Spring grape promotion plans hinge on timing

Retail promotions for Mexican grapes shouldn’t start too early but should not lag when the time comes, marketers say.

“June through mid-July, weather permitting, will have plenty of promotable grapes available,” said Rob Anderholt, West Coast division manager for Seald Sweet, Bakersfield, Calif.

Good volume in June will give retailers the opportunity to pursue exciting promotions and bright displays full of fresh-crop Mexican grapes, said Marc Serpa, director of domestic grapes and sales manager for The Oppenheimer Group, Vancouver, British Columbia.

Point-of-sale material, advertising, demos and emphasizing “grapes from California!” can help move more Coachella Valley grapes, said David Clyde, vice president of sales and marketing for Illume Agriculture, Bakersfield.

To maximize sales, retailers should display grapes in different pack styles and display grapes in various sections of the produce department, said Keith Wilson, president of King Fresh LLC, Dinuba, Calif.

COVID-19 effect

The pandemic did not serve to increase the demand for grapes, Wilson said. One effect has been that more grapes will be sold in clamshells or sealed packaging. Taking a broader view, Jeff Olsen, president of Visalia, Calif.-based Chuck Olsen Co., said that a return to pre-pandemic shopping habits would be helpful for grapes. “I think just getting people into the store more often that they were during COVID will help us move more fruit at a consistent level,” he said. “If the fruit eats will and is priced right, they will move.” In addition, retailers must keep prices within reach of consumers, Olsen said. At $3 per pound, a 2-pound bag will cost $7-8, which could discourage demand for many shoppers.

Variety demand

Olsen said his firm has changed and replanted and has several new varieties in greens and reds. “I think, for certain retailers, they may want only a proprietary variety, but most all the new varieties eat well and have larger size, which typically is what sells the grapes, not just the name of the variety,” Olsen said.  “If (the consumer) buys grapes and takes them home and they are received well she will be back for more.”

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