NORTH AMERICA - The home stretch for Valentine’s Day is upon us, and the once romantic-fueled holiday looks to be taking on a new spin of self-love as 2021 brings reflection to consumers everywhere. As the scope of February 14^th for consumers widens, we want to ensure one thing doesn’t change—that strawberries continue to shine!

So, peruse the wise words from our industry’s own experts as they share on how to direct Valentines, Galentines, and Selfentines to the produce aisle.

Cindy Jewell, Marketer, Bobalu Berries, and Founder, SCJewell

“Valentine’s Day is that first fun holiday of the year that we all look forward to because it includes strawberries and chocolate—my two favorite desserts. This year it’s even more important for the retail community to feature strawberries and all the other items associated with Valentine’s Day, since most of us are still celebrating at home. Retailers can help keep this holiday special with a ‘Valentine’s destination’ in-store and online featuring stem strawberries and complementary items—like flowers and champagne—to assist shoppers looking for quick solutions.”

Ajit Saxena, Public Relations and Digital Marketing Manager, Mucci Farms

“February and the lead up to Valentine’s Day make for an ideal time to promote the berry category as consumers look for healthy and decadent options to celebrate the holiday and their New Year’s resolutions. Mucci Farms’ Smuccies^™ Sweet Strawberries bring the perfect solution for retailers, offering both the flavor and consistency that our company is known for, paired with the innovative growing practices that generate curiosity, impulse purchases, and return customers.”

Jason Fung, Vice President of Categories, Berries, and Greenhouse, Oppy

“We have many exciting Valentine’s Day promotions in the pipeline as it remains a major holiday for the category. The berry category overall continues to be a retail driver, representing double-digit produce sales. Strawberries in particular are a major force, both in terms of volume and dollar sales—a leading item in a fast-growing category.”

Amber Maloney, Director of Marketing, Wish Farms

“Consumers are continuing to spend more time at home, and we foresee this trend continuing through Valentine’s Day, which means more retail traffic and increased demand over past years. With this expected boost in mind, we’ve planned a series of social media posts and digital content to promote a variety of strawberry recipes so shoppers can celebrate Valentine’s Day in style at home. These include creative toppings, flavor pairings, and how-to-dip videos. We’re also elevating strawberry promotions with our retail partners in the week following Valentine’s Day. With strong quality and volume, the conditions are in place to continue ads past February 14. We’re confident that shoppers will return to look for our brand weeks after their delicious Valentine’s day strawberry experience.”

Can’t get enough love for this heart-shaped fruit? Stay tuned for more on how you can maximize your produce ring with the heartthrobs of this coming holiday.