YAKIMA, WA - As summer comes to a close, and with fall around the corner, the demand for apples is at an all-time high. For Superfresh Growers®, the company has seen strong growth for its apples throughout the season and is expecting the upward trend to continue, proving that apples remain a summer staple in the United States.

Based off recent Nielsen data, Superfresh has seen continued growth for Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Gala, and Fuji apples in recent months. the latest data reflects four weeks ending on August 8. According to a press release, apple sales are up four percent, and up five percent in volume. Honeycrisp increased in demand by 44 percent in volume and up 35 percent in sales. Granny Smith has also stayed strong this summer, with volume up by 12 percent.

In addition to conventional apples, organic apples have also taken their place on the freight train to success. The category has seen increased growth month over month, most recently showing a 28 percent increase in sales and 26 percent increase in volume. Organic dollar share represents 15 percent of the category in the most recent data, which is up by five percent from the months prior.

While the pear demand saw a small dip in growth, but steady volume, Bartlett pears have remained on the uptick with an increase of 19 percent in sales and 14 percent in volume. Asian pears also showed peak interest as the category touts a 34 percent increase in sales and 30 percent rise in volume. As Superfresh gets ready to launch its Asian pear harvest, the company plans on seeing the same trend continue for its harvest.

As the pandemic continues to change retail trends, packaged apples and pears have seen a large increase due to safety concerns regarding food handling. Before COVID-19 hit, packaged apple volume hovered around 40 percent. However, as of August 8, data is showing an increase to 44 percent. Packaged pear volume has seen a larger change, transitioning from 18–20 percent pre-pandemic, and now at 25 percent due to grab-and-go convenience and perceived safety. Gala apples and Bartlett pears lead in most popular packaged varieties.

In order to maintain and increase sales across these consumer-favorite categories, Superfresh has included many display options ranging from floor bins to display-ready cartons, chosen for the ease of setup for supply-chain staff at retail.

Additionally, Superfresh has announced that it will be introducing new packaging for its Superfresh Organics lineup, especially for its 4-lb bag program.

While apple and pear harvest is already underway for conventional Honeycrisp apples, Gala apples, and Bartlett pears, the beginning of September kicks off the harvest for organic and conventional Bosc pears, Anjou pears, Granny Smith apples, and Fuji apples.

With such positive trends already reported, Superfresh believes that the pattern will remain strong, and the company is priming itself for record-breaking sales.

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Superfresh Growers®