WENATCHEE, WA - The climb toward widespread recognition can be a steep one, but the Cosmic Crisp® apple seems to be standing on a proverbial peak of its own. Stemilt recently reported that the apple is gaining impressive momentum at retail, ranking in seventh place nationally according to April 2022 Nielsen retail scan data.
“Cosmic Crisp has really taken the spotlight this season thanks to increased volumes, great qualities that drive consumer satisfaction, and exciting promotions at retail,” said Brianna Shales, Marketing Director. “We were excited to see it rank in the top 10 apple varieties at retail in April and take the #1 club apple position nationally by making up 20 percent of club apple volumes.”
A press release stated that the volume of Cosmic Crisp apples sold in April 2021 increased 117 percent year-over-year while dollars increased 81 percent. It ranked second in average retail price per pound among the top 10 apples, trailing Honeycrisp and excluding the other category made up of multiple varieties.
“Cosmic Crisp apples jumped up 5 positions when compared to the total U.S. category in April 2021,” Shales noted. “They also moved up 3 positions, from #10 to #7 when you compare March 2022 to April 2022. The volume growth of Cosmic Crisp is certainly contributing to this rise, but we’ve also noted increased retail promotion and larger displays. These are all great signs to a strong future for Cosmic Crisp in the category.”
Maintaining their spotlight, Stemilt’s Cosmic Crisp apples were called out in the season one finale episode of NCIS: Hawai’i.
“It was so exciting to see Stemilt Cosmic Crisp apples called out on a hit show,” said Shales. “We were not expecting this and heard about it from apple fans that were watching the show. It confirms that Cosmic Crisp apples are in the spotlight now. They are rising in apple category performance and being noticed by consumers as the new star apple. As growers, we certainly feel that growing Cosmic Crisp apples with quality and flavor in mind and partnering with retailers to create excitement at the point-of-sale is helping build fanfare for this incredible apple.”
As this apple continues to gain momentum on and off the retail shelves, ANUK will be here bringing you the latest.
