FOWLER, CA - With colors reminiscent of the warm sunshine beaming down on North America, it’s no wonder that shoppers flock to the citrus section of the produce aisle this time of year. As demand for the category keeps gaining momentum, there is no time like the present to put citrus on display to rack up some extra register rings. To get an idea about the current citrus market, I spoke with Bee Sweet Citrus’ Jason Sadoian, Citrus Sales Representative.
“We just kicked off our summer import season, and the early challenges seem to include getting containers loaded on trucks in a timely manner because of the heavy traffic coming out of Long Beach, California,” explains Jason. “However, quality and volume are both looking good.”
Bee Sweet will be importing lemons, Navel oranges, and Mandarins from Chile, as well as Minneola Tangelos from Peru. This variety of offerings will provide retailers with options to create unique, colorful displays and merchandising opportunities that will flag consumer attention as they enter the aisles. The grower also has POS information available for its Chilean fruit to inform shoppers about the delicious offerings.
As Jason continues to tell me, the lemon market is presently tight on the West Coast, but as imports begin to arrive, volume should start picking up later in July, creating a shift toward steady.
With the stars aligning on Bee Sweet’s import citrus season, utilize the grower’s high-quality lineup of offerings to add some extra sparkle to your produce section this summer, and watch your sales shine like the sun.
