WENATCHEE, WA - Now is the perfect time to send apple category sales soaring, as Ambrosia apples are once again proving to be a shopper favorite. CMI Orchards' Ambrosia Gold® apples are drawing in consumers everywhere—a product of the years of work put into developing the delicious apple.
“Growing Ambrosia apples is a very defined art, and very strict guidelines must be followed for harvesting Ambrosia at the exact optimal time to ensure that the apples have the amazing flavor and texture consumers have come to know and love,” said President Bob Mast. “Since CMI has so few growers growing Ambrosia Gold, we are able to closely monitor quality and enforce the strict guidelines and protocols. Now that Ambrosia planting has opened up to all growers, we are starting to see other Ambrosia apples enter the marketplace with variability in quality and taste. Consumers are beginning to see a notable difference in the quality and consistency of fruit available on retail shelves and now actually ask for Ambrosia Gold specifically by name.”
Ambrosia apples are dominating sales in the southern region, according to a company release, and also seeing strong sales throughout the rest of the United States.
According to Nielsen Answers on Demand, Ambrosia apples accounted for 24.7 percent of all apple sales across Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, North Dakota, South Dakota, Virginia, and Kentucky over the past 52 weeks of data through January 2, 2021, representing a growth of 4.3 percent for the variety.
“These sales numbers provide a feel for which varieties are preferred in different regions. Sales and apple usage are often tied to a region’s culture, food preferences, health characteristics, and cooking styles,” Marketing Specialist Danelle Huber explained.
In the Midwest region, Ambrosia apples held the second-highest position, as well as the third highest in the Northwest, and fifth in the Western region. CMI Orchards held exclusive growing rights for these delicious apples for over 10 years before the variety opened up in 2017, the release noted, after which the company established its popular Ambrosia Gold as a mark of differentiation amongst the category.
The McDougall Family, one of CMI Orchard’s Owners, has dedicated years to perfecting the growing, storing, and packing of the truly mouthwatering apple, emphasising the “Ambrosia Gold: The Gold Standard of Ambrosia Apples” brand.
“In the CMI Orchards’ apple product line, Ambrosia Gold is consistently one of the top varieties asked for by consumers,” said George Harter, Vice President of Marketing. “It’s become a mainstay apple on retailer shelves, and because CMI’s owner group, the McDougall family, earned the exclusive rights to grow and market Ambrosia apples in the U.S. and introduced it to the market, customers know they have perfected the Ambrosia apple."
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