WENATCHEE, WA - I could spend all day talking about the apple sector. The sweet flavors and crisp bite have earned the fruit a recurring spot on many shoppers’ grocery lists, and one supplier constantly bringing quality and innovation to such a burgeoning category is CMI Orchards, which recently gave me a closer look at its expanding portfolio.

“We’re incredibly lucky that Washington State is home to America’s top-selling apple brands, grown right here in our backyard, such as Ambrosia Gold®, Cosmic Crisp®, Envy™, Jazz™, Evercrisp®, KIKU®, Kanzi®, SugarBee®, Smitten®, and Sunrise Magic®,” says Rochelle Bohm, Vice President of Marketing.

Apple-loving consumers are in luck, as CMI Orchards is supporting retailers with exceptional quality and a strong portfolio backed by formidable alliances and fan-favored varieties.

“While Washington State’s overall volume is down, CMI’s new additions like SugarBee and Sunrise Magic, paired with a boosted volume of high-quality genetic strains of core favorites in organics as well as conventional, have better positioned CMI to weather the reductions in volume seen across the state,” explains Rochelle. “We also have an increased volume of Cosmic Crisp and Envy this season. These partnerships allow CMI to deliver the freshest, most exciting brands and core apples under one umbrella.”

With so many beloved varieties to offer, the apple provider advises grocers to feature a wide range of options in their produce departments to increase consumer appeal.

“Offering a diverse selection of fruit is paramount to ensuring there’s an apple for every shopper’s taste preferences,” Rochelle adds. “With the New Year comes an influx of adventurous consumers willing to branch out from their traditional favorite apples, and retailers can tap into this hunger by featuring some of the new and exciting options that are fast-becoming top performers, like SugarBee, while also taking the opportunity to elevate promotions for America’s top-selling brands like Ambrosia, Envy, and Cosmic Crisp.”

In addition to bringing consumers a variety of apple offerings, CMI Orchards also recommends utilizing merchandising programs that not only build sales but give consumers premium eating experiences.

“Our Flavogram® program is a great tool for retailers that want to capitalize on this spectacular time of year for fruit. It’s a two-pronged approach—the consumer-facing side educates shoppers on the different flavor profiles of apples, so they can be equipped with more knowledge about the produce they’re buying. The retail side delivers that same powerful knowledge to produce staff, so they can confidently share information about each apple, giving shoppers more assurance in their choices and making them more willing to trade up for more expensive, high-flavor branded options that they might not otherwise be interested in trying,” Rochelle notes.

As you harness this inventive program to bolster apple sales and the consumer experience, don’t forget to keep clicking on ANUK for the latest produce news.

CMI Orchards