WENATCHEE, Wash. – This apple season’s promotions need all stems on deck to lift the crop as Honeycrisp shows a decrease in volume compared to last year. Stemilt’s Marketing Director, Brianna Shales, shares five apple selling tips to grow apple sales through promotion, variety mix, organics and packaged items like Stemilt’s EZ Band and Lil Snappers® apples.
“The crop is down 10% year-over-year, and the opportunity lies in focusing on more than one variety in ads and go back to multi-variety promotions,” says Shales. “What we saw last year with Honeycrisp is dollars grew by nearly 30% from 2022 to 2023. That’s incredible growth, but as we head into the new crop, the idea of singularly promoting Honeycrisp has to shift because volume is down. Try promoting all apples like Honeycrisp, Fuji, Granny Smith, Gala and Cosmic Crisp® together to raise apple volume, that way you’re turning more than one apple at a time.”
Since Honeycrisp has been leading the way in apple popularity for years, replacing it with another crunch successor can help close the gap where it usually would be. Stemilt’s Rave® apples can act as a quick in-and-out variety in August and September. Its parent apples, Honeycrisp and MonArk, give it characteristics allowing it to ripen and color three weeks before any other apple.
“Rave® is outrageously juicy with a refreshing, snappy zing that is only available for a short time, but can really help build velocity in the category,” says Shales. “Another variety to bring in when apples are at the top of mind for consumers is SweeTango®. SweeTango® has grown into a variety that remains available beyond the fall months and into the new year, with a sales velocity during its October peak promotion time that no other club apple compares to. What better way to delight consumers than with an apple that delivers on crunch, juice and hints of spice in the heart of fall?
A third apple comes to the rescue this fall with year-round availability, Cosmic Crisp®. One advantage to carrying Cosmic Crisp® is it also has no gap between the old and new crop and has become a core variety to the category. This year, Stemilt sees an increase in organic Cosmic Crisp® opening the door for more organic promotion this season.
“It’s the perfect year to switch to Cosmic Crisp® with Honeycrisp volume down,” says Shales. “We call it the dream apple with perfect flavor because it has a wonderful balance of sweetness, tartness and a creamy texture. One of the main benefits of Cosmic Crisp® to retailers is its ability to be stored for long periods of time, and its natural resistance to browning. This year, Cosmic Crisp® is up in organics, so regularly calling out the apple in promotion is a great way to build dollars in the category with a premium item that isn’t conventional.”
Since fall is when most apples are sitting at the front of stores, that’s where sales can be made. Figuring out effective merchandising strategies and offering packaged items can help drive impulse and online sales. Stemilt has EZ Band sustainable four packs, Lil Snappers® kid-size fruit and other bagged apple options to build up the category and meet consumers with at the front door.
“Bags are always a great vehicle for increasing apple sales,” says Shales. “Since Covid, we’ve seen bags be a real growth point. At Stemilt, we have great capacity for pouch bags, 3 lb. organic and conventional Lil Snappers® apples and 5 lb. bags for a volume play. It’s a good way to appeal to the timesaving, convenience driven consumer. With retailers equipped with these five tools: multi-ad promotions, Rave, SweeTango, Cosmic Crisp and bagged items, we can lift the category and delight consumers with excellent quality apples this season!”
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.
