Cherries did remarkably well during the pandemic year of 2020, and marketers have even higher hopes for 2021.
The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic was limited, said Jon Bailey, director of the cherry category for The Oppenheimer Group, Vancouver, B.C.
“We were anxious to see if people would continue to buy cherries throughout the pandemic,” Bailey said. “Thankfully, people were quite excited to see cherries in stores again, and we were grateful to be able to supply a simple pleasure during such a difficult time. We're curious to see how that trend continues.”
The pandemic created questions for the 2020 season, said George Harter, vice president of marketing for CMI Orchards, Wenatchee, Wash.
“We expected that some shoppers might shy away from cherries given their luxurious nature, limited availability and price point,” Harter said. “However, this was not the case at all.”
COVID-19 didn't have a big effect on the cherries in 2020 as the crop volume was very low, said Laurel Van Dam, director of media relations for BC Tree Fruits, Kelowna, B.C.
“Weather events did a significant amount of damage, so the volumes that growers and the packinghouse had to handle were manageable,” Van Dam said. “Demand far exceeded supply in 2020.”
