Sunkist has a robust portfolio and steady supply extending to 40 varieties of both conventional and organic citrus, says Cassie Howard.
Howard, senior director of category management and marketing for Sunkist Growers Inc., said Sunkist’s portfolio includes oranges, lemons, mandarins, grapefruit, tangerines, tangelos and limes.
In addition, Howard said the citrus category has continued to evolve with specialty citrus items, such as blood oranges and cara caras, becoming more popular with consumers, along with continued growth in lemons and limes.
Retail sales bump
Sunkist has tools to help retailers maximize citrus sales, Howard said.
“Sunkist has newly commissioned category studies and consumer insights ready, along with marketing and merchandising tools that support what consumers want to see in-store,” Howard said. “A recent study revealed when consumers were asked what advertisements incentivized direct citrus purchases, over 50% of shoppers prioritized recipe inspiration, followed by utilization tips at 30%.”
Digital platforms, including social media, recipe websites, and blogs, were the main channels inspiring shopping lists amongst almost half of the respondents, Howard said.
“Collaborating with registered dietitians and food and lifestyle influencers to create engaging, easy-to-make recipe content is a terrific way to stay top of mind for shoppers making grocery lists,” she said.
Display options
According to a recent survey from Fusion, 70% of fruit shoppers prefer selecting their own fruit from a display bin, Howard said.
“However, not all fruit categories are the same, and we know two-thirds of specialty orange shoppers prefer to buy blood oranges and caras caras in a bag,” she said. “Additional information from the Fusion study showed that 64% indicated utilizing eye-catching designs and engaging displays is necessary to educate consumers to influence purchases and stand out in the produce aisle.”
Howard said Sunkist’s display bins feature scannable QR codes driving shoppers directly to the recipe portal on Sunkist.com to provide real-time shopping list inspiration.
In addition, new bin headers and header cards can serve as another educational touchpoint to help retailers promote key varietal information, including flavor profiles, unique nutritional attributes, health benefits and trending recipes that can be easily interchangeable and updated throughout the season, she said.
“From holiday-themed 10-pound orange cartons during Thanksgiving and Christmas to limited-edition ‘Year of the Dragon’ gift-giving boxes for the Lunar New Year, Sunkist has citrus-infused solutions ready for retailers to help their consumers incorporate citrus into everyday life,” Howard said.
In terms of packaging trends, Howard said consumers are looking for convenience and quick purchases, with smaller package sizes trending upward as of late.
“We offer our retail customers a variety of pack sizes and packaging options to fit their unique store goals, and [for] our 3-pound bag option for cara caras, the No. 1 selling pack size, we have seen increases by 20% year-over-year,” Howard said. “Sunkist has a new ‘all pink’ bag ready for this citrus season, highlighting the specialty attributes backed by consumer trends and insights to better drive the category.”
