WENATCHEE, WA - Stemilt Artisan Organics™ is back, and dare I say it, better than before. After two consecutive years of short crops due to frost, Stemilt’s organic apricots will have more volume this year. So retailers, it’s time to up your stonefruit game this summer.
“This year’s apricots are projected to be on the larger side, so retailers can plan and promote bulk ‘jumbo-sized’ apricots in both their stone fruit category as well as organic,” explained Marketing Director, Brianna Shales. “Apricots are a great seasonal item to get behind, and our all-organic apricot program offers retailers a strong point of differentiation.”
As noted in the release, the 100 percent certified Stemilt organic crop this year is full of flavorful, high quality, attractive apricots that will provide retailers the opportunity to set up key promotional windows in late June and early July to delight consumers across the country.
Known for their bright, attractive hue that fascinates consumers, Stemilt’s apricots hook shoppers in with their silky, sweet, slightly acidic finish. Shales explains that retailers will have the opportunity to build their categories early in the season, loading around the middle of June and planning promotions that hit the weeks following through the 4th of July holiday.
“Our apricots delight a variety of consumers and are grown with flavor and quality in mind,” said Shales. “They are grown in the Southeast region of Washington state by the Douglas family who has decades of experience growing stone fruit. The warm, sunshine-filled days give apricots lots of color, while the cool nights that follow allow trees to rest and replenish for the ultimate sugar boost. This area is also dry, making it an excellent place to grow organic crops.”
Retailers will have a variety of options to build out an extravagant display, as the season starts with the Robada variety and ends with the Perfection. Coral and Rival combine to make up the middle of the season.
“Along with growing organically, the Douglas family focuses on growing the best varieties of apricots in warm sites that allow them to develop bold hues and fantastic flavors,” said Shales.
The fruit ships in both two-layer and three-layer panta packs along with volume fill loose Artisan Organics branded cartons to aid retailers in creating a stonefruit destination for separate organic summer fruit at their store. In addition, the branded cartons make for great and eye-catching displays in designated organic sections within the produce department.
“Promoting organics during the summertime by focusing on seasonal fruits like apricots is a great way to continue category growth,” said Shales. “Delivering shoppers with flavorful organic fruit helps delight organic consumers and brings new shoppers to the organic category. We’re excited to help retailers make this apricot season a success with our Artisan Organics branded fruit.”
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