As consumers increasingly seek the familiar in their shopping experience, Oppy’s Ocean Spray®-branded strawberries are poised to bring exceptional quality behind a trusted and beloved 90-year-old brand — fresh from California.
As a leading grower, marketer and distributor of fresh produce from around the world, Oppy offers a multifaceted strawberry program that ensures a continued supply from various regions, all while maintaining the excellent quality and taste that have become synonymous with Ocean Spray®. Oppy’s strawberries from Oxnard are beginning to ramp up production and are peaking now, as will production from Watsonville and Salinas, with volumes decreasing by the end of the month. Meanwhile, strawberries from Mexico are all but done, with Baja strawberries continuing until the second week of May.
Production from East Santa Maria will similarly increase by May, which will transition to peak production from West Santa Maria in June and July. Oppy’s organic strawberry program has begun in Lompoc, with volumes increasing steadily through April, before peaking in mid-May, with conventional strawberries starting from mid-July.
Oppy’s partnership with Ocean Spray has evolved since 2003, marking many milestones along the way including launching the popular Ocean Spray® Family Farmer-Owned® berry and citrus partnership, as well as a highly-anticipated grape program launching in May.
“Oppy’s Ocean Spray® strawberries offer consumers convenient pack sizes as well as a brand that they know, trust and value,” said Oppy’s Vice President of Categories of Berries & Greenhouse Jason Fung. “Thanks to our mutual top-quality standards, the quality and flavor profile of Ocean Spray® strawberries remain unmatched, meaning they offer consumers the perfect opportunity for a little indulgence. We are also aiming to build on the popularity of fresh California strawberries during Mother’s Day and Father’s Day by encouraging promotions of our two-pound pack.”
Parents are doing more now than ever for their families, balancing home schooling and new routines alongside their jobs, while still trying to provide them with healthy choices, Fung noted. “Strawberries are a traditional part of spring celebrations honoring our parents, offering some much-needed normality, and parents this year have certainly earned some special recognition. The fact that strawberries are also rich in vitamin C makes the two-pound Ocean Spray® pack a great call for family dishes, desserts and healthy snacking,” he said.
According to an independent study, Ocean Spray® was noted as memorable and premium, with 90% of respondents stating that it is a familiar brand. This is especially pertinent given the overall category’s label pollution, with the Ocean Spray® brand offering a clear and trusted differentiator. In another third-party 2019 survey, nearly 70% of participants were well-aware of the Ocean Spray® berry brand, and the majority of purchasers held an extremely high or favorable opinion of it while further recognizing the brand as a mark of high quality.
“It’s an exciting time of year for our fresh program,” said Chris O’Connor, VP of Marketing at Ocean Spray. “Within the next few weeks, we will have Ocean Spray® strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, citrus and grapes available for our customers to enjoy, meeting their needs with a familiar, trusted brand proposition in the produce section.”
The Ocean Spray® advantage also extends into center store, with an average of 52 Ocean Spray® products across grocery departments. This strong, preexisting brand presence in retail stores augments Ocean Spray’s value proposition across its fresh products including strawberries.
About Oppy
Growing, marketing and distributing fresh produce from around the globe for more than 160 years, Vancouver, BC-based Oppy discovers and delivers the best of the world’s harvest. With over 50 million boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables grown on every continent moving through its supply chain annually, Oppy offers popular favorites from avocados and berries to apples and oranges year-round, alongside innovative seasonal specialties. Over the years, Oppy has introduced North Americans to a number of items across its diverse produce range, including Granny Smith, JAZZ and Envy apples, as well as green and gold kiwifruit. Go to oppy.com to learn more.
About Ocean Spray
Ocean Spray was founded in 1930 by three independent cranberry growers who shared a passion for cranberries. They believed, by joining forces, they could create a strong cooperative that would one day allow them to share their love of cranberries with the world. Their vision, hard work and innovation set the standard for the Cooperative you see today. Ocean Spray now has more than 700 family farms across North and South America delivering cranberry goodness to just about every corner of the globe. Leading by purpose, Ocean Spray is committed to the health of people and planet.
