LOCKPORT, NY - Consumers will soon be delighted to find another vibrant, crisp, and flavorful apple variety in the produce department as Crunch Time Apple Growers initiates this year’s SnapDragon™ harvest.

“We’re looking forward to bringing SnapDragon apples back to an ever-growing list of retailers,” said Jessica Wells, Executive Director, Crunch Time Apple Growers. “Thanks to additional acreage reaching maturity, this year’s harvest is up by 20 percent. We hope that means more people than ever before can experience the Monster Crunch of SnapDragon apples! We look forward to working with new retailers to bring SnapDragon apples to their customers this season!”

SnapDragon apples will arrive at a roster of retailers, including both longtime sellers of the variety and newcomers, a press release explained. These retail partners include Aldi, BJ’s, Food Lion, The Fresh Market, Harris Teeter, H-E-B, Lowes, Publix, Shaw’s, ShopRite, Sprouts, Target, Tops, Walmart, Wegmans, and Whole Foods Market, along with local farm markets in New York, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

In addition to this year’s increased harvest volume, many producers within Crunch Time’s network of 150 family growers across New York State have reported nicely developing color for the apples as well as larger sizes. An early spring led the trees to bloom and the fruit to set earlier than last year, driving an early harvest this season.

While just having this variety on the shelf is enough to drive demand, Crunch Time is employing a variety of strategies to maximize register rings for this year’s SnapDragon crop. This includes updated point-of-sale materials, market-specific advertising, social media promotions, the development of new recipes meant for SnapDragon apples, and more. The variety is also the Official Apple of the Buffalo Bills for the third year, making SnapDragon apples present at Bills home games.

For more ways to harness success in the apple category, be on the lookout for more updates from ANUK.