WENATCHEE, WA - The consumers have spoken, and Ambrosia Gold® apples are taking up a resident spot on their grocery lists this season. CMI Orchards recently unveiled a consumer study with Category Partners, in which the beloved branded variety was crowned as the top preferred apple in blind taste tests against seven other high-flavor branded and core varieties.

“We selected Gala for the match-up against Ambrosia Gold, as both apples satisfy consumers seeking mild, low-acid sweet apples. Ambrosia Gold apples captivated surveyed participants with their honey sweetness and stunning bi-colored yellow and pink-blushed appearance,” said Rochelle Bohm, Vice President of Marketing at CMI Orchards. “Crisp and slow to brown, Ambrosia Gold is the natural upgrade for shoppers seeking a mild, low-acid apple with high sugar content. Our study shows Ambrosia Gold excels in flavor and appearance, even surpassing Honeycrisp in texture. Ambrosia Gold dominated our entire study with the highest scores in every category.”

During the study, an impressive 85 percent of participants ranked Ambrosia Gold in their top three, with 75 percent preferring it over its comparable core variety, Gala.

“Ambrosia Gold blends apple innovation with wide appeal and high consumer satisfaction,” added Vice President of Business Strategy Loren Foss. “Retailers stocking Ambrosia Gold can expect increased sales and happier customers due to its consistently great taste and visual appeal—the proof is in the data!”

Due to this increasing consumer preference, CMI recommends replacing one Gala SKU with Ambrosia Gold to attract mild apple fans and capitalize on the trade-up opportunity, a press release shared.

“Gala is an important variety and one of the best-selling apples in the U.S.A.,” said Foss. “We’re not saying remove Gala from the shelf altogether, but to allocate one of many Gala SKUs to Ambrosia Gold—trade shoppers up, elevate their eating experience, and give retailers a fresh tool to capture incremental sales.”

To help drive register rings for the already popular variety, CMI offers an innovative approach to enticing consumers with custom signage at the ready.

“Our Like Gala? You’ll LOVE Ambrosia Gold® campaign includes stanchion signage and shelf point-of-sale materials to promote this upgrade,” she shared. “Retailers can work with CMI to customize in-store and online marketing.”

To access the full results and insights garnered from the study, click here. To read more about this premium apple variety, click here.

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