Stemilt Growers says it has two new packaging options as part of its pear program: a mixed variety bag called Prism Pears for conventional fruit, and two 4-count EZ Band paperboard consumer packs for conventional and organic pears.
Stemilt Marketing Director Brianna Shales says the new packages help retailers find solutions for merchandising pears.
Prism Pears is a new mixed-pear bag that combines green, red and brown pears in a 2-pound or 3-pound poly bag and is available in conventional. Stemilt plans to add organic availability soon.
Shales also says Stemilt has expanded its EZ Band for conventional green d’anjou and red pears. She says the EZ Band will ship in a Euro footprint box with eight 4-count units in each master.
“These packaging additions are in line with Stemilt’s ongoing investment in pears from the orchard with the new Happi Pear to state-of-the-art packing and now to innovative packaging solutions to help retailers drive sales,” Shales says.
Stemilt will showcase these new packaging options at the International Fresh Produce Association’s upcoming Global Produce and Floral Show at booth No. 2847.
Pear Outlook
Stemilt says the most recent forecast from the Washington State Tree Fruit Association shows that this season’s pear volumes are 58% higher than last year’s, with organic pears expected to increase by 73%.
Shales says this means Stemilt will have a reliable supply and strong promotion opportunities for conventional and organic pears, especially winter varieties like d’anjou, red pears and bosc.
“With bigger volumes of pears this year, packaged programs can help create incremental sales opportunities and make pears easier for shoppers to buy,” Shales says. “Prism Pears is a way to highlight multiple pear varieties in a single bag and encourage consumers to try a pear they may not have before, while the paperboard EZ Band option helps build visibility for large-medium sized pears. Retailers can rely on Stemilt to have a good supply this season and the tools to see success in the pear category.”
Shales says that promoting pears will be a key this year, especially organic pears. Retailers can pair them with in-store events such as Pear Month in December or create more display space to help pears stand out and drive additional movement.
“The addition of Prism Pears and new EZ Band packaging options gives retailers choices in how they merchandise pears this season to see incremental sales,” Shales says. “With more fruit to move, we want to make sure pears are easy to merchandise and appealing to shoppers, whether conventional or organic.”
