<p>Newly released supermarket performance data for November indicate that consumers' favorite apple varieties may be changing.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">According to Steve Lutz, Vice President of Marketing for CMI, shoppers are increasingly seeking out apples believed to be high in flavor.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">A report by Nielsen Perishables Group shows that older varieties like Red and Golden Delicious are losing ground, while new varieties like Gala and Honeycrisp are driving growth. Apple volume in supermarkets increased by 2.5%, apple retail prices fell by 6.5%, and the gains in volume were said to be supported by these falling prices. Gala was the largest volume apple in U.S. supermarkets, and has increased by 3% over the same period last year. Honeycrisp was the second largest volume, jumping by 14%.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">“More consumers are selecting newer variety apples like Gala, Honeycrisp and Fuji at the expense of some traditional favorites," said Steve Lutz. “Pink Lady volume jumped by 44% while Ambrosia volume increased by 22%, despite supermarket shelf prices substantially higher than the category average."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">He added, “Increasingly, for retailers success hinges not only on knowing which apple varieties to put on the shelf, but also knowing which apples to emphasize in merchandising and which varieties should be dropped.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.cmiapples.com" target="_new"> CMI Apples </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
