Sunkist ready for peak lemon demand

As one of the largest lemon suppliers in California, Sunkist Growers is expanding its program offerings and adding multiple organic lemon growers this season to meet consumer and customer demand for year-round supply, says Cassie Howard, senior director of category management and marketing.

Sunkist has year-round conventional and meyer lemon programs.

Howard also said the marketer continues to see the overall importance of limes in the citrus category and has expanded its partnerships to enhance its supply. 

Noting increasing lemon and lime demand compared with pre-COVID levels, Howard said foodservice demand continues to regain its footing following the pandemic; there are plenty of strategies to raise awareness for the lemon and lime category.

“We continue to monitor current trends within the category,” she said. “According to a recent study by FMI on the 2024 'Power of Seafood,' more consumers are enjoying seafood at home, which provides an opportunity for lemons and limes due to their authentic natural pairing for a variety of dishes.”

Among packaging changes, Howard said Sunkist last season revamped its 2-pound lemon bag offerings, now providing an eye-catching pouch bag design. 

“This season, with bigger lemon sizes, we’ve remained flexible to meet our retailer’s needs,” Howard said. “Many retailers have expanded their offerings this season, providing multiple bag options and engaging shoppers. We have seen added interest in the 3-pound and 5-pound bags, increasing volume sales this season versus last year while not negatively impacting bulk lemon volume."

Marketing shine

Spring and summer are when lemons are top of mind for shoppers, Howard said.

“It is when we see the highest household penetration for lemons,” she said. “With our influencer programs, we’re able to show consumers new and exciting ways to beat the heat with quick and easy recipes for making lemons the must-have ingredient this summer."

Sunkist's Instagram and TikTok accounts provide recipe inspiration, as does the Sunkist Matchmaker recipe generator on its website, she said.

With a year-round program, Sunkist’s lemons are available for key promotions from Memorial Day to Independence Day to Labor Day.

“Sunkist’s 5-pound lemon bag is a terrific way for retailers to give their consumers the value they are looking for when making lemonade or baking while not impacting sales in other SKUs,” Howard said.

In addition to strong bag programs, Sunkist’s merchandising program features interactive POS materials with scannable QR codes that provide real-time recipe inspiration to shoppers, she said. A recent Sunkist-commissioned study revealed that when consumers were asked what advertisements incentivized direct citrus purchases, recipe inspiration and utilization tips were at the top of their lists, Howard said.

“We know that lemons drive recipe inspiration, with two-thirds of lemon shoppers using lemons to flavor water and more than two-thirds purchasing lemons for recipes,” she said. “Sunkist has extra lifestyle bins for lemons, perfect for cross-promotional opportunities with seafood and cocktails/liquor and lemonade stands, keeping lemons top-of-mind throughout the shoppers' store journey this summer season.”