Yakima, WA. February is ideal timing for running apple promotions. Consumers are deep into their New Year’s Resolution to eat healthy and lose weight and looking for new ways to energize their efforts. Valentine’s Day and Pink Lady apples are perfect pairing partners for a healthy promotion in February. The quality of this years crop and the fast-growing popularity of Pink Lady apples will combine to lift the apple category during the month of February which has been a historically good month for Pink Lady with sales generally ranked in the top eight varieties in dollar sales with consistent year-over-year sales increases of 15%.
It is easy to take advantage of this great performing variety during February. Cross promotions with cheese, wine and chocolate or caramel dips, front page ad features are just a few ideas. As you create cross promotions consider the following Flavor Pairing information found on superfreshgrowers.com; The Pink Lady apple pairs particularly well with savory ingredients, such as onion, chili peppers, dill, thyme, pink peppercorns and cheeses. Among cheeses, milder types such as Monterey Jack and medium cheddar pair particularly well with Pink Lady, as do seasoned cheeses such as Boursin. Ros wine is also a great partner for Pink Lady apples.
Cross promotions with items in a secondary location is a sure-fire way to increase apple sales. suggests Howard Nager, vice president marketing. A use of a display bin to create impulse sales as well as POS materials will help to make this an attractive display. Nager also suggests that setting a display of a Ros wine in conjunction with Pink Lady apples is one unique way to facilitate cross-store shopping. With some creativity, February is a great month for Pink Lady apple sales.
Source: Domex Superfresh Growers
