BYRON CENTER, MI - June has always held a special place in my heart. One memory I always associate with summer is my dad drinking corn juice, the water flavored from boiling pots full of corn. I expect many SpartanNash shoppers will be creating buckets of this sweet sipper in preparation for National Corn Day on June 11.

Victor Savanello, Senior Director of Merchandising, Produce/Floral, SpartanNash“We’re seeing that bi-color remains the most popular corn of choice in the Midwest, with a variety of options to choose from within that category,” said Victor Savanello, Senior Director of Merchandising, Produce/Floral at SpartanNash. “Additionally, we know that most people prefer to pay a little extra for the convenience of not having to shuck their own corn, so our hand-prepared, premium sweet and tender full-ear corn is a real hit with store guests this season.”

Less hair to sweep up around the trash can? That’s a resounding yes from my household.

June is the perfect time to start incorporating the earresistible summer treat into meals. In preparation for a corn-filled summer, Savanello has been all ears and paying attention to corn trends to deliver some poppin’ insights.

As National Corn Day approaches on June 11, SpartanNash details tips and trends retailers can use to take advantage of the merchandising window

While it is still early to gauge the local production, it’s slated to be another successful shucking season. The company is seeing significant demand for pre-shucked corn, with shoppers opting for convenience this summer. To guarantee quality, SpartanNash opts to hand shuck rather than use 3rd-party machine-shucked corn. This method keeps the corn super sweet, tender, and retains the whole ear.

To create intriguing displays, SpartanNash recommends cross-merchandising corn with toppings like cayenne pepper, lime, chili powder, and sour cream

Other key tips SpartanNash is sharing with its shoppers this season include:

• Roasting or boiling is a classic way to eat sweet corn, but recently we’ve been seeing a lot of shoppers buying sweet corn with ingredients like sour cream or cilantro, so the word on the street is that street corn is in
• Spice things up with a little Our Family chili powder and cayenne pepper
• Corn is sweetest as soon as it’s picked, so it’s best to enjoy sweet corn as soon as possible. If you can’t get to it right away (or if you shuck your own), wrap it in a plastic bag before refrigerating

Make this summer sweet with your own strategies, but be sure to include corn in the mix.

SpartanNash