Stemilt offers tips for growing apple sales

How can retailers can lift apple sales despite a lower 2024 crop in Washington state? Promotion, variety mix, organics and packaged items all play a role in growing apple sales, says Brianna Shales, marketing director for Stemilt.

“The crop is down 10% year over year, and the opportunity lies in focusing on more than one variety in ads and go back to multi-variety promotions,” Shales said in a news release. “What we saw last year with Honeycrisp is dollars grew by nearly 30% from 2022 to 2023. That’s incredible growth, but as we head into the new crop, the idea of singularly promoting Honeycrisp has to shift because volume is down. Try promoting all apples like Honeycrisp, fuji, granny smith, gala and Cosmic Crisp together to raise apple volume, that way you’re turning more than one apple at a time.”

There are options to share the spotlight with Honeycrisp, she said, adding that Stemilt’s Rave apples can act as a quick in-and-out variety in August and September.

“Rave is outrageously juicy with a refreshing, snappy zing that is only available for a short time, but can really help build velocity in the category,” Shales said. “Another variety to bring in when apples are at the top of mind for consumers is SweeTango. SweeTango has grown into a variety that remains available beyond the fall months and into the new year, with a sales velocity during its October peak promotion time that no other club apple compares to. What better way to delight consumers than with an apple that delivers on crunch, juice and hints of spice in the heart of fall?”

Another variety, Cosmic Crisp, now boasts year-round availability.

One advantage to carrying Cosmic Crisp is it also has no gap between the old and new crop and has become a core variety to the category, the release said. This year, Stemilt says it sees an increase in organic Cosmic Crisp opening the door for more organic promotion this season.

“It’s the perfect year to switch to Cosmic Crisp with Honeycrisp volume down,” Shales said. “We call it the dream apple with perfect flavor because it has a wonderful balance of sweetness, tartness and a creamy texture. One of the main benefits of Cosmic Crisp to retailers is its ability to be stored for long periods of time, and its natural resistance to browning. This year, Cosmic Crisp is up in organics, so regularly calling out the apple in promotion is a great way to build dollars in the category with a premium item that isn’t conventional.”

Fall has been the top time to highlight apples.

Figuring out effective merchandising strategies and offering packaged items can help drive impulse and online sales, the release said. Stemilt says it has EZ Band sustainable four-packs, Lil Snappers kid-size fruit, and other bagged apple options to build up the category and meet consumers with at the front door.

“Bags are always a great vehicle for increasing apple sales,” Shales said. “Since COVID, we’ve seen bags be a real growth point. At Stemilt, we have great capacity for pouch bags, 3-pound organic and conventional Lil Snappers apples and 5-pound bags for a volume play. It’s a good way to appeal to the timesaving, convenience-driven consumer. With retailers equipped with these five tools: multi-ad promotions, Rave, SweeTango, Cosmic Crisp and bagged items, we can lift the category and delight consumers with excellent quality apples this season.”