VALENCIA, CA - Sunkist Growers has an impressive portfolio to showcase, and with stellar marketing and merchandising support to boot. That is why the cooperative will soon be taking to the Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure next month.

“At this year’s Southern Exposure, we are excited to show our retail customers how Sunkist® is a full-service citrus company with expert sales team members, category insights, and customizable shopper-marketing and merchandising programs to help drive the category throughout the remainder of the California citrus season,” Cassie Howard, Senior Director of Category Management and Marketing, told me. “While specialty citrus offerings are at the forefront right now, Sunkist also has a steady portfolio of bag and bulk options for both conventional and organic citrus offerings, extending to Navels, lemons, California Mandarins, and grapefruit.”

She continued, stating, “According to Circana, season-to-date citrus is trending ahead of last year, outpacing total produce and total fruit. We want to build on that momentum, working with our retail customers to put together relevant bag programs to fit their customers' needs throughout the season. Through January, total bag sales were up by over 5 percent across the entire citrus category compared to the same time last year, with grapefruit and mandarins up by almost 10 percent and 15 percent, respectively.”

Sunkist is reporting very large-sized fruit this season, including Navels, which provides a great option to include bulk in retail displays, as select bag Navels are experiencing continued growth year-over-year. Cassie added that lemons continue to be important to shoppers, with demand for the 5 lb lemon bags up 5 percent compared to a season ago.

Additionally, Sunkist has continued to customize its toolkit based on real-time consumer feedback to help retail partners meet their individual store goals and improve the overall shopping experience for shoppers.

“A recent Sunkist-commissioned study revealed when consumers were asked what advertisements incentivized direct citrus purchases, recipe inspiration and utilization tips were at the top of their lists,” Cassie concluded. “Sunkist’s merchandising program features interactive point-of-sale materials with scannable QR codes providing real-time recipe inspiration to shoppers.”

Visit booth #621 at Southern Exposure to connect with Sunkist’s talented sales team and learn more about the company’s bag programs and innovative merchandising tools. Bountiful opportunities await to provide great value to customers with big fruit offerings.

For more info on the upcoming show, stick with us.