Hood River Cherry Company Shares Season Insights and Retail Tips; Tony Guisto Details

HOOD RIVER, OR - With the Pacific Northwest cherry season timing offering the perfect start for seasonal celebrations and summer fun, Hood River Cherry Company recently shared exclusive season insights and a few useful tips for driving traffic to the category.

“Selling quality cherries with good size and flavor always gets repeat customers. Placement of cherries in the store will either enhance movement or hinder it,” shares Tony Guisto, Sales. “Cherries are a once-a-year specialty, so give them high-traffic areas. Placing cherries in open-faced coolers will reduce shrink and give the customer a cold cherry, which always eats better than a room-temperature cherry.”

With cherries serving as a great, healthy on-the-go snack, retailers have the opportunity to promote the category through the summer—especially as the Fourth of July approaches and demand increases.

“The PNW had an early warm-up in January that weakened the buds going into spring. This was followed by some frosty spring mornings that reduced the number of cherries left on the trees,” Tony explains. “Some areas were affected differently than others. Volume will be slightly down from last year, though there will be plenty of cherries to go around, and quality should be great.”

Promising high quality and optimal flavor during their limited window, cherries are one category where consumers are willing to pay a premium price. Hood River Cherry Company strategically delivers a product that attracts shoppers to its partners’ stores, maximizing ROI for both parties.

“Hood River Cherry’s program is simple: deliver a tree-ripened cherry in every bag,” Tony says. “Quality over quantity goes a long way with customers. It’s not an easy process, as Mother Nature has the reins of our fate. Though if we truly do the best we can do, that’s all we can ask of ourselves.”

More season updates and category insights are on the way, so stick around at ANUK.