Costco expands Indian mango imports to U.S. stores

Costco is using Indian mangoes to sharpen its produce mix, and the speed of the rollout showed how quickly shoppers respond to a premium import with a strong cultural pull. Costco representatives said the first tranche of Indian Kesar mangoes, imported in the third week of May, sold out within two hours of hitting shelves in Greater Seattle, Las Vegas, New Jersey and Greater Los Angeles.

That demand was on display in Seattle, where the Consulate General of India hosted the second edition of its Mango Magic festival on June 6. Nearly 100-plus leading importers of Indian fruits and senior leadership from U.S. retailers, including Costco, attended the tasting event, where seven varieties were showcased: Alphonso and Kesar from Maharashtra, Banganpalli and Himayat from Andhra Pradesh, Langra and Dussehri from Uttar Pradesh, and Rajapuri from Gujarat.

For Costco, the mango push reflects a merchandising strategy built around scarcity, seasonality and regional sourcing. The consulate said it first initiated the Seattle effort on July 10, 2025, working with stakeholders in India and the Greater Seattle area to bring premium Indian mangoes to major retailers like Costco. A meeting with Costco leadership in April 2026 helped speed the rollout, following the earlier introduction of Bhagwa pomegranates from Maharashtra at Costco stores in the region.

Bob Husky, Costco vice president, said the company had recently started selling Indian Kesar mangoes and that they were moving faster than the chain could replenish them. A May rollout listed Costco locations in Seattle, Kirkland, Issaquah, Woodinville, Lynnwood and Redmond among the stores receiving Kesar mangoes, giving produce teams and warehouse staff a clear example of how a specialty item can move from a diplomatic tasting table to live inventory in a matter of weeks.

The broader trade numbers help explain why Costco is leaning in. India produces more than 26 million metric tons of mangoes each year and has more than 1,000 named varieties. Indian mango exports to the United States resumed in 2007 after an 18-year suspension and reached $10 million in fiscal 2023-24, up 130 percent from $4.36 million the year before.

The Seattle rollout has also become a local media and cultural story. Fox 13 Seattle featured Consul General Prakash Gupta in May, discussing the arrival of Indian mangoes in the Pacific Northwest and the fruit’s link to summer and family memories. For Costco, the message is straightforward: premium imported produce is not just a specialty item, but a way to create excitement on the sales floor and turn supply-chain coordination into visible value for members.