WENATCHEE, WA - Driving the consumption of apples and pears is the goal for Stemilt in the opening months of 2025. To learn more about how the grower is strategically positioning these categories, I spoke with Brianna Shales, Marketing Director.

“We are seeing two apple varieties rise to the occasion of a crop year with down Honeycrisp volumes. Cosmic Crisp® and Pink Lady® are both up in volumes this year, and retailers have started switching up their plans to promote these sweet and tart apples,” Brianna explained. “Honeycrisp apples are down 32 percent in volume year-over-year annually, but the good news is that Cosmic Crisp is up 57 percent year-over-year. So, we have coined 2025 as the year of the Cosmic Crisp!”

Cosmic Crisp is a cross between a Honeycrisp and Enterprise apple, which makes it the perfect swap for consumers looking for an extra crunchy apple in the produce department.

“Cosmic Crisp only gets better throughout the year because it benefits from being in cold storage where it converts its starches to sugars. Springtime is when some of the best-tasting Cosmic Crisp apples are coming out of storage; it’s the best time to bring them in as an everyday apple,” Brianna added.

To complement Cosmic Crisp in promotion, Stemilt chooses Pink Lady for its great quality, flavor, and color.

“For those who enjoy an apple more on the tart side, Pink Lady has an effervescent taste and bright pink skin to match. We are starting to see retailers pair Cosmic Crisp and Pink Lady together in ads to offer a sweet and tart option to consumers,” Brianna pointed out.

On the pear side, Brianna said that although volumes are down the most they have been in 40 years, winter varieties like organic red and green D ’Anjou can bring in higher retails on pears.

“The first part of 2025 can be used to leverage promotions and bring attention back to the pear category,” Brianna said. “For apples and pears, Stemilt’s Lil Snappers® kid’s size fruit pouch bags make a great vehicle for creating eye-catching displays. Lil Snappers bags also are able to sit up on their own and can bring convenience to a refrigerated space in a store as parents shop for their children.”

Brianna told me that February, March, and even all the way into spring is a great timeframe to promote apples and pears.

“St. Patrick’s Day in March can also be an opportunity to get consumers excited about green items like Granny Smith apples and D ‘Anjou pears. It is the usual time to be promoting pears, and even though we are in a down crop year, they still need to be promoted,” she stated. “Finding opportunities within winter varieties like organic red and green D ‘Anjou and Bosc will help bring dollars back to the category.”

From branded bags down to the cartons Stemilt ships its fruit in, the company is ready to help retailers catch success with apples and pears this season.