WENATCHEE, WA – Although apple sales were down more than 7 percent in both volume and dollars in November of 2017, when compared to the previous year, and despite a larger crop nationally, the apple varieties which have fared well have done so as a result of strong promotion.

So, a solution emerges, retailers and growers may combat deflated sales by using promotional campaigns, many of which, like Lil Snappers® and Artisan Organics™, are already in place.

Brianna Shales, Communications Manager, spoke to the success of the Honeycrisp apple in a press release, “Honeycrisp supplies have increased nationally year-over-year, which is why we are seeing significant volume increases. It’s also noteworthy that dollars are not growing as much. This is the result of increased promotion activity on Honeycrisp.”

The Honeycrisp’s success contrasts deflated sales for Gala, which were down 7.9 percent year-over-year, Granny Smith, Fuji, and Red Delicious, which were down nearly 15 percent.

“The apples from Washington State are down a size on average this season. This means that shoppers who purchase bulk, and the same count of apples every time they place them in the cart, are picking up ten percent less than they would in a year with average or larger sized fruit. This reality means that retailers have to get creative with promotions in order to prevent their apple category from missing the mark on volume and dollars,” Shales continued. “Honeycrisp can’t be the only apple on ad as multi-variety ads are key. Include Gala, Granny Smith, Fuji, Red Delicious, and select club apple varieties in your late winter and spring ads in order to ensure the apple category is healthy. Tote bagging bulk apples at retail can also encourage larger purchases.”

One category which certainly saw no depression was organic, with organic apple sales up a percentage from 2016, even despite higher average retail prices. An extended organic season, supported by more organic storage facilities with dynamic controlled atmosphere technology, is sure to further bolster sales in coming months.

“It’s exciting for us to see organic apples make a bigger impact in the apple category. Stemilt’s volume of Artisan Organics apples has increased significantly since 2016, especially on key, high-flavor varieties like Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala, and Piñata®. We’ve been growing organically since 1989 but have focused on increased volumes of the varieties that organic shoppers want in order to help retailers grow the category in 2017 and beyond,” said Shales.

And, while club varieties experience success as well, it seems things do not look so grim for apple sales on the whole, “There are many club varieties available now, and the New Year often marks the start of the season for many. Our signature variety, Piñata, is included in that exclusive group and we are excited about the crop quality and wide range of merchandising options available to retailers looking to promote the tropical apple in their stores during these cold months,” Shales finished.

To keep up to date on all rises and falls in the produce industry, stay tuned to AndKnowUKnow.

Stemilt Growers