Tara Monreal Dishes on Westside Produce and Classic Fruit’s 52-Week Melon Supply Strategy

FIREBAUGH, CA & BUFFALO, NY - Slice open a truly delicious cantaloupe and you are introduced not only to a world of flavor, scent, and nutrition, but to a produce category in a period of reawakening and invigoration. Just ask Westside Produce and Classic Fruit. With so much in the wings and on the table for the company, Tara Monreal, Marketing Director, joins me to discuss a robust melon program and what retailers can expect as spring gets underway.

“The current offshore-to-domestic transition through our alliance with Classic Fruit allows us to provide customers with a truly uninterrupted, 52-week melon supply. By coming together, we've been able to fill in the gaps between growing seasons,” Tara begins. “At its core, our alliance eliminates the ‘seasonal handoff gap’ that traditionally disrupts melon programs. We provide our customers with an understanding of what is happening not only now, but also in the coming weeks, even a road map for the entire season.”

Westside and Classic grow domestically from May through October and offshore from October through May, so the cycles blend into each other.

“We end the domestic season while starting our offshore operations and vice versa. Because the regions are intentionally complementary and not overlapping chaotically, through the alliance, both offshore and domestic fruit are grown and packed to aligned standards so that when the region changes, the customer experience doesn't,” Tara explains. “This is what makes it uninterrupted and not just continuous.”

With year-round continuity, melons can become a core produce item rather than just a seasonal one. Melons typically get promoted when supply is strong and pulled when it tightens or is not in season, as Tara notes.

“By having a year-round partner, melons can be a planned category, not just a fill-in. There is more opportunity to build stability in the commodity. Stability brings repeat purchases, which can then drive velocity. For a category manager, that consistency is powerful. They can plan months in advance knowing they will have continued support,” Tara tells me.

From a marketing perspective, I ask Tara why she thinks melons, particularly cantaloupe and honeydew, have fallen under the radar with today’s consumers despite their nutritional value.

“This has been the biggest question on my mind. When I first started working in melons, I would bring them to friends and gatherings, and I would get the same response every single time: ‘I don't think I've ever had melon’ or ‘I don't like cantaloupe.’ But then they try it, and it turns into, ‘This is sooooo good. Why have I never tried it?’” she questions.

Why is this the case? As Tara describes, there is no denying that it has historically been an older generation commodity, and research reflects that.

“There is a massive generational gap. For instance, my grandma requests a box of melons every year, where she cuts them into cubes and freezes them, something she's been doing since she was a kid. She uses them as ice cubes, puts them in smoothies, and more. When I bring this up to people around me, they look at me like that is the strangest thing,” Tara shares. “I think, over the years, cantaloupe and honeydew have turned into a background fruit. It's on fruit trays, in every buffet spread, at hotel breakfasts. This positioning has turned it into more of a supporting character and not a standalone fruit.”

So, what is Westside Produce and Classic Fruit doing to reinvigorate the category? Check back as we move into Part 2 and look to elevate the melon game.