Hudson River Fruit Distributors is actively marketing SnapDragon, RubyFrost and EverCrisp apples in 2022, said Alisha Albinder Camac, owner and operator of the Milton, N.Y-based apple marketer.
Oneonta Starr Ranch Growers is focused on year-round supply for its partners, said Dan Davis, director of business development for the Wenatchee, Wash.-based marketer.
Superfresh Growers will have organic and conventional Honeycrisp and gala variety apples through the summer, said Cat Gipe-Stewart, communication manager for Domex Superfresh Growers, Yakima, Wash.
New York apples have a number of winning attributes, and the Apples from New York is touting all of them, said Cynthia Haskins, president and CEO of the Fishers, N.Y.-based New York Apple Association.
SnapDragon and RubyFrost both saw their largest crops yet in 2021, and the shorter crop other varieties have experienced is providing those two varieties opportunities to get in front of new consumers.
The rapid growth of omnichannel marketing delivers big opportunities for influencing purchases, and CMI Orchards has a digital team in place to work with retailers.
Brewster, Wash.-based Honeybear Marketing is promoting the health benefits of Pazazz apples through recipes and other promotions, said Don Roper, vice president of sales and marketing.
Yakima, Wash.-based Sage Fruit Co. has ample Cosmic Crisp volume and will be promoting the variety extensively through the winter and well into 2022, said Chuck Sinks, president of sales and marketing.
Stemilt Growers will work with retailers to promote Cosmic Crisp, organic fruit, and the marketer’s Lil Snappers programs through the winter and into the spring.
Truck rates are at historic highs for the produce industry, and that reality presents challenges to apple marketers in the Northwest and other regions.
Bagged apple sales haven’t disappeared nearly two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic but the trend toward packaged fruit is moderating some, industry leaders report.
CHICAGO — Apple marketers must defend their share of stomach against other commodities and pay close attention to new alternative retail formats to fully exploit consumer demand for apples.
The Fishers-based New York Apple Association is adding to its retail and foodservice team as it ramps up retail and foodservice promotional plans for this coming fall harvest.
The Oppenheimer Group is reporting growth in its Envy and Jazz apple programs, while Pacific Rose remains strong with exports and in certain domestic markets, said Roger Aguirre, director of apples and pears.
The Fishers-based New York Apple Association rolled out numerous marketing and promotional initiatives in 2020, said Cynthia Haskins, president and CEO.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gardners, Pa.-based grower-shipper Rice Fruit Co. has sharpened its focus on sustainable packaging, said Brenda Briggs, vice president of sales and marketing.
Wenatchee, Wash.-based grower-shipper CMI Orchards LLC continues to test new brands and apple varieties to go with its existing products, said George Harter, vice president of marketing.
Brewster, Wash.-based Honeybear Brands is building a new packing facility, said Don Roper, vice president of sales and marketing for Honeybear Brands, as well as Elgin, Minn.-based Wescott Orchard & Agri Products Inc.
One of the chief initiatives at Yakima, Wash.-based Sage Fruit Co. in 2020 pertained to sustainability, said Chuck Sinks, president of sales and marketing.
Though COVID-19 has taken away the opportunities for in-person sampling and other strategies, retailers have plenty of apple promotion options, marketers say.
A black pickup truck emerged from the dawn fog on a chilly December morning, pulling into the hotel driveway in upstate New York. In the driver’s seat was Jim Allen, vice president marketing at New York Apple Sales.
Sales weren’t the problem for organic apples in 2019, but markets were, said Addie Pobst, organic integrity and logistics coordinator with Mount Vernon, Wash.-based Viva Tierra Organic Inc.
Shiny new apple varieties get a lot of attention, but locally grown legacy varieties still generate plenty of sales and enhance the health of the category in general, marketers say.
Apple marketers say they’re just beginning to see the marketing boost that social media offers, whether it’s interactive communication with consumers, sharing recipe ideas or linking apples to community events.