Get ready to Rave.
The start of Rave apple shipments in early August signal an early opportunity to promote the 2020 crop, according to Stemilt Growers.
“Rave’s unique timing does amazing things for the apple category,” Roger Pepperl, Stemilt’s marketing director, said in a news release. “Due to its Honeycrisp parentage, it brings a premium quality apple to the market weeks before other varieties come off the tree.”
The company’s latest Fast Facts The Cast video previews the Rave season.
Rave apples start appearing in stores in early August, and Stemilt is projecting its largest crop as more trees come into fruit-bearing age. With more volume, retailers can carry Rave into October, according to the release.
According to Nielsen data cited in the release, Rave added an average of 48 pounds per store per week to an average U.S. produce department that was already selling 854 pounds of apples per week from mid-August to the beginning of September.
Stemilt’s Rave promotions include a national digital public relations campaign in August. For the last three years, Stemilt has hosted in-person events across the country, including an apple pop-up shop in New York City and a cross-country road trip last summer.
The Packer’s Washington Apples
