WENATCHEE, Wash. – Stemilt’s World Famous Honeycrisp apples consumers across the globe have come to know and love are back and available organically under the Artisan Organics™ brand. The leading organic grower kicked off their organic season last month harvesting several organic varieties, including the well-known Honeycrisp variety.
“Our Artisan Organics™ Honeycrisp apples are some of the most flavorful in the marketplace,” explains Shales. “We’ve grown Honeycrisp organically for decades as our teams knew earlier on the potential it had and would be a modern flavor that organic consumers would crave. Today, our apple crop is nearly a third organic, with organic Honeycrisp being the volume leader by variety.
Stemilt is continuing to build organic Honeycrisp volumes and focusing on high color strains that will delight consumers. While heat was a challenge for growers across the state this year, Stemilt’s team reacted quickly and relied on their knowledge and expertise of growing organic Honeycrisp to preserve quality and flavor.
“We have plenty of large sizes of organic Honeycrisp apples that will help retailers boost their bulk category,” explains Shales. “Last year, bulk organic Honeycrisp apples made up nearly 22 percent of organic apple volume and 32 percent of organic apple sales. Honeycrisp’s high demand make it a category driver and Stemilt’s Artisan Organics™ Honeycrisp’s will help even more so thanks to its consistent delivery of quality and flavor.”
Shales continues on to explain that organic Honeycrisp is the number two variety by volume in the apple category but drives the most sales because of its premium price, long seasonality, and high consumer demand.
“Honeycrisp has carved out a permanent residence in the organic category and shows how it can really help drive the organic category for retailers,” says Shales. “This year’s crop is coming with optimal quality, spectacular flavor with high sugars and a juicy, crisp bite. Color is also looking nice and will surely pop on the shelf along with other Artisan Organics™ varieties.
To build the category successfully, retailers need to focus on product, placement and promotion. Starting with Stemilt’s Artisan Organics™ Honeycrisp is a great first step.
“By choosing Artisan Organics™ Honeycrisp, retailers are already getting the right organic product in their store,” says Shales. “Thanks to the dedication and knowledge our teams have, consumers can feel confident when they see our brand in store…they are purchasing quality and flavor.”
After retailers get the right product in store to drive repeat purchases, the placement of the product is crucial.
“With today’s technology, organic apples are now available nearly year-round so it’s safe to say that their placement in a produce section is prominent,” states Shales. “Accompanying their displays with signage that includes information about the grower, flavor characteristics and other fun facts will surely help boost sales and move more volumes.”
To maximize your organic category as a whole, focus retail promotions around multiple mainline and seasonal varieties to strengthen the category as a whole. Organic promotions should have at least three organic varieties on promotion at one time to encourage consumers to stock up on premium and seasonal varieties that are high ring items to increase sales.
“We understand that consumer’s want the very best when they purchase produce and our Artisan Organics™ Honeycrisp apples will deliver on that promise,” explains Shales. “We look forward to another great organic season and helping retailers build their organic category one organic Honeycrisp apple at a time.”
About Stemilt
Stemilt is a family-owned grower, packer, and shipper of tree fruit. Owned and operated by the Mathison family, Stemilt’s mission is to cultivate people and delight consumers with its World Famous Fruits. Stemilt is a leader in sweet cherries and organic tree fruits, and a key supplier of apples and pears. The company stewards an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible business through its Responsible Choice® program, which has been in place since 1989. For more information about Stemilt, visit www.stemilt.com.
