Like pursuing higher education or allocating savings well ahead of your planned retirement, many of us have become familiar with the level of dedication required to pursue something you won’t reap immediate benefits from. Time investment is no stranger to pear growers, who funnel hours and hours of hard work into producing high-quality fruit to fuel the next generation of produce lovers. In doing this, Stemilt has identified an opportunity to step up and spearhead innovation in the pear category.
While its long-term commitment to producing pears despite the demands of time is one of the elements that define Stemilt’s success, the grower is working to revitalize the sector with a delicious variety and a modernized approach to boosting orchard efficiency.
Regarding the many ways Stemilt is solidifying its role as a leader in pear innovation, it is Brianna Shales and Rob Blakey who have all the answers.
“There’s this old saying that ‘you grow pears for your heirs,’ a.k.a the next generation,” Brianna, Marketing Director, begins. “This hints at the fact that pears take a lot of time, care, and effort to grow. The pear category as a whole hasn’t been on the leading edge of innovation, and Stemilt saw this as an opportunity. We’re taking some big leaps in pear innovations through a systemized approach and by bringing in a new variety to the global market—Happi Pear®—to join our new state-of-the-art pear packing line.”
A perfect reflection of its branding, Happi Pear is sweet with a bright and zesty bite. The attractive offering can be recognized by an occasional red blush, standing out from other varieties due to its ability to be eaten at many different stages of ripeness. For some pears, it can be difficult for shoppers to determine whether or not the fruit is ripe, but Happi Pear simplifies this task with its distinct color change from green to yellow. The variety also packs benefits for retailers, as it doesn’t go over-ripe quickly, resulting in lower shrink volume.
The premium variety’s current availability lands from mid-September through October, but Stemilt plans to expand this window as it ventures into larger-volume crops. The grower is investing heavily in Happi Pear to ensure the variety sticks around in the produce department.
“Innovation in the pear category is long overdue, and we’re looking at other selections to bring new flavors and experiences to the category,” Brianna adds. “We have a brand-new packing line that will help us deliver consistency with each box of Stemilt pears, and packing and storing efficiencies that will be a benefit to the industry. Stemilt has long led in the pear industry, and now we’re making bigger leaps within the programs we have today, like Rushing Rivers® and Happi Pear. One of those leaps was being the first to discontinue our use of MCP on fruit sold in North America to give pears the best chance of delighting consumers by the time they bring them home.”
With the addition of its state-of-the-art Unitec packing line, Stemilt is targeting increased capacity and flexibility to handle pears for a consistent and high-quality pack. As Brianna and Rob state, the new line was 10 years in the making and has coincided with Stemilt’s improving its pear system in all aspects of its business. The company’s R&D department has led the effort in bringing innovation to pears and determining what it will take to make Happi Pear successful from farm to cart.
“We’re uniquely set in Washington’s Entiat and Wenatchee Valleys, where we’re working on modern plantings of Happi Pear,” notes Rob, Stemilt’s Director of Research and Development. “All Happi Pear plantings at company orchards are on trellis systems because we’re trying to move to a more efficient orchard system. We’re using trellises on flat land where platform pickers can be used, which will help us reduce costs and get higher yields. We believe this system is going to be part of the innovation that needs to happen to rejuvenate the category.”
Pears have been declining in volume percentages in the produce department, though they still make up a small percentage of department sales. To combat this challenge, Stemilt is focusing on how it can introduce Happi Pear as a great fruit-eating experience that promotes repeat purchases, using its uniqueness and flavor as two key driving factors.
“We’re taking some big leaps in pear innovations through a systemized approach and by bringing in a new variety to the global market—Happi Pear®—to join our new state-of-the-art pear packing line.”
Brianna Shales, Marketing Director, Stemilt
“One of the most exciting things about this pear is its brand identity and unique PLU sticker shape,” Brianna shares. “It’s the first branded pear in the U.S. marketplace, so there’s a great opportunity for displays utilizing the purple packaging to capture consumer attention. It’s more than just a commodity, and we’re working to position it as the convenient and snackable fruit it is. There is a lot of value in telling shoppers about the quality focus growers have with this pear to help differentiate the experience consumers will have with Happi while increasing understanding of pears overall.”
Of course, pears appeal to various demographics. Stemilt sees a big opportunity to cater to emerging shoppers who will keep growing in their purchasing power—including Millennials and Gen Z—especially as these generations care about health and nutrition as part of their overall well-being and are eager to try new foods in new ways.
“Because of its branding, we have high standards for the pears that go into the Happi Pear box,” Rob says, expanding on Brianna’s note about the brand’s premium quality. “We want consumers to enjoy it so much they come back for that repeat purchase. While pears aren’t top of mind, they are an impulse purchase. Our goal is to bring people to the category with Happi Pear. We want to help get pears back into the carts of consumers and create a future for pears.”
In 2025, Stemilt will finish its first phase of Happi Pear plantings. By the second half of the decade, volumes will grow significantly and position it as a top-three pear variety. Then, Stemilt will look toward accelerating its market penetration and broadening its distribution.
“Pears are a niche we have the ability to do well in. We definitely see them as a part of our forward strategy and premium portfolio,” Brianna explains. “If we can partner with other pear leaders to raise the bar for the category, we’ll be on a positive path toward collaboratively increasing pear consumption.”
Adding to that statement, Rob says, “We truly believe we have all the pieces of the puzzle to be great at growing, packing, and shipping high-quality pears. We have the orchard locations, packing facilities, and technology for it, along with many generations of experienced growers. In the coming years, our goal is to continue to raise the bar by bringing in new varieties and improving our whole pear system from storing to packing to distributing. We’ll be working on bringing more premium varieties to fill the rest of the pear category from a global brand view. Some club apples have performed successfully on a global scale, and we think Happi Pear can do this on the pear side. We look forward to working with other countries to develop a market for Happi Pear and reach consumers globally with this great eating fruit.”
This long-term commitment to uplifting the pear category reflects Stemilt’s dedication to the success of the produce department and its willingness to venture into untapped growth channels.
After all, our industry’s success in category innovation is a direct representation of our ability to look toward the future, exploring exactly what we need to capture the hearts of not only today’s consumers but tomorrow’s and beyond. 
