WENATCHEE, Wash. – If retailers are looking to bolster their apple category for the summer months, Stemilt suggests loading their shelves with World Famous Gala apples. Stemilt’s marketing director Roger Pepperl is encouraging retailers to look to Stemilt for their Gala needs and give consumers what they truly want: a shelf stable, healthy snack they can feel good about feeding their families.
“Our Gala apples offer year-round freshness thanks to our Research & Development’s Controlled Atmosphere (CA) storage practices,” explains Pepperl. “Their extensive research allows us to store Gala in CA rooms year-round and maintain great fruit quality and flavor.”
Pepperl explains the company is opening rooms on a weekly basis, all of which are producing apples with fall-like flavor, beautiful color and great quality room after room. Sizes are peaking at 88s and smaller to provide retail with bulk or bag promotion opportunities.
“With the smaller sizes available, retailers will have the opportunity for bulk promotions, but should really focus on grab-and-go bag options, like our 3lb Lil Snappers® bag and our 5lb Apple Lover bag,” says Pepperl. “With today’s limited shopping trips, this is a great value item with a stable shelf life. Consumers can easily make a bag or two last between shopping trips.”
Stemilt’s branded bagged items are eye catching with their fun graphics, and practical thanks to strong-handles and a resealable feature. They are designed to stand up in the fridge so that they are easy to spot so for a grab-and-go snack.
Both the Lil Snappers® 3lb Gala bag and the 5lb Apple Lover Gala bag can be displayed on their own near bulk apple displays or can be displayed using one of Stemilt’s high-graphic DRCs. Pepperl suggests placing these displays in high-traffic areas to catch the eye of the consumer. If online shopping is taking precedence, Pepperl recommends bringing Lil Snappers® 3lb and the Apple Lovers 5lb bag front and center on digital ads and online grocery platforms. Stemilt’s marketing team can offer resources for both. Stemilt can also help created digital targeted ads through popular social media channels.
“Our team is ready to help you succeed with Gala apple sales,” states Pepperl. “We are also utilizing our own digital communications to push consumers into your stores.”
Stemilt started growing new strain Gala apples a few years ago, which the company is now seeing in fruition. These strains all come off the tree with exceptional fall-like flavors, great color and quality and have fantastic storing abilities.
“Whether you are consuming the apple now or in the summer months, it is going to taste like fall,” explains Pepperl. “The strains we grow make these Gala apples an excellent choice for apple lovers across the country.”
Stemilt grows their World Famous Gala apples in central Washington orchards. The region is known for sunshine filled days, nutrient-rich soil and an abundance of fresh water resources. Stemilt’s farming team is experienced with advanced horticultural practices in place to get World Famous qualities with every Gala apple picked.
“Between the premium strains we grow, our CA storage methods, practical packaging and experienced hort team, Stemilt’s World Famous Galas are going to build up any apple category successfully” says Pepperl. “It is now just up to the retailer if they are ready to be World Famous with us.”
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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.
