WENATCHEE, WA - After noting a decrease in Honeycrisp volume, Stemilt is here with seasonal apple promotions to lift the crop. Marketing Director Brianna Shales got straight to the heart of the matter with her five apple-selling tips to grow apple sales.
“The crop is down 10 percent year-over-year, and the opportunity lies in focusing on more than one variety in ads and going back to multi-variety promotions,” commented Shales. “What we saw last year with Honeycrisp is dollars grew by nearly 30 percent from 2022 to 2023. That’s incredible growth, but as we head into the new crop, the idea of singularly promoting Honeycrisp has to shift because volume is down. Try promoting all apples like Honeycrisp, Fuji, Granny Smith, Gala, and Cosmic Crisp® together to raise apple volume, that way you’re turning more than one apple at a time.”
As Stemilt noted, since Honeycrisp has been leading the way in apple popularity for years, replacing it with another crunch successor can help close the gap for where it usually would be in your departments. A solid choice are Rave® apples, which can act as a quick in-and-out variety in August and September.
“Rave is outrageously juicy with a refreshing, snappy zing that is only available for a short time, but can really help build velocity in the category,” added Shales. “Another variety to bring in when apples are at the top of mind for consumers is SweeTango®. SweeTango has grown into a variety that remains available beyond the fall months and into the new year, with a sales velocity during its October peak promotion time that no other club apple compares to. What better way to delight consumers than with an apple that delivers on crunch, juice, and hints of spice in the heart of fall?”
Another apple to include this fall is Cosmic Crisp®, which has the advantage of there being no gap between the old and new crop.
“It’s the perfect year to switch to Cosmic Crisp with Honeycrisp volume down,” said Shales. “We call it the dream apple with perfect flavor because it has a wonderful balance of sweetness, tartness, and a creamy texture. One of the main benefits of Cosmic Crisp to retailers is its ability to be stored for long periods of time, and its natural resistance to browning. This year, Cosmic Crisp is up in organics, so regularly calling out the apple in promotion is a great way to build dollars in the category with a premium item that isn’t conventional.”
Stemilt offers EZ Band sustainable four packs, Lil Snappers® kid-size fruit, and other bagged apple options.
“Bags are always a great vehicle for increasing apple sales,” Shales explained. “Since Covid, we’ve seen bags be a real growth point. At Stemilt, we have great capacity for pouch bags, 3 lb organic and conventional Lil Snappers apples and 5 lb bags for a volume play. It’s a good way to appeal to the timesaving, convenience-driven consumer. With retailers equipped with these five tools: multi-ad promotions, Rave, SweeTango, Cosmic Crisp, and bagged items, we can lift the category and delight consumers with excellent quality apples this season!”
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