WENATCHEE, WA - After experiencing a record-setting early cherry harvest, CMI is cautioning retailers that CMI's supplies could fall abruptly at what is traditionally a high time for cherry sales. But, with that said, the company is also helping retailers offset the short cherry season with a host of produce opportunities to keep sales on the rise as the summer heats up.
“Being aggressive about lining up promotions with alternative products that resonate with consumers can help offset this loss,” Steve Lutz, Vice President of Marketing at CMI stated in a press release when describing the situation of the company’s approach to its season ending early. “Historically, mid-July to mid-August are some of the most productive weeks for cherries - averaging over $3,000 per store per week. With severely limited volume, cherry dollars will probably fall to less than 50 percent of the historical average.”
As an alternative, CMI is recommending that retailers look to products such as its KIKU® and Ambrosia™ apples to counteract any losses a shortage in its cherry supplies may cause.
According to CMI, sales of both imported apples peaked between July 15th and August 10th of last year and will be available this season until the harvest of the company’s domestic crop.
“These two premium apples have been such strong contenders during the fall and winter months, and we’re excited to bring in volume supplies for the late summer months for the first time,” Robb Myers, Director of Imports for CMI, commented.
This alternative to cherry supplies would allow sales momentum to continue, the company said, up to when the domestic crop begins in the autumn season, while also substituting for what Lutz said could result in a shortfall of up to $1,500 per store, per week not filled by cherries.
CMI expects the sales wave for KIKU® and Ambrosia™ to last through September for a strong close to summer.
“These exclusive apples and their new late summer availability will help energize apple sales during a period where most retailers typically experience lower category performance,” Bob Mast, President of CMI, said in the release. “We are entering unchartered territory with the ability to add incremental sales in apples, a category that typically gets zero life injected into it over the summer. For years, all that was available during the later summer months were Reds, Goldens, Grannies and imported Gala,”
Mast added that top performing retailers use price points to encourage trial, with scan data results showing that a pricing is key to implementing a successful promotion. He stated that typically retailers price at $1.49 lb. on promotion and $1.79-1.99 lb. every day. “Along with pricing, display size and/or secondary displays are key.”
While supplies last, CMI is offering any freestanding displays for KIKU® and Ambrosia™ apples free of charge.
