With new dietary guidelines urging families to ditch ultraprocessed snacks, nutrient-dense fresh fruit is taking over lunchboxes across the country. Leading the charge is Zespri kiwifruit, which sees sales volume spike by more than 20% in the back-to-school season as parents seek convenient, high-value nutrition for packed schedules and busy school days.
As retailers look to meet these evolving needs, Zespri kiwifruit says it offers a versatile solution that supports multiple eating occasions throughout the day, while its display bins make it easier for shoppers to find the fruit in-store.
“Today’s shoppers are increasingly looking for foods that deliver more nutritional value in every bite, especially during the back-to-school season when convenience and healthy choices matter most,” says Laura Wood, director of trade marketing at Zespri. “Zespri kiwifruit helps retailers meet that need, delivering exceptional nutrition, great taste and strong seasonal performance. Through our ‘Jam-Packed’ campaign, we’re giving retailers the tools to drive visibility, encourage trial and capture more snacking occasions throughout the school year.”
The back-to-school season is a key growth driver for kiwifruit, with the category attracting more households and driving greater household spend than any other fruit, the company says. During the second half of the season, average weekly sales volume increases more than 20% compared to the first half, according to Circana/Numerator data.
As parents look beyond highly processed snacks and toward whole, nutrient-dense foods, fresh kiwifruit offers an easy way to make the lunchbox both more nutritious and delicious. The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans reinforce this shift, calling on consumers to prioritize “real food,” including fruits and other nutrient-dense foods.
Nutrient density is becoming an increasingly important purchase driver, creating opportunities for retailers to deliver greater value to health-conscious shoppers and drive premium produce purchases, according to Zespri. Rather than relying on multiple food choices to deliver nutritional variety, a single serving of Zespri kiwifruit provides more than 10 vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C and folate, and is a good source of vitamin E.
Zespri says as shoppers prioritize fresh, nutrient-rich foods during the back-to-school season, retailers have a significant opportunity to elevate produce as a destination for family nutrition. Zespri’s ‘Jam-Packed’ merchandising displays feature the KiwiBrothers and are designed to clearly communicate the fruit’s nutritional benefits and stand out at shelf.
Retailers can place displays near the front of the store to inspire easy snacking solutions and within the produce department to help shoppers easily find Zespri kiwifruit and drive incremental sales.
Zespri says its SunGold’s combination of nutrition and taste helps retailers meet multiple shopper needs and encourages trial among both existing and new category shoppers. Zespri kiwifruit offers multiple eating occasions during the day — from a quick breakfast solution to an easy lunchbox addition to a healthy dessert.
Zespri also offers a range of kid-friendly recipes that retailers can use in their weekly circulars or social channels to help shoppers find ideas for nutritious meals and snacks.
