Sunkist Growers' Cassie Howard and Courtney Carlton Discuss Back-to-School Retail and Foodservice Opportunities

VALENCIA, CA - The back-to-school season is in full swing, and backpacks, notebooks, and pencils are certainly not the only thing on parents' shopping lists as they prepare. Continuing to focus on nutrition, shoppers are turning to fresh produce to fuel students' bodies and minds as they head back to the classroom. Cassie Howard, Senior Director of Category Management and Marketing at Sunkist Growers, recently shared what seasonal opportunities are arising in the citrus sector, and how retailers can make the most of them.

“Back-to-school marks a natural reset in family routines, and citrus fits right into that shift - lunchboxes, hydration, breakfast, and healthier snacking are all top of mind for parents as schedules pick back up,” Cassie explains. “Fresh-squeezed juice or quartered Valencia oranges and grapefruit make an easy, nutritious addition to the breakfast table, reinforcing a healthy start to the day alongside lunches and snacks. This period also serves as an important bridge for Sunkist, connecting our summer citrus programs to the kickoff of the new California season later in the fall.”

Back-to-school also creates an important opportunity across foodservice, particularly as schools prepare to serve students consistently throughout the academic year.

“For school foodservice programs, back-to-school is about more than returning to a routine. It’s an opportunity to help students build healthy habits through fresh, familiar options they already know and enjoy,” says Courtney Carlton, Director, Foodservice Sales at Sunkist Growers. “Citrus can be incorporated across breakfast and lunch programs in a variety of ways, and clear communication between suppliers and foodservice partners is essential to delivering the quality and consistency schools expect.”

In addition to traditional citrus offerings, Sunkist is helping schools diversify their fresh fruit selections with options such as Cara Cara oranges and Sunkist Cali™ mandarins, delivering variety, convenience and great taste for students.

Retailers can lean into convenience-forward merchandising to make the most of this promotional window; for example, pairing easy-peel mandarins and grab-and-go formats with back-to-school displays can inspire impulse purchases and increased demand, while using in-store storytelling to reinforce freshness and quality at a moment when shoppers are actively rebuilding their routines.

As Cassie emphasizes, timing and relevance are everything, with back-to-school season creating ample opportunities for fresh produce.

“We recommend cross-merchandising citrus alongside complementary back-to-school categories - think lunchbox staples, snacks, or beverages - to inspire bigger baskets and easier meal planning,” Cassie advises. “Eye-level displays featuring seasonal varietals help drive trial, and bold, simple signage that clearly communicates freshness and nutrition (like vitamin C benefits) resonates well with busy parents making quick decisions at shelf.”

Sunkist continues to wield its longstanding legacy to bring new experiences to the fresh sector. This year, the company launched a fully redesigned Sunkist.com built around ‘Welcome to the Co-Op,’ giving shoppers deeper access to grower stories, recipes, and wellness content.

“Heritage and trust are a big differentiator for us. We're the most recognized name in the citrus category, and our latest brand tracking shows unaided awareness climbing year-over-year, one of the strongest gains among tracked citrus brands, with little movement across the competition,” Cassie adds. “Combine that with our ‘Welcome to the Co-Op’ platform - which connects shoppers directly to the multi-generational farming families behind the fruit - and Sunkist has both the recognition and the authentic story to stand out as fall programming ramps up.”

With this consumer strategy already in play, Sunkist is continuing to drive category growth through its premium portfolio and retail support.

“We're seeing strong momentum at the category level. Citrus sales and volume are both up season-to-date, outpacing flat performance in total produce and total fruit over the same period. We're also rolling out a new Orange pallet bin this season, featuring an eye-catching grove design to drive brand visibility at store level and reinforce our ‘Welcome to the Co-Op’ message at shelf,” Cassie explains.

As the fall season quickly approaches, Sunkist is leaning into an annual partnership and expanding its program to increase opportunities for its retail partners.

“Building on the idea of cause marketing and long-term habit building—something we've seen resonate deeply with shoppers—fall also kicks off Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Sunkist's Power with the Pink Orange™ partnership with National Breast Cancer Foundation returns this season, pairing Cara Cara oranges with a cause our retail partners and consumers have really rallied behind,” Cassie continues. “This year, we're expanding the program into our Organic Cara Cara line, giving retailers a new way to bring the campaign to shelf. We're also continuing to invest in habit-building with the next generation - our Captain & Cat classroom partnership brings citrus education directly to young families, reinforcing healthy choices early and building brand affinity that lasts well beyond the fall season.”

There are tons of ways to tap into citrus demand all season! For the latest updates straight from the citrus sector, be sure to leave a tab open to AndNowUKnow.