WENATCHEE, WA - The apple market is always a hot topic here at AndNowUKnow, and Stemilt’s Brianna Shales never fails to give us an in-depth look into all the category has to offer. With September and October promotions lending themselves to a bevy of opportunities, I got in touch with the Marketing Director and apple expert for some exclusive insights.
“The variety mix continues to evolve, and Stemilt is excited about having increased volumes of Gala, SweeTango®, and Cosmic Crisp®,” Brianna begins. “We will have a steady crop of the consumer favorite, Honeycrisp, while some other varieties may be tight, especially compared to a year ago. Volumes will be down as a whole for Washington State this season, with a fresh apple crop projected at 108 million boxes vs. 122 million last year. We are foreshadowing an increase in bag supplies to fulfill the demand for those and create promotion opportunities for them. We are looking forward to great apple qualities and will know more about fruit color and condition as we get into harvest.”
Stemilt is currently harvesting its new crop of apples daily in Washington state, kicking off harvest in August with the Stemilt-signature Rave® apple. These delicious apples are hitting retail shelves now through September, with the Gala, Honeycrisp, and SweeTango varieties following up next.
“This is a time of year when retailers will start transitioning their summer fruit displays over to fall items like apples, so September and October will bring more apple promotions into the mix, lining up right with harvest on the new crop,” Brianna explains.
Further upping apple demand, Stemilt is leading a Great American Rave Race through six market areas with in-person events for shoppers, elevating its premium brand in the produce department.
“Right now, we are seeing amazing support and big displays at retail of our Rave apple," Brianna states. "It’s been really fun to see retailers across the United States get behind this apple with fun displays and first-of-the-new-apple-crop promotions. Rave is an apple that is only available for a limited time, so we look forward to continuing to help retailers make the most of its short season.”
As more opportunities open up across this category and more, leave a tab open to ANUK.
