ORANGE COUNTY, CA - Zespri anticipates an early start again this year with the first shipment of SunGold™ Kiwifruit arriving in the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Philadelphia by mid-April. Green Kiwifruit will arrive by early May. Following favorable growing conditions, the 2025- 26 harvest is projected to see an increase to over 200 million trays across varieties to be sold worldwide. As North America retailers eagerly plan for another successful Zespri Kiwifruit season, they can track shipments here to watch in real-time the shipping vessels arriving at their East and West Coast destinations.

With the season set to get underway, kiwi is the #1 fastest growing fruit in the fruit bowl and Zespri is the #1 selling kiwi brand in the category, more than five times the next best-selling brand. Demand is strong due to Zespri’s ongoing retail partnerships, successful in-store displays, and the introduction of their brand characters, the Zespri KiwiBrothers.

“Last season, we took our consumer campaign ‘Taste the Obsession’ to new heights through the introduction our KiwiBrothers brand characters in paid media and sampling activations,” explains Darren LaMothe, Zespri’s General Manager, North America, in a recent press release. “The campaign surpassed key metric targets and engagement benchmarks, reinforcing the strength and impact of our characters driving the consumer connection. This season we are adding a strong retail component to the marketing mix to drive sales.”

The KiwiBrothers have been helping lift sales and driving category growth across 19 markets globally for the past nine years. As the KiwiBrothers take on America for the second season, they will continue their mission to spread the Zespri Kiwifruit obsession by playfully attempting to be movie stars. Through a suite of Hollywood-style trailers and cinematic campaign assets, consumers can join the KiwiBrothers and taste the obsession for themselves. Additionally, the KiwiBrothers will be front and center at retail with a full suite of eye-catching touchpoints, including new packaging, shippers, pole toppers, shelf talkers, and digital assets.

“Our robust marketing initiatives expand the reach of our KiwiBrothers by bringing them in-store and through shopper programs to drive conversion,” states LaMothe. “Consumers view the KiwiBrothers’ characters on packaging as unique, creative and fun, and it helps the brand stand out on shelf, which drives purchase.”

Zespri shipped over 50K display units nationwide last season as retailers recognize their power in driving incremental sales. Key retailers are seeing an average sales lift of 110% during promotions featuring displays. Moreover, Zespri-branded kiwifruit is preferred by shoppers and including SunGold and Green Kiwifruit varieties in the set drives incremental growth. When both varieties are merchandised together, sales increased by 32% compared to another green kiwi brand. When SunGold and Green Kiwi organic varieties are included in a display, there is an automatic halo effect of favorable consumer perception.

SunGold Kiwifruit continues to be the main driver of growth for the brand, with dollar sales in the U.S. increasing +42% and volume sales +36% versus a year ago. To build on their success, Zespri is expanding its portfolio with a soft introduction of the RubyRed Kiwifruit in the U.S. The new variety will bring a unique flavor experience with a naturally sweet berry flavor, which is a differentiator from the SunGold Kiwifruit. RubyRed Kiwi is high in antioxidant vitamin C and includes anthocyanins which are natural plant nutrients that give it its vibrant red color.

“There’s a lot of excitement from consumers for our new variety,” explains LaMothe. “We have a pilot program for three weeks for West Coast retailers at the start of the season. This trial period will help Zespri gather key insights, refine logistics, and optimize support before a nationwide expansion.”

Consumers are eagerly anticipating the season to start enjoying Zespri’s sweet and tasty SunGold, Green and for a limited time, RubyRed Kiwifruit—each with a unique flavor profile. Retailers can tap into the largest dollar growth and share of the kiwi category with customized programs by reaching out to their account representative. With disruptive marketing communications, displays and packaging, the KiwiBrothers will continue to spread the Zespri obsession and drive demand to the fruit aisle this season.