Fruit World Co. Boosts Consumer Interaction to Showcase Grape Popularity
REEDLEY, CA - The world of fresh produce is a labor of love in which everyone works to put out a product they are proud of. Expanding its organic Thomcord grape supply for the 2019 season, Fruit World Co. confirmed consumers love these grapes as much as the team did last year, and anticipates the return of high demand.
"I love the flavor and aroma of our Thomcord grapes, and I wanted to really connect with the consumers’ eating experience. So, we placed cards in over 160,000 one-pound clamshells, inviting consumers to connect via text message," Co-Founder CJ Buxman said of a 2018 consumer outreach idea.
1,800 text messages were received and responded to, reinforcing a beloved reception of the organic grape variety and inspiring the team to bring this texting campaign back in 2019 by inviting customers to ‘text-me’ via cards in each organic Thomcord grape package.
"It’s a lot of work responding, but the messages are heart-warming, and our retailers tell us it really drove repeat sales," said Co-Founder Bianca Kaprielian. "We were blown away by the response last year. We expected people to love the flavor, but were surprised and humbled by the large number of people that took the time to thank us for growing them."
A hybrid of the heirloom "grape jelly" Concord Grape and popular Thompson Seedless grape, Thomcords are known for being exceptionally flavorful and aromatic, according to a press release. Among the largest growers in California of organic Thomcord grapes, Fruit World said it expects to begin shipping its 2019 crop of Thomcord grapes in 20x1 lb clamshells and 10x2 lb brown paper totes the first week in August and will continue packing and shipping from its Reedley vineyard through early October.
"The Thomcord yield per acre is less than other varieties of table grapes, but its taste and aroma can’t be beat," Buxman said. "They also are a perfect example of our obsession with growing the most flavorful fruit possible."
In addition to premium Thomcords, Fruit World will be shipping an additional ten organic grape varieties for the 2019 season. These will be grown on the heritage vines of one of the first organic growers in California. A grower partner of Fruit World, the company proudly sells his fruit, touting it as some of the most flavorful, crunchiest grapes around. If you are looking to stock your stores, you can connect with Fruit World via its website.
