WENATCHEE, WA – The latest Nielsen scan data results are in, and Ambrosia™ apples are still topping consumer charts. For a four week period, ending on April 2, Nielson FreshFacts® showed that Ambrosia’s retail volume sales jumped by 93 percent, which CMI emphasized is the fastest growth rate of any apple variety in the top 25.
The results? CMI says its Ambrosia™ apples are virtually sold out for the 2015 season after strong sales in April and May. “CMI has import Ambrosia™ available from Chile but supplies are expected to remain tight,” stated Steve Lutz, Vice President of Marketing, in a press release. “We are really excited about the 2016 season. We are expecting our biggest crop yet and look forward to getting more consumers hooked on what we believe is America’s favorite everyday apple.”
Lutz said that Ambrosia™ apples sales have been so high that the Nielson data reflects the apples sales as the 8th highest selling apple for April, and generated the largest volume increase of any major apple variety.
“The success retailers are having with Ambrosia™ this year is tremendous,” said Lutz. “But even more amazing is that while Ambrosia™ apples are one of the hottest sellers in the category only about 60 percent of supermarkets had them on the shelf.”
Lutz said that these results and jump of Ambrosia™ apples reminds him of when Honeycrisp apples were just debuting a few years ago, and experienced spotty distribution. CMI cited the Nielsen data which showed that the apple category volume for the season is down nearly five percent, but Ambrosia™ apples have continued to be a top performer in the category.
“A lot of our retailers are using Ambrosia™ to boost performance while many others simply don’t understand there is a huge missed sales opportunity,” continued Lutz. “It’s really clear that American consumers love Ambrosia™. Honeycrisp is the only apple in the top ten with an average retail selling price higher than Ambrosia™.”
Continue to keep up with AndNowUKnow as we report on the ongoing apple season, and retail volumes in the industry.
