WENATCHEE, WA – Stemilt has unveiled its latest Stemilt-O-Graphic, which sheds light on the performance of the apple category in September 2015.

The infographic highlights the importance of promoting apples in the holiday season. Considering that the category is one of the top contributors to the produce department, the following contains vital information to keep in mind to help drive apple sales in January and beyond.

Below is a brief summary of some of the insights provided in this document:

• In September 2015, apples made up 6.2% of total produce department dollars, down from 6.7% the year prior. This is due to a number of factors; namely, later crops in the Midwest and East and a slow reaction by retailers to promote Washington-grown apples during this time.
• Average weekly volume was 1,956 pounds for the week of August 30, 2015 to September 26, 2015, down from 2,051 pounds the year prior.
• Gala led the category, followed by Red Delicious, Fuji, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, McIntosh, and Pink Lady. SweeTango® was up 13.7% in sales from 2015 to 2014 despite the higher average retail price, showing that consumers enjoy seeking out new crop apples as they become available.  
• Bulk apple sales made up 65% of apple category sales in September, while bags were 35% of sales

For a full look at the infographic, click the image below.

Roger Pepperl, Stemilt’s Marketing Director, said that the increased availability of bags makes for ideal promotions around baking with apples during the holidays, while the New Year marks an ideal time to promote apples in conjunction with healthy eating resolutions, according to a press release.

“The coming months offer the best selection of varieties, including Stemilt’s signature apple variety Piñata®,” he said. “Building large apple displays with a holiday focus will help drive sales now in order to continue to encourage shoppers to purchase apples weekly in January and beyond.”

Pepperl added that although Honeycrisp sold for 9 cents less on average in September 2015 than the year prior, high consumer demand in October and November means that prices and retails for this rising variety have started to increase. In addition, Honeycrisp contributed 2.2% more to the category in September than it did in 2014 because of the early start to the Washington apple crop and increased supplies of the apple.

There’s a huge opportunity for retailers to capitalize on the holiday months to drive sales in the apple category. The key is to promote, promote, promote.

Stemilt