NOGALES, AZ - Let the promotional planning begin! Coming off the heels of the 2024 Spring Grape Summit in San Diego, California, this past April, Divine Flavor is looking forward to abundant opportunities in the table grape category this season.

“It’s been great to see how Sonora has become such an integral player in grape programs in the North American market through the month of May and June, going into July,” shares Michael DuPuis, Quality Assurance and Public Relations Manager, reflecting on the event and its evolution. “The speakers were very insightful, and the summit gave us a chance to connect and glean valuable information about the state of our industry and the outlook of this upcoming season—which is shaping up to be a really good one.”

As Carlos Bon, Senior Vice President of Sales, shares with me, retailers have the chance to score big in the grape sector as the category sees a return to normal volumes and quality.

“Grapes are going to be abundant during the Mexico time frame, especially during the month of June, which is when quality is at its peak and pricing is a bit more sensible,” Carlos details.

Further upping the might of its table grape program, Divine Flavor expanded its operations into Jalisco, Mexico, to complement its production in Sonora. The company is now going onto its sixth commercial year, seeing a great season in terms of quality and supply. This has been a game-changer for the supplier, as it has led to an improvement in the eating quality of the grapes themselves.

“We’re peaking in Jalisco now, which is helping us transition from the import season to the Sonora season,” Carlos explains. “With the addition of the Jalisco operation, we’re able to be a lot more patient and harvest our grapes when they are fully mature. At Divine Flavor, we pride ourselves on flavor, and this expansion really allows us to continue improving that.”

While this operation helps satisfy demand for high-flavor, early-season varieties, Divine Flavor has a host of other strategies in play to promote grape sales.

“We implement different promotional strategies depending on the specific needs of our retail partners, ranging from point-of-sale materials to store demos, e-blasts, online coupons, and more,” Carlos adds. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. We analyze a lot of data in the category to pinpoint where the opportunities are depending on the retailer and region.”

With a newly expanded operation, customized retail support, and a commitment to providing unmatched flavor, Divine Flavor is one ally sure to help you advance in the table grape arena.

Stay tuned as ANUK brings you more industry news!