FRESNO, CA - For me, citrus is synonymous with the holidays. My family and I used to unwrap Mandarins together while we decorated our Christmas tree—so you can imagine how powerful the association is for me. This is true for many consumers, who are after premium eating experiences come December. To touch base on how retailers can optimize citrus merchandising this season, I spoke with Sean Nelsen, Fowler Packing’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

“For the first time in our company history, we are launching a national media campaign this holiday season,” Sean began, detailing the ways in which Fowler is bringing the merchandising heat. “Thanksgiving and Christmas are the two largest sales weeks of the year for the Mandarin category. Our Thiz iz Peelz campaign has cohesive in-store signage, display bins, TV commercials, billboards, bus wraps, streaming and social media ads, and it varies by market. The campaign is playful and intended to keep Peelz® Mandarins top of mind in and outside of the grocery store.”

In addition to Fowler’s in-store signage and display kits, the company provides its buyer partners with digital coupons and contest funds to add layers to the seasonality.

Best practices for retailers to keep in mind, Sean remarked, is to keep shelves and displays stacked with a consistent brand strategy, keep a proper promotional ad rotation, and implement a two-SKU strategy.

“We recognize that store personnel are brand ambassadors and that when they get behind a product, their shoppers do, too. We also know that digital shoppers are different from ads shoppers and want to help support omni-channel efforts to drive the category,” Sean added.

As the Mandarin category saw double-digit growth over the last two years, Sean pointed out, there is no doubt that the demand for California Mandarins will be high—especially when seeing quality product on the shelf.

Keep reading AndNowUKnow as we keep you up to date with the latest holiday strategies.

Fowler Packing