Since hitting the market in 2017, Rave apples have marked the start to a new apple season. Grown by Stemilt Growers in Washington state, YES! Apples in New York and Applewood Fresh in Michigan, marketers say Rave offers retailers an opportunity to capitalize on new-season buzz.
“Rave is naturally positioned as the early-season, back-to-school apple,” says Brianna Shales, Stemilt’s marketing director. “Rave can help you bring a fresh-from-the-tree apple eating experience to consumers before other varieties are back in stock.”
Rave, a natural cross of Honeycrisp and MonArk apple, will be available in early August. Rave offers bright red skin with a yellow background, crisp, white flesh, tart-sweet flavor, aromatic tanginess and juicy texture. Shales says its Honeycrisp parentage can be a strong selling point with consumers.
“Make sure to tell shoppers about Rave, whether that is through in-store signage or online,” she says. “They need to understand that it’s fresh with Honeycrisp parentage and great flavors.”
Shales says Rave’s position as the first of the season, apple is designed for that August to October harvest window before many other club varieties, so Rave is truly a seasonal apple. And growing conditions have been very favorable in Washington, which will hopefully bode well for the soon-to-be-harvested crop.
“This season, Rave can help fill the Honeycrisp supply void,” Shales says. “It has a great fracture like Honeycrisp, and we are seeing great color and flavor development as we near harvest,” she says.
Shales says Rave is also a great way for retailers to kick off apple season and is also primed for early fall and back-to-school promotions.
“Prominent and attractive displays can make a big difference when introducing a new item like Rave, and to celebrate the first new crop apple of the season,” she says. “We also encourage tie-ins around back to school and in particular lunches and snacks, since this apple has great flavors that will be appealing for kids as they head back to class.”
Rave is available in bulk and bags, with 2-pound pouch bags and polybag options. Stemilt also offers Rave in a 4-count scannable paper-based package.
Shales says Rave will also partner with influencers as the season nears to generate additional buzz and tout the apple’s eating qualities. And, she says consumers continue to come back for more.
“Consumer demand is strong for Rave, particularly in the Midwest and East, where shoppers like that snappy zing,” she says.
Regional partners like YES! Apples and Applewood Fresh, too, Shales says, are a key in helping to deliver that fresh Rave eating experience.
“Rave is the apple that stops shoppers in their tracks,” Tenley Fitzgerald, head of marketing at YES! Apples, says. “We love growing it because it helps people discover something different. That first bold bite wakes up their taste buds and shows there’s more to explore in the apple aisle. With so many snacks vying for space in shoppers’ carts, Rave kicks off apple season early with a fresh, exciting flavor that gets people ready, and hungry, for the wave of apples to come.”
