SELMA, CA - As stonefruit winds down, there is a buzzing undercurrent beginning to grip consumers. The trend of counting down Fridays until fall combined with Summerween has spoken—autumn is the new spring. With shoppers already looking to welcome fall into their homes, PureFresh Sales has good tidings for produce departments: The first California pomegranates of the season are on the way, with a debut product to follow soon after.

“Right now we are planning for an August 15 start on pomegranates. Though we might see a slight delay due to the heat, we are on track to kick off mid-August,” Bill Purewal, Sales, assures me. “While we anticipate a slower-than-normal startup because of the weather, once we get going we’ll have more than enough volume to handle the demand.”

The quantity answers a rising call Bill says is getting louder every year.

“We are seeing demand for early season pomegranates annually, creating more interest for retailers both in the U.S. and Canada. The result has been an overall increase in sales and anticipation of new items to peak interest. With all this in play, we encourage retailers to get in as early as possible,” Bill shares.

Compounding increased demand is a short import crop coming out of Chile this year, which Bill explains has bated the hook for the crop coming out of California. With a bright red exterior, dark red interior, and high brix, it is the perfect enticement for fall fans and a consolation for any sad-to-see summer end.

It also sets the stage for an entirely new item joining the PureFresh portfolio in September.

“After pomegranates, a brand new variety is coming into production: Chocolate persimmons kick off in September. This is a cool debut product with a short window of about three to four weeks,” Bill says.

Not only does it bring with it the enticement of a limited window, playing on consumers’ fear of missing out and making for great merchandising and signage opportunities, but it also seamlessly connects pomegranate season to PureFresh’s conventional and organic SIMMIS persimmon season. Well-recognized and equipped with display-ready bins and high-graphic packaging, this ties the PureFresh autumn program with the floral, inviting bow it deserves.

Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow as we continue to report any developments on this and other dynamic categories throughout the industry.