CMI Orchards readies for the cherry season with a new online guide

Wenatchee, Wash.-based CMI Orchards says retailers can look ahead to a profitable Northwest cherry season with the freshest selections of premium cherries, high-graphic displays and exciting promotional programs.

With the largest selection of specialty cherries, along with staples like conventional and organic red and rainier, CMI is uniquely positioned to help retailers maximize sales during the three-month sweet cherry season, head-on, CMI’s Domestic Sales and Organics Manager Joel Hewitt said in a news release.

“From coveted fan favorites like red and rainier to deluxe specialty varieties like Skylar Rae and Strawberry Cherries, we’ve got it all,” he said. “Cherry season offers the most attractive window of the year for sales. Savvy retailers who get ahead of the game see their sales skyrocket, impacting total produce sales for the year.”

CMI Orchards has published its cherry sales guide online.

Danelle Huber, senior marketing manager, said in the release that retailers can capitalize on consumers’ anticipation with a multipronged approach.

“Our programs take sales to the next level by curating a shopping experience that has customers coming back for more,” Huber said in the release. “Displays typically drive up to 30% more sales in-store. When you pair that with cherries — the magical fruit that inspires seasonal excitement year over year — it’s really the dreamiest match-up you could ask for.” 

Cherries are an impulse buy and the sort of item that gets picked up on a shopper’s way through the store, or during their online shopping experience, Huber said in the release.

“A study conducted by Harvard Business Review and a major U.S. retail company found 73% of customers use multiple channels throughout their shopping journey, while only 7% were exclusive online shoppers and 20% were store-only shoppers," she added.

Retailers should offer a range of channels, such as digital ads, in-store displays and mobile app information to appeal to customers who prefer different methods of shopping to ensure capture of those impulse purchases from every angle, Huber said in the release.

“The window for success is so tight during this season that we highly recommend retailers stay proactive and make sure they have secondary displays on hand,” she said in the release.

Solid crop expected

Crop projections are not yet available for the Northwest cherry crop, but Hewitt said in the release that there are “solid expectations” for a good, healthy crop that retailers can promote in the summer.

“Due to challenging weather conditions, last year’s cherry crop was down,” Hewitt said in the release. “But this year we’re optimistic that retailers are going to get more bang for their buck on advertising throughout the season.”