An omnichannel campaign by the Folsom-based California Walnut Board spurred major sales increases for retailers in Minneapolis and in Charlotte, N.C.
Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Cub, Coborn’s and Kowalski’s were among the retailers that participated, according to a news release.
The program focused on heart health and included elements such as advertising, coupons, point-of-sale material, retail circular inclusion, social media and in-store demos and sampling. Stores throughout the Minneapolis and Charlotte markets saw increased sales even if they did not participate in the program.
For the four-week period ending Feb. 25, volume sales in Minneapolis retailers were up 22.6% from the same time frame in 2017. Charlotte stores saw an 15.6% increase.
Retailers that actively promoted walnuts did significantly better — Coborn’s saw unit sales jump 48.6%, and Cub saw a 60.6% increase in volume sales.
“The California Walnuts in-store retail programs celebrating American Heart Month were a great opportunity to develop customized programs that mapped to the needs of each retail partner while showcasing the culinary versatility and heart health benefits that walnuts provide,” Michelle Connelly, executive director of the California Walnut Board, said in the release. “We’re thrilled with the initial results our retail partners have experienced in this brief period, and we’re looking forward to further developing this program in the year ahead.”
