Stemilt's Kyle's Pick Cherries Deliver Consumer Demand For Quality

WENATCHEE, Wash. – According to Produce for Better Health Foundation’s 2015 “Dads’ vs. Moms’ Attitudes Related to Fruit & Vegetable Consumption” study, nearly 1 in 4 consumers report that quality is a deterrent to purchasing fruits and vegetables. As the peak of the Northwest cherry season approaches, Stemilt Growers is ensuring it delivers a quality-first experience with its signature program for premium cherries, Kyle’s Pick®.

Named after Stemilt co-owner and 4th generation cherry grower Kyle Mathison, this is the fourth season Kyle’s Pick cherries have been available. Stemilt reserves its best cherries – largest sizes, high firmness, and dessert flavors – for specially marked Kyle’s Pick pouch bags, as those are the exact qualities that Mathison himself grows at his Stemilt Hill orchards in Wenatchee, WA.

“Cherries are an impulse purchase, and shoppers are more likely to buy them if they look fantastic. Delivering quality through our Kyle’s Pick program not only helps us reach the 25% of consumers who say lack of quality is a factor in not purchasing the fruit/vegetable, but also appeal to the impulsive cherry shopper. This person spends $6.68 on cherries on average when they purchase, and has a 43% larger shopping basket than non-cherry purchasers,” said Stemilt marketing director Roger Pepperl.

Typically an early July program, Kyle’s Pick cherries will begin shipping on June 20th this year due to the record early start to Washington cherries in May following a warm spring.

The program is built around quality-first fruit and also helps retailers tell the story of the grower in order to tie the fruit back to the land. Kyle’s Pick is part of Stemilt’s Farm to Fork lineup which strives to be authentic by sharing the story behind the fruit with consumers. 

“It’s Kyle’s name on the package, which means the cherries inside have his seal of approval for quality. Kyle has spent four decades delivering cherries with dessert flavors that wow the consumer, and he’ll be the first to tell you that quality is a constant journey, not a destination. Kyle’s Pick cherries, many of which are grown by Kyle himself, are the ticket for retailers to promote quality throughout the peak cherry season,” said Pepperl.

Stemilt uses its state-of-the-art electronic packing lines to sort out cherries for Kyle’s Pick packs. The lines use high-definition camera imaging and computer software to digitally size and sort cherries based on set firmness, size, and sugar level standards. The company also reserves premium varieties, including Stemilt Hill Bings, Sweetheart, Skeena, and Staccato® cherries for Kyle’s Pick. 

“Stemilt is the leading producer of Skeena cherries in Washington State and we are strategically planting more. The 2016 cherry crop is moderately set on the tree, which has made way for large-sized Skeena’s. The growing conditions have been fantastic with warm days and cool nights. As they await harvest, the stage has been set for Kyle’s Pick cherries to impress shoppers and drive repeat cherry sales this July,” said Pepperl.

Stemilt will pack Kyle’s Pick cherries until mid-July when it transitions to its high-elevation cherry package, called A Half Mile Closer to the Moon™ cherries. Moon cherries are grown primarily by Mathison at his Amigos Orchard in Wenatchee, WA which sit at elevations ranging from 2,500 to 3,500 feet above sea level. Just like Stemilt Hill, the unique Amigos growing locale remains cooler during the heat of the summer, and provides Stemilt with the latest freshly harvested cherries in Washington State. Stemilt will pack Moon cherries in late July and for the ten days in August this year.

“The selling season for cherries is shorter than past years, which means now more than ever, retailers can’t afford to lose sales to poor quality and a poor consumer experience. Our signature programs, Kyle’s Pick and Moon cherries, put quality first in order to drive the impulse cherry sale, and get the shopper to buy cherries on their next trip too. Merchandising quality-first fruit and sharing the strong passion Kyle has for cherries is the way to win over consumers, and set your cherry category up for success,” said Pepperl.

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About Stemilt

Stemilt Growers is a leading tree fruit growing, packing and shipping company based in Wenatchee, Washington. Owned and operated by the Mathison family, Stemilt is a leading shipper of sweet cherries and organic tree fruits. Stemilt has also demonstrated a commitment to sustainable agriculture and social responsibility since 1989, when founder Tom Mathison launched the company’s Responsible Choice program. For more information about Stemilt, visit www.stemilt.com and follow Stemilt on Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

Source: Stemilt Growers