Warm up with fresh summertime fruit this winter
It’s days after Christmas, it’s chilly outside and there’s snow on the ground. The perfect retreat from the grey days of winter is biting into fresh summertime fruit – from Chile.
During winter months, Chile becomes the go-to source for fresh summertime flavors. More than 845,000 tons of fruit were exported from Chile last winter and this year should be quite the same. The demand for fresh is increasing volume and sales and are expected to continue past this season.
Cherries, blueberries, grapes, peaches, plums, nectarines and more is the main produce coming from Chile from December to April. It’s only possible because of air shipments, allowing for the growth of the category. It also allows retailers to promote a “Flown In Fresh” message to give it an exciting appeal. Food demos are a great way to win shoppers with the confidence of the taste.
Merchandising Tips
DISPLAY multiple stone fruit SKUs to add a splash of color and appeal to different consumers by offering several flavor profiles and textures.
INFORM shoppers through signage about when fruit is ripe and how it tastes.
PROMOTE some of the more unique varieties, like lemon plums, with demos or marketing materials from an association.
DISPLAY multiple varieties of grapes, with the most unique variety serving as the centerpiece to provide a lift to the entire category.
EDUCATE retail staff about what’s coming from Chile through availability charts the association provides to hang in back rooms.
Promotion Windows
RED CHERRIES – Item #13198 – Available December – January
NECTARINES – Item #6188 – Available February – March
PEACHES – Item #3170 – Available February – March
PACKHAM PEARS – Item #3770 – Available January – October
RED PLUMS – Item #8102 – Available December – April
BLACK PLUMS – Item #3192 – Available December – April
For more information, visit the Nov/Dec issue of Produce Retailer.