WENATCHEE, WA - As Stemilt Growers comes up on the final days of this season’s Pink Lady® harvest, Communications Manager Brianna Shales took some time to share with me how the harvest has been, what to expect in coming weeks, and what retailers can do to boost those apple purchases in-store.

“We are coming to the end of the 2016 apple harvest, and, luckily, we’ve been benefiting from some warmer weather while we wrap up,” Brianna says, commenting that some rain had delayed picking towards the end of October.

But Mother Nature has since turned things around to produce what looks to be a promising close to one of the earliest apple harvests Stemilt has seen.

“We started picking apples earlier than we ever have before, and are wrapping up right on time. Quality is exceptional, which is always good for driving repeat purchases with consumers,” Brianna tells me. “Fruit sizing is also up this year, giving a lot of room for promotion, especially on bulk.”

Adding to those larger fruits is a brand new bag the grower just launched at Fresh Summit: a 5 lb pouch bag fit for Apple Lovers.

“Our Apple Lovers packs are available in key varieties and ideal for capturing the once-a-week shopper, as well as those people planning for holiday meals that are right around the corner,” Brianna explains, adding that as holiday deals come out on Thanksgiving and Christmas staples, apples should be on the list.

Perfect to pair with those promotions is the company’s There’s an Apple for That merchandising platform, which helps consumers to find the varieties that serve whatever dish they are making best.

“Retailers can create multi-variety ads tying to There’s an Apple for That. Right now is the perfect time to sketch out late winter ads and begin planning for the New Year,” Brianna shares.

To check out There’s an Apple for That yourself, click here.

Stemilt Growers