Retail demand for onions has been strong during the COVID-19 pandemic, but shippers see plenty of opportunity to increase promotions even more in the months ahead.
“Consumers wait eight months of the year for Vidalia onions to hit store shelves and when they do, they bring a lot of excitement, and demand, to the produce department,” said John Shuman, president and CEO of Shuman Farms, Reidsville, Ga.
Shuman said spring and summer holidays such as Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, and the Fourth of July are all perfect opportunities to sell Vidalia onions.
“The Vidalia season starts just in time for grilling season, and Vidalia onions pair perfectly with grilling meats and vegetables including sausages, fresh meat, peppers, mushrooms and more,” Shuman said.
Due to the variability in size to this year’s crop, bag promotions will be a great way for retailers to promote Vidalia onions, Shuman said.
Improved retail demand is expected this summer, said Tiffany Cruickshank, general manager of Nyssa, Ore.-based Snake River Produce, which will start its onion volume in August.
“Summer always seems to be a good time to market onions,” said Cruickshank.
With holidays and outdoor gatherings, onion sales will increase with more grilling opportunities, she said.
One thing retailers could do to sell more onions, Cruickshank said, is to incorporate the grower story in their merchandising efforts.
There has been good retail demand and retailers can move more onions by putting them on sale more often and increase the size of consumer packs to 4-pound bags, said Shay Myers, CEO of Owyhee Produce, Nyssa. The number one packaging trend has been consumer bags, he said.
Options galore
Giving consumers more options is always a good idea, one shipper said.
“Research has shown that consumers prefer to have options with both bagged and bulk sweet onions on the merchandising display,” said Heidi McIntyre, marketing consultant for Glennville, Ga.-based G&R Farms.
“We recommend retailers cross-merchandise sweet onions with related items such as tomatoes and avocados as well as include secondary displays of sweet onions in other areas of the store or produce department,” she said.
Shuman Farms likes to recommend that retailers focus on the importance of seasonality, spring and summer holidays and consumer trends during Vidalia season, Shuman said.
“For example, we are seeing the topic of ‘meal planning’ driving search inquires, therefore we recommend retailers create meal solutions that include Vidalia onions and other items from the store like peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc.,” he said.
“Merchandising solutions to meet consumers’ needs are vital for success and Vidalia onions are an important part of the equation. We recommend that retailers create secondary displays throughout the produce department and store that complement items such as bagged salads, peppers, mushrooms, and potatoes as the versatility and mild flavor of a Vidalia onion allows it to be the perfect ingredient for any dish.”