Stemilt Growers' Brianna Shales Talks Piñata® Apples: Supply, Demand, and Fun Merchandising Ideas
WENATCHEE, WA - Stemilt is bringing the fiesta to retailers nationwide with its Piñata® apples. The variety is in peak season right now, and here to talk with me about the excitement swirling around the company’s fan-favorite apple is Brianna Shales, Communications Manager.
If you’re wondering how long your store will be able to tap into the fun merchandising opportunities that this apple offers, Brianna tells me that the seasonality for Piñata is going strong and has a long ways to go.
“The apples are harvested in mid-October, and then it runs all the way through June into July. And at that time, we have some really great imported partners in Argentina and Chile. So, we can actually supply retailers nearly year-round with this varietal,” she tells me.
The company is looking to offer something for everyone, with conventional and organic Piñata to catch consumers’ interest. To merchandise festively, the company has a high-graphic box that is adorned with tropical island imagery to pair with the pineapple-like, crisp finish that the apple variety offers. On top of that, consumers can walk away from their local retailers with the Lil Snappers® 3 lb. pouch bag program for kids that showcases the Piñata variety. On top of that, 5 lb. apple-lover bags are available for retailers looking to offer more of the fun variety.
“There’s a lot of opportunity to just fold it into the monthly apple activities at retail. Carry Lil Snappers in a Piñata varietal. Experiment with organics with this variety. And then really just make a big splash about it around that Cinco de Mayo holiday,” she tells me, expanding that Cinco de Mayo is a great opportunity to rev up excitement that this variety offers. “We’re going to be doing a lot of social media activity and digital excitement around that apple as we approach that holiday, so whatever retailers are doing at stores is going to tie in really well with what we are doing to educate and make shoppers aware of the variety nationwide.”
For more details on how you can tap into the fun that Piñata apples offer, tune into the interview above to hear the inside scoop.
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