SALINAS, CA - As silly as it might sound, strawberries make me want to don a white dress and go skipping through a meadow Disney-princess style. However consumers take to embodying strawberry fervor, we can all agree on one thing: Strawberries reign supreme during the summer months. In order to capitalize on peak strawberry season, I tapped Jerry Moran, Senior Sales Director at Naturipe Farms, to learn more about how buyers can take advantage of a plentiful crop.
“We are currently in the midst of California strawberry peak season and the quality has been great,” Jerry began. “Throughout the start of the season, we saw warmer weather. Lately, we’ve seen temperatures drop and get a bit cooler—even causing light rain. The recent cool weather has helped with the quality of the strawberries, keeping them big and firm.”
High-quality strawberries and strong retail sales have kept the market steady throughout the beginning of May, although Jerry predicted that promotional volumes will peak at the end of this month and heading into June.
“Buyers should expect a healthy supply of our California-farmed, fresh, perfectly-sized Naturipe strawberries all season long. This year, consumers are buying more produce at one time,” Jerry explained. “Therefore, our two-pound packs of strawberries are flying off the shelves.”
One such reason for strawberries’ popularity at this time is due to their many health benefits.
“One of strawberry’s prominent nutrients is vitamin C. Since we’re offering promotional volumes this season, it is important to know the essential health benefits this fruit provides. Our team prioritizes over-communicating to our retailers and remaining transparent about the state of the market, ensuring that retailers have everything they need to sell as many fresh strawberries as possible,” Jerry noted.
With an abundance of supply, retailers can answer consumers’ desire for large-volume pack sizes—especially during this time when shoppers are venturing out less often and stocking up more. Naturipe’s berries also lend themselves to cross-promotion opportunities within the category and outside of it, meaning that fresh produce wins across the board.
Keep reading AndNowUKnow as we update you on the state of the market.
