WENATCHEE, WA - A new look could be strutting its way into your department as Stemilt seeks to maximize fruit sales into the autumn. The company is introducing two new premium packs to its organic summer fruit program: a new Artisan Organics^™ summer fruit tote for both peaches and nectarines.

“Our new Artisan Organics summer fruit tote is a great bag option for organic consumers looking to purchase summer fruit, but without going through the hassle of picking out fruit in the bulk section,” Brianna Shales, Senior Marketing Manager, said. “This tote bag is another easy grab-and-go option and will help boost the average purchase size for peaches and nectarines.”

The company shared that, after mid-August, peach and nectarine sizing will range from medium to jumbo, for which bulk can help retailers sell random-weight product.

Made from paper for 100 percent recyclability, the totes are still durable and hold up to 4–5 pieces of large fruit, or around 4 lbs, according to a press release. Approximately eight bags ship in a Euro carton that displays instantly at retail.

“Retailers will love this package because it reduces handling throughout the supply chain,” said Shales. “The Artisan Organics bag has an earthy design that will appeal to organic shoppers.”

Further upping its innovation, the Stemilt team is introducing Top Pick™—a new program for organic peaches and nectarines, which will ensure the company's best fruit and popular sizes are packed into boxes vibrantly decorated and labeled, ‘The Most Incredible Fruit Ever.’

“Our teams are very experienced, so they pick the fruit at just the right ripeness that maximizes flavors and sugars. By doing this, it takes away the consumer’s guessing game for buying delicious fruit,” Shales stated.

Stemilt is encouraging retailers to work fast if they want the best for their summer fruit category this season.

“Retailers should waste no time getting organic summer fruit into their produce departments. There is plenty of opportunity for retailers to carry both bulk and bag items with success this season,” Shales said.

A lighter crop can be expected to start the season due to some strange weather patterns, with plans for both peach and nectarine volumes to pick up by the end of July and into early August with a range of sizes.

“Retailers can set themselves apart from the competition if they run with Lil Snappers^®, Artisan Organics™ tote bags, or Top Pick,” Shales commented. “Start out with bags while fruit is smaller, then go big in mid-August with bulk promotions and paper tote bags. The consumer only needs to purchase Stemilt’s Artisan Organics peaches and nectarines once to be hooked and continue purchasing them all summer long.”

Stemilt’s Artisan Organic peaches and nectarines are grown primarily by the Douglas family, a family of four generations of growers. If the grower is anything like the trees, the deeper the roots, the sweeter the fruit.

Stemilt