Industrywide, early Northwest pear estimates are coming with about 30% less volume compared with 2023, said Kaci Komstadius, vice president of marketing for Sage Fruit Co., Yakima, Wash.
“While volume is down industrywide, the fruit itself is sizing up quite nicely,” she said.
Sage Fruit pears are grown and harvested in several regions throughout the Pacific Northwest, including the Yakima Valley, Mid-Columbia and up through Wenatchee, Komstadius said. The marketer has two dedicated pear packing lines in Washington, one in Yakima and one in Chelan.
Top pear varieties for Sage include bartlett, red and green d’anjou and bosc. The marketer has a couple of niche varieties as well, including Concorde, Taylor’s Gold and Celina, Komstadius said.
“Over the past decade, our overall varietal mix has not changed much, however, the volume of each variety we have available has increased significantly,” she said. “In addition, we have added significant organic volume of each variety.”
Sage Fruit has several packaging options for its Northwest pears.
“We offer both 40-pound and 27-pound bulk options, as well as poly and pouch-bagged products,” Komstadius said.
Retail bump
Retailers can maximize pear sales through various strategies, including eye-catching displays, variety and color, seasonal themes, secondary displays, sampling, promotion pricing and packaging options, Komstadius said.
Retailers can create large, visually appealing displays in highly visible areas.
“Position pears at the front of the produce department to attract attention,” she said.
Variety and color can be utilized with displays of multiple varieties of pears together, using natural color breaks — that is, green next to yellow next to red — to make the display more attractive, Komstadius said.
Merchandisers can decorate displays with seasonal themes such as holidays or sporting events to draw shopper traffic, she said. In addition, retailers can use secondary displays in high-traffic areas outside the produce department, such as near cheese, yogurt, or wine sections.
Sampling can boost immediate and long-term sales, Komstadius said.
“Conduct pear tastings to allow shoppers to experience the flavor and texture of ripe pears,” she said.
Advertising and promotional pricing are important methods to influence the purchase of different pear varieties, she said. Retailers can also offer pears in bulk displays, bags, or totes to encourage volume purchases.
“By following these best practices, retailers can significantly increase their pear sales and provide a better shopping experience for their customers,” Komstadius said.
