The crisp and cool qualities of autumn falling into winter conjures up all things apples—gathering a pailful in an orchard, the sweet crunch of fruits that artfully reflect the many colors of the season, baked goods, and hot ciders. How do we make sure these experiences aren’t interrupted by grocery shopping, but enhanced? We went to the experts for a handful of tasty tips...
Rochelle Bohm, Brand Manager, CMI Orchards“Premium items and assortment are more important than ever—it’s important retailers continue to offer both value and premium options. Offering your shoppers elevated flavor experiences with branded apples is a win-win. Your shoppers will enjoy a satisfying eating experience, and you’ll drive more sales for your apple category. Apple sales spike during the holiday season, with home cooking and baking increasing in the cooler months. Offering recipes, cross-merchandising with popular recipe ingredients, and showcasing information on flavor experiences can help drive more sales during this time. Don’t forget how important secondary displays are for capturing impulse purchases.”
Mac Riggan, Director of Marketing, Chelan Fresh“COVID-19 has inspired the U.S. to take control of its own health. Consumers have noticed many of those who have succeeded in fighting the virus are healthy, and retailers can take this momentum to help turn a time of gluttony into an opportunity for healthy indulgence. We can provide a tasty alternative to the usual feasts with something just as delicious, affordable, and versatile that you really can have your fill of—can you really eat too many apples? And parents can start kids early with our Rockit™ apple, which is a wonderful alternative to the usual offerings in the bite-sized industry. Let’s encourage consumers to start their resolutions now and feel like champions come January.”
Cynthia Haskins, President and Chief Executive Officer, New York Apple Association “With the growing demand for plant-based diets, apples are a convenient and delicious snack to satisfy the desire for something sweet, tart, or in-between. With all the different newer varieties on the market, it is more important than ever to build apple displays with clearly marked signage. We need to remind consumers which variety is which and where they come from. And, don’t forget to build displays of baking ideas by packaging all of the ingredients together for a grab-and-bake kit. Chopped apples are a quick and easy way to add some zest to any fresh salad mix, while enjoying a whole apple as a snack is easy, convenient, and oh, so good. For gifts, who doesn’t like a bountiful basket of fresh apples? They are an easy item and always appreciated. Holidays are all about family, friends, and enjoying some of our favorite recipes. And, oh my—apple desserts are so heavenly they bring a devilish grin to all of our faces. Build an apple holiday center in the produce department with large displays of different varieties of New York apples, including recipe ideas and all the ingredients for a one-stop-shopping experience for some out-of-this-world recipes.”
Brianna Shales, Senior Marketing Manager, Stemilt“Winter is a big time for apple displays, with a wide variety of shopper favorites to promote. Consider Stemilt’s Farm + Famous paper tote bags to help move bigger volumes of bulk apples, or run a 5 lb pouch bag promo with Apple Lovers. Apples are a super convenient snack and a baker’s friend during the holiday time. Get creative with displays to see your category grow!”
Joe Vargas, Director of Marketing and Analytics, FirstFruits Farms“Apples are at the heart of so many American holiday dishes. With November and December being the country’s largest apple volume months, retailers should focus on driving sales by giving apples prime placement and strong promotions. Consumers are looking for high-flavored and firm-textured apples that hold their own in pies, cobblers, salads, and many other holiday dishes. Take advantage of cross promotions that focus on value, such as bagged apples. Make sure to add good color breaks—red, green, and brilliant yellow, like our Opal® apple—to make a magnificent holiday display. Check out some delicious holiday recipes on our website at OpalApples.com!”
Catherine Gipe-Stewart, Communications Manager, Superfresh Growers®“Promoting apples during the winter holidays will be especially poignant as consumers are looking for comfort and stability during these dynamic times. Classics like apple pies and tarts are trending, and holiday Pinterest searches started earlier this year as customers are looking for a way to bring back some type of normality. Autumn Glory® apples, with naturally occurring cinnamon and caramel notes, thrive in baking-centric displays. Focusing on holiday recipes on social media and cross-merchandising with baking ingredients and spices will inspire shoppers. Consumers are also looking for beauty and ways to impress their close friends and family. Projects that range from simple apple table decorating to fall wreaths, as well as more complicated apple, cheese, and charcuterie boards, will be popular as we head toward the holiday season. Cross-merchandise with other fall-focused produce for table decorations. Dessert wines, cheese, nuts, and jams are other great items to cross-promote with apples.”
Blake Belknap, Vice President of Sales, Rainier Fruit“Nothing says fall quite like apple season. And, this year in particular, finding winners in the category will be key in maintaining newfound market share. Harvest across the board is setting us up for another year-round season—an opportunity for some creative wins!”
Jason Bushong, Division Manager, Giumarra Wenatchee“Apples are a key winter/holiday produce item with great shelf-life and adaptability in recipes. We recommend retailers stock displays with a combination of value-priced standard varieties, such as Gala and Granny Smith, and higher-priced club varieties, of which there are plenty. The apple category is bursting with new varieties in a range of textures and sweet-versus-tart flavor combinations to satisfy all consumers. Visually, keeping displays well-stocked with a mix of colors to provide a visual color break will help attract shoppers. Apples are still one of consumers’ favorite items in the produce department and they will continue to purchase, it is just a matter of keeping them excited about this staple fruit. We find that consumers are passionate about apples and regularly contact us to ask where they can purchase our Lemonade™ apples.” 
