WENATCHEE, WA - Hands down, some of my favorite childhood memories were back-to-school shopping. The thrill of new notebooks and clothing made me feel like I could become anyone I wanted—who says “new year, new me” has to be relegated to January 1? Back-to-school merchandising leans into giving kids the healthy habits they need to succeed in school, and with partners like Stemilt and its Lil Snappers® line, that’s a no-brainer.

“Lil Snappers is our popular line of kid-size apples and pears in convenient 3 lb pouch bags. We have organic and conventional options for both fruits and many varieties available,” Brianna Shales, Marketing Director, told me. “This pack makes grabbing healthy snacks for school lunches, sport events, snacks, etc. very easy on parents, and is also incredibly easy on the retailer when it comes to merchandising. For the back-to-school timeframe, we will be able to promote Bartlett and Red Pear Lil Snappers as well as new crop apples like Gala and Honeycrisp.”

Brianna added that Stemilt prides itself on working closely with its retail partners so it can provide the best merchandising and marketing tools to drive sales.

“We plan new crop ads that focus on Lil Snappers as a kid school snacking or lunchbox solution. Lil Snappers are a great everyday item, but the back-to-school timing always aligns with the new crop arrival of select varieties, so positioning promotions on those two features is a great way to keep produce departments fresh and fun,” she explained.

Retailers should also note how important placement and promotion are as they plan out back-to-school merchandising, especially if it’s for an item they do not carry regularly.

“Lil Snappers come in a high-graphic, display-ready carton that makes stacked box merchandising very easy, and stocking of the item a breeze for the retailer,” Brianna shared. “We know how important that is during these challenging times with store labor. Lil Snappers is a great solution for retail today because it’s a UPC scannable item, which is perfect for self-checkout and e-commerce orders, grab-and-go, and helps drive 3 lbs through the register with every purchase. It also does the marketing for the retailer by focusing on kids and fulfilling the need for convenience for today’s busy parents.”

One lesson Brianna learned during distance learning is that back-to-school planning occurs just as much as when kids are physically at school as it does if they’re at home.

“Packages like Lil Snappers aren’t just made for physical school…they serve as snacks at home too, so during that year it was really about how we positioned the brand for eating occasions,” she said.

Although most kids are back at school, Stemilt has solutions across the board for any lifestyle.

As we gear up for more promotional periods, keep reading AndNowUKnow for the latest.

Stemilt