WENATCHEE, WA - The autumn weather always conjures up the snappy crunch of apples and pears for me. As a trade news writer, I can’t help but be excited when I hear growers like Stemilt are bringing their A-game this season, especially with Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) Fresh Summit rounding the corner. The apple and pear provider is pulling out all the stops at the virtual event this year, showcasing both new and fan-favorite programs that are sure to elevate retailers’ sales.

“We have a reimagined paper tote bag program called Farm + Famous that we will be showcasing. And of course, our industry-leading kids program—Lil Snappers^®—will be in the limelight too,” Brianna Shales, Senior Marketing Manager, tells me. “We’re excited to connect with the industry in a new way this year and will use the event to display our variety of packaged options for apples, pears, and organics as well as signature varieties that Stemilt is involved in.”

Farm + Famous Tote Bags, Stemilt’s newest bag program, displays instantly at retail and meets consumer demand for sustainable packaging. The new bag makes sales a snap as each one comes with PLU stickers on the outside for cashiers to easily ring up at the register. Consumers can purchase Stemilt’s World Famous apples and pears with confidence as the new format reduces the need to handle fruit at retail. Each tote sports an earthy design, carries about 4 lbs of apples, and comes packed in a display-ready Euro box with eight bags apiece.

Stemilt’s Lil Snappers are also bringing in both the young and young at heart as the complete lineup features kid-sized apples, pears, and organics.

“Lil Snappers is a successful brand for retailers,” explains Brianna. “It is an easy, grab-and-go pack with a handle, and the bag stands on its own with a fun design that is impossible to miss.”

Available in 3-lb pouch bags and 2 lb for organic pears, the Lil Snappers brand carries both conventional and organic varieties of Fuji and Honeycrisp apples and Bartlett and red pears.

Another bag program Stemilt will be showing off at Fresh Summit will be its Apple Lover 5-lb pouch bag and the Rushing Rivers^® 4-lb and 5-lb pouch bag.

“Both of these packaged options are designed for heavy apple and pear users and are considered big ring items for the retailer,” continues Brianna. “In fact, packaged pears make up 18 percent of the pear category for the total U.S., but best-in-class pear retailers will have a much higher bag to bulk ratio.”

The Apple Lover pack includes a wide range of varieties in both conventional and organic including Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, and Piñata^® with Pink Lady^® available in conventional. For the 5-lb Rushing Rivers bag, consumers will find organic and conventional varieties like Bartlett, d’Anjou, and Bosc with conventional Concorde also available. The 4-lb Rushing Rivers packs will showcase conventional and organic d’Anjou and Bartlett pears.

Though nothing beats seeing friends and making new ones in person, Stemilt is keeping its chin up and taking advantage of the virtual platform Fresh Summit will offer.

“While we are sad to not gather with our industry friends in Dallas, Texas, we are looking forward to making the most of this virtual show. So much has changed in produce and retail in a short amount of time, so there is a lot to learn and talk about when it comes to the future,” Brianna expresses. “It’s apple and pear season, and will be for several months, so we want to keep showcasing our premium World Famous Fruit program, our packaged and branded offerings, and more.”

With bags full to the brim of new programs and retail opportunities, I cannot wait to unpack what industry leaders like Stemilt will bring to PMA this year.

Stemilt