VALENCIA, CA - The intentions of the galaxy are all converging at one central location this March 2 in Orlando, Florida, as Southeast Produce Council’s (SEPC) Southern Exposure kicks off this Thursday, coinciding with peak citrus season. To unwrap this exciting development, I got in touch with Christina Ward, Senior Director of Global Marketing for Sunkist Growers, to learn more about booth #1009.
“We are excited to be in Orlando for SEPC, especially as the show coincides with peak citrus season. The timing makes for an excellent opportunity to assess where the category is to date and align our strategies based on fresh insights,” Christina shares with me. “Plus, with our 130th anniversary, we are celebrating all season long with ‘Sunkist Citrus Day’ promotions to educate shoppers on where our citrus is grown and the 1,500-plus family farmers making up our cooperative. We’re now offering ‘Meet the Grower’ merchandising and POP to give shoppers a peel-good reason to enjoy the category.”
A happy occasion indeed! Sunkist Growers is inviting everybody to the birthday party celebration at SEPC by showcasing its fresh marketing programs, category insights that will take the industry into the latter part of peak citrus season, and the company’s new packaging and matching merchandising to commemorate the milestone.
“Sunkist® is proud of its humbled roots and California heritage. To commemorate being the longest-standing ag co-op in the nation, we recently launched our Sunkist Legacy Heirloom Navel orange program, which features our peak-of-season and extra sweet Navel orange, only available this time of year,” says Christina. “At SEPC, we will have our new 3 lb giro bags and display masters ready to share.”
In addition to seeing the new bags up-close and in person, retailers will also get to check out the new “Meet the Grower” POP displays, which can engage shoppers and complement their Sunkist citrus program. After all, citrus shoppers said the #1 most important information in the store is knowing where their citrus is grown and how it is picked. What better way than to bring the Sunkist grove to them?
And this interactive shopper attraction couldn’t come at a more opportune time. A recent study done by IRI/210 Analytics showed 40 percent of primary shoppers plan to eat healthier in 2023, and 35 percent plan to save more money. With this in mind, the grower-owned cooperative plans on highlighting the health benefits of Sunkist citrus, everything from vitamin C across all varieties to the folate front-runner known as Sunkist Minneola tangelos.
“Our portfolio works well across all departments, and we help increase sales with fresh new tips on using the whole fruit, from juice to pulp to rind and all,” continues Christina. “Sunkist lemons are especially popular during this time. We offer cross-promotional bin displays that pair perfectly with the seafood department to inspire and encourage basket sharing.”
Lemons are a long-time kitchen staple, from food preparations to alternative cleaning preparations and aromatherapy soap. During this time of year, shoppers are especially looking toward this citrus star as they abstain from meats and other favorite foods and drinks. Not to mention, lemons are a great source of nutrients and can easily be incorporated into almost any meal or beverage, adding zest and zing to any dish or drink this season.
No matter how you slice it, citrus will be a main attraction at this year’s Southern Exposure. Stick with ANUK as we continue to cover the latest this industry event has to offer.
