding region) on the Tostitos brand's first-ever list of the "Top Cinco Party-Ready Cities for Cinco de Mayo."
To determine which markets topped the party-ready list, the Tostitos brand combed national sales data*, compiled by Chicago-based market research firm SymphonyIRI Group, for cities with the greatest taste for five "Cinco de Mayo Party Staples" - tequila, frozen and liquid cocktail mixes (including margarita mix), tortilla/tostada chips, salsa and beer. For the top markets, aggregate sales of these "Cinco staples" are higher per person than the U.S. average.
"At Tostitos, one of our favorite party days is Cinco de Mayo, so we wanted to celebrate the cities and people who are always ready to party and celebrate with us," said Tony Matta, vice president of marketing, Frito-Lay North America. "Tostitos tortilla chips and dips are proud party staples year-round, but we know Cinco de Mayo is the perfect time to spotlight those as ready to party as we are."
Many preconceived notions about the Midwest may go out the window with the first-ever "Top Cinco de Mayo Party-Ready Cities" list results. There's no denying the region likes to partake in some of the holiday's snacking staples. For instance - and don't drop the corncob - Omaha residents are quite fond of their margaritas, indexing highest among the five cities in tequila and frozen and liquid cocktail mix sales. Omaha also indexed high in beer sales, proving the region has quite a thirst for Cinco de Mayo beverages. Rounding out the Midwest, Grand Rapids, Mich., and St. Louis both indexed the highest in tortilla and tostada chip sales.
Meanwhile, Northern New Englanders might just love their beer as much as their clam chowder, since the tri-state region of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont indexes the highest in the beer/ale/alcoholic cider category by a longshot. The region, anchored by its most populated city in Manchester, N.H., is considered one market by U.S. Census data.
Rounding out the list was perhaps one of the more expected cities: Phoenix. Known for Southwestern traditions and food, Phoenix indexed the highest in the salsa category, and also showed strong marks for tequila and frozen and liquid cocktail mixes.
About the Research
*Data provided by SymphonyIRI Group, a Chicago-based market research firm (@SymphIRI), 52 weeks ending March 24, 2013. Residents in these cities are more likely than the general U.S. population to purchase tortilla/tostada chip, beer/ale/alcoholic cider, salsa, tequila, and frozen and liquid cocktail mix. Top five cities are the highest indexing markets in a 5-category aggregate that includes: tortilla/tostada chip sales; beer/ale/alcoholic cider sales; salsa sales; tequila sales; and frozen and liquid cocktail mix sales.
About Tostitos
The Tostitos brand is one of the many brands that make up Frito-Lay North America, the $13 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. In addition to Frito-Lay, PepsiCo business units include Pepsi-Cola, Quaker Foods, Gatorade and Tropicana. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate Web site, http://www.fritolay.com/, the Snack Chat blog, http://www.snacks.com/ and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/fritolay.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for from treats to healthy eats; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.
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SOURCE Frito-Lay North America