New colors in the category have shoppers taking another look at oranges.
“Specialty varieties such as sweet, seedless and low-acidity cara navels and savory, rich blood oranges are two emerging varieties,” said Christina Ward, director of global brand marketing for Valencia, Calif.-based Sunkist Growers. “Research shows that once consumers taste these varieties, they love the unique flavor profiles and come back for more.”
These varieties are still niche items in terms of volume, but they have spurred some welcome interest in the orange category, which in recent years has been surpassed in sales by mandarins.
Mayda Sotomayor-Kirk, CEO of Vero Beach, Fla.-based Seald Sweet International, noted that familiarity with the cara cara and blood orange varieties is growing but not fully developed.
“We feel that consumers that know what these varieties are they tend to prefer one over the other,” Sotomayor-Kirk said. “But many consumers are not aware as of yet to each of the specifications or taste difference.”
Rebekah McMurrain, category manager for New Rochelle, N.Y.-based LGS Specialty Sales, noted that marketing and packaging, including the company’s Darling bag for cara caras, can help to differentiate varieties for the consumer.
Monique Bienvenue, director of communications for Fowler, Calif.-based Bee Sweet Citrus, suggested retailers use point-of-sale material to show how specialty oranges can fill different consumer needs than their mainstream counterparts.
“Because many of our specialty varieties have such a unique flavor profile, we encourage consumers to utilize them in baked goods, cocktail recipes and various sweet and savory dishes,” Bienvenue said. “Traditional oranges, on the other hand, are typically used as snacks.
“We recommend recipe cards, flavor descriptions and other marketing material to call out the unique characteristics that each variety has to offer,” Bienvenue said.
Jason Osborn, director of marketing for Los Angeles-based The Wonderful Co., also described different occasions for traditional and specialty oranges.
“Traditional oranges are great for everyday uses, such as healthy snacking, juicing, cutting up wedges for sporting events or simply eating on the go,” Osborn said. “Specialty citrus items bring new colors and flavors to the category, which are great for all the same reasons as traditional oranges but offer excitement and variety. Specialty citrus is great to add a pop of color to any dish and provide a new tangy sweetness with the bonus of nutrition.
“All types of oranges are a natural flavor booster to enhance taste in a healthful way,” Osborn said. “For example, citrus-infused water is a great way to show off the color and flavor of both traditional and specialty oranges.”
Ward recommended that retailers speak to meal planning and recipe development when they merchandise blood oranges because consumers typically need a reason to buy them. For oranges overall, smaller pack sizes are a trend, and organic is an area gaining momentum, Ward said.
Specialties have limited availability, but retailers have found ways to shout about oranges even when the sexier varieties are not around.
“Back-to-school promotions are big as well as a good alternative to other fruits that are now finishing their season,” Sotomayor-Kirk said. “It is also a great source of Vitamin C, so cold and flu season we definitely see a rise in promotions.”
The question of whether specialty oranges cannibalize sales of traditional oranges appears to be up in the air at the moment.
“Retailers only have so much space on their shelves to display product, so we've noticed that sales are shared at various times,” Bienvenue said.
Osborn indicated that overall effect of specialty oranges remains to be seen but noted that at least for now the effect seems to be a positive one.
“It is too early to tell, but we believe the specialty varieties are adding incremental choices and variety, which is helping bring consumers back into the orange category,” Osborn said.