ONTARIO, CANADA - One light that has shone throughout the pandemic is consumers’ increased interest in exploring fresh produce offerings, especially varieties they have never tried before. One such fruit is figs, which have seen a spike in interest, and from personal experience, I can say that once shoppers get a taste of the specialty fruit, they will be repeat customers. Luckily for buyers, Catania Worldwide has a high-quality supply of figs to help boost sales across the produce aisles.
“We are experiencing great volume and excellent quality this year thanks to the heat, which has really helped this crop bloom,” explains Paul Catania, President. “So far, our timing has been normal, and we are seeing a good start to the season.”
Due to the optimum growing conditions, the fig market is steady to kick off the season. With such fantastic quality, Paul tells me that the category will remain a great draw for retail during the summer.
With shoppers seeking out new fresh produce offerings, Andrew Amodeo, Sales, explains that education is the key to creating success around fig sales.
“We find that the best way to market a product is first to create awareness around it, and a lot of people are still unaware of what a fig is and how to eat it,” shares Andrew. “Many consumers are unaware of fig ripeness levels, when they are considered ready to eat, and other factors that play an important role in creating a perfect eating experience.”
In line with creating educational opportunities for shoppers, Brian Lapin, Sales, cues me into the merchandising opportunities at retailers’ fingertips, and how they can promote the category in their stores.
“With COVID-19 hopefully becoming a distant memory, resuming in-store demos with figs is a classic promotional tactic and a great way to get the customer hooked and coming back for more,” Brian says. “Also, we always encourage buyers to let us know if there is anything we can do to help them promote our figs. If they need information, pictures, or pack style ideas, we are here to help.”
That being said retailers, take advantage of this upswing in consumer demand and give them the specialty offering they are searching for with Catania’s high-quality figs. The results are sure to be fig-tastic!
