Zespri Kiwifruit Delivers Record-Breaking 2025 Season and Brings Bold Zespri Energy
October 2, 2025 | 3 min to read
Zespri achieved record growth—category sales +32% and volume +28%—driven by expanded distribution of Zespri Green, Organic, Zespri RubyRed™ and standout demand for SunGold™. Their KiwiBrothers campaign generated nearly one billion impressions, two million samples and 50,000 displays, boosting awareness and retail partnerships. At IFPA booth #1891, Zespri will showcase samples, interactive giveaways and a “dream store” to engage partners and plan for continued market expansion.
Zespri’s Eighth Year as IFPA Exhibitor Brings New Show-Stopping Activities and Tasty Samples @ Booth #1891
ORANGE COUNTY, CA – Zespri™ Kiwifruit delivered record-breaking results this season, cementing its role as the global leader in the kiwi category. Despite economic headwinds and stiff competition from other fruit categories this summer, Zespri has fueled double-digit growth with an earlier start to the season, expanded distribution of Zespri Green, Organic, and Zespri RubyRed™ and continued strong consumer demand for Zespri™ SunGold™ Kiwifruit, making kiwifruit the fastest-growing category in the fruit department.
Since the season began, overall category growth has surged by +32% in dollar sales and +28% in volume, far outpacing the total growth of the fruit department.1 Zespri continues to hold the #1 kiwi brand position, outselling the next competitor by more than four times. “Our 2025 results prove the power of Zespri’s portfolio and retail partnerships,” said Darren LaMothe, General Manager, North America. “By investing in distribution and shopper programs, we’re not just growing Zespri—we’re growing the entire kiwifruit category.” Zespri SunGold Kiwi remains the biggest driver, posting +36% in dollar sales and +30% in volume versus last year.2 “This momentum sets the stage for us to more than double the market over the next five years,” added LaMothe.
Zespri boosted both awareness and purchase through strong retail partnerships, standout in-store displays and packaging featuring the iconic Zespri KiwiBrothers™, along with robust marketing programs, which created a highly successful season for Zespri Kiwifruit.3 This year marked the second season for the KiwiBrothers, helping drive shoppers to stores looking for their favorite fruit through both online and in-store visibility. They continued their mission to spread the Zespri Kiwifruit obsession with a Hollywood-inspired campaign of playful trailers and cinematic assets that sparked consumer engagement nationwide. With nearly one billion digital impressions, two million samples distributed, and 50,000 in-store displays, the campaign successfully enticed consumers to join the KiwiBrothers and taste the obsession for themselves.
“Our KiwiBrothers did it again! We’re seeing a surge in engagement. People love spotting our mascots at events, catching them on the big screen, and then discovering them in-store. It’s a fun, memorable way to connect with our audience and keep the brand top of mind,” said LaMothe.
Zespri will bring this same bold energy to the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) Global Show, now in its eighth year of exhibiting. At booth #1891, visitors can experience Zespri Kiwifruit samples, a new interactive, show-stopping giveaway activity, and a walk-through of their “dream store” experience while meeting with Zespri’s global and regional teams to reflect on 2025 and strategize for 2026. “Zespri is anticipating another highly engaging booth with non-stop traffic,” explains Bianca Fiedler, Zespri’s Trade Marketing Director, North America. “It’s exciting to meet with retail partners during the show to help unlock new ideas and start planning for the upcoming season.”
Zespri is the event sponsor of the Breakfast and General Session, where attendees can taste kiwi-inspired dishes and see Zespri featured on the big screen. The Zespri KiwiBrothers will be outside of the breakfast room for a meet-and-greet. Zespri will also bring its energy, creative costumes, and refreshing SunGold Kiwi samples to the Zespri-sponsored 5K race.
Zespri invites all attendees and industry friends to connect at IFPA and learn more about their merchandising opportunities and how the company is shaping the future of the kiwi category. For a scheduled meeting, reach out to your Zespri representative in advance of the show.
ABOUT ZESPRI GROUP, LTD.
Zespri is 100 percent owned by current and former kiwifruit growers and has a global team of 900+ based in Mount Maunganui and throughout Asia, Europe and the Americas. Our purpose is to help people, communities and the environment thrive through the goodness of kiwifruit, and we work with 2,800 growers in New Zealand and 1,500 growers offshore to provide consumers with fresh, healthy and great-tasting Zespri Green, Zespri RubyRed and SunGold Kiwifruit. In 2024/25, we supplied 220.9 million trays (more than 795,000 tonnes) of kiwifruit to consumers in more than 50 markets, and recorded global operating revenue of NZ$5.14 billion. Please visit zespri.com/en.US.