WENATCHEE, Wash. – Are retailers ready to build up their pear categories with high quality, flavorful pears? If so, then they better turn to their friends at Stemilt whose Rushing Rivers® d’Anjou pears will turn heads and move volumes this upcoming spring. Stemilt’s marketing director, Brianna Shales explains how retailers can effectively merchandise d’Anjou pears to boost category numbers and delight pear-loving consumers around the nation.
“Our d’Anjou pears are high quality, full of flavor, and a staple item for your upcoming advertising mix during for spring and early summer months,” explains Shales. “The Northwest is wrapping up a very successful Bartlett pear season, and that opens the door for increased promotion on the springtime favorite, d’Anjou pears.”
According to Stemilt’s Fruit Tracker™ analysis of Nielsen retail scan data, d’Anjou pears made up one-third of category dollars and volume in 2020. With Bartlett moving out of season and d’Anjou and red d’Anjou pears moving into the primary spots for the category, retailers should consider both bulk and bags for everyday merchandising and frequent promotions.
“It’s important to strike a balance between bulk and bag promotions for the pear category, but there is a place for both options,” explains Shales. “Last year, d’Anjou bags made up 24 percent of volume, and the success of packaged produce during the COVID-19 pandemic makes offering grab-and-go packs like Lil Snappers® 3lb. kid size fruit pouch bags or 5lb. Rushing Rivers® pears pouch bags a great solution.”
Stemilt’s bags move volume while still offering a good retail price and retailers can set up bags with bulk for in store linear promotions. Bags also fit the need a contactless solution for those who are choosing to purchase their groceries online.
“Bags are a great item for online home delivery and curbside pickup, however bulk is the mainstay of feature and liner ads, as well as in-store impulse purchases. Both options play as key drivers when raising category numbers.”
Stemilt’s conventional Rushing Rivers® d’Anjou and red d’Anjou pears move through Stemilt’s RipeRite® ready-to-eat pear program that offers dessert quality, ready-to-devour pears, just a few days after purchase. The RipeRite® program is a multi-step, research and development backed program that ensures high quality, flavorful fruit. Stemilt was also the first to eliminate anti-ripening agents.
“Stemilt’s mission is to delight consumers and we do so by providing pears with flavor,” explains Shales. “All of our pears are grown with flavor as our motivator and we take the necessary steps achieve that along with optimal quality and freshness. Merchandising our ripened Rushing Rivers® d’Anjou pears delights consumers and leads to increased category numbers. It doesn’t get better than that.”
Another promotion opportunity retailers can capitalize on this spring are Stemilt’s Artisan Organics™ d’Anjou pears through both bulk and bag options between now and mid-April.
“While organic pears don’t make up a large portion of the category, Stemilt is the long-time leader in difficult-to-grow organic pears and does so with our flavor focus,” explains Shales. “It’s a great in-and-out promotion strategy for this time of year, or a liner to your conventional bulk pear promos.”
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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.
