WENATCHEE, WA - Stemilt’s Lil Snappers® apples and pears will be making their way back into kids’ lunchboxes this fall just in time for back-to-school promotions.

According to Nielsen scan data from the 2014/15 season, Lil Snappers 3 lb. pouch bags outperformed other pear pouch bags in the marketplace.

In 2012, Nielsen data showed that the average size of pears to be 1.7 pounds per trip. During the 2014/15 season, Lil Snappers 3 lb. pouch bags of pears had an average retail of $1.59 per pound while 2 lb. other brand pouch bag pears averaged $1.78 per pound, according to a press release. At three pounds, Lil Snappers pears averaged $4.77 per bag at retail, while 2 lb. pouch bags of pears averaged $3.56 per bag. The larger package size of Lil Snappers results in 25 percent increase in dollars over 2 lb. pouch bags of pears.

Roger Pepperl, Stemilt’s Marketing Director, explained that Lil Snappers boost the purchase size for pears and ensures dollar sales increase in the category as well.

“The data shows that Lil Snappers 3 lb. pouch bag pears return the highest retail dollar transaction size of all pear pouch bags in the marketplace,” said Pepperl. “In 2014/15, Lil Snappers 3 lb. pouch bag pears also moved 7 times more volume than 2 lb. pear pouch bags.”

The Lil Snappers line offers the following apple varieties: Gala, Fuji, Braeburn, Honeycrisp, Pinata®, Granny Smith, and Pink Lady®. There are also four pear varieties available, including: Bartlett, d’Anjou, Bosc, and Red Pears.

“Bulk displays will be the main merchandising vehicle for apples and pears this season, but with greater volumes of premium, kid-sized fruits available, Lil Snappers are a great line to carry to attract today’s busy parents who want to give their kids healthy snacks and school lunches,” Pepperl continued.

Pepperl also took the time to comment on the apple and pear harvest in Washington State. An early spring and warm summer temperatures have led to an early harvest this season. Gala apples and Bartlett and Starkrimson pears are among the first varieties harvested each August. Washington’s apple crop and the Northwest pear crop are both down in volume over last year, but with Lil Snappers offering smaller fruit in its 3 lb. pouch bags, promotional opportunities are still abound.

“The warm temperatures we experienced in the Northwest this summer tend to slow down the size development of apples and pears, and as a result, we expect these fruits to be down a size from last year,” Pepperl said. “This adds volume of premium kid-sized apples and pears, making our Lil Snappers line a great promotion vehicle, especially during the fall as the new crop comes off the tree and parents are thinking of what to put in lunches as their kids head back-to-school.”

Each Lil Snappers 3 lb. bag features a sturdy handle and a press-to-close re-sealable ziplock. There is an average of 9-11 apples or pears inside each bag, which is the ideal size for fruit purchasing households with kids.

Lil Snappers Stemilt