Cosmic Crisp a rising star for Washington growers

Washington’s Cosmic Crisp apples are on the rise.

The variety is grown exclusively in the state, and the latest U.S. Apple Association estimate puts Cosmic Crisp output for 2021 at 4.65 million (42-pound) cartons, more than double the 2.07 million produced in 2020.

Cosmic Crisp accounted for 1.8% of the 2021 crop, ranking it just ahead of empire (1.5%) and behind the york variety (1.82%)
With the expansion of volume last year and this year, during the pandemic, Cosmic Crisp hasn’t been able to support with produce department sampling and tasting.

“CMI was lucky enough to have some of the very first Cosmic Crisp trees in the ground, and we are excited to see continued development in the coming years,” said Danelle Huber, marketing specialist for the Wenatchee, Wash.-based company. 

“A lot of time and effort went into the cultivation of this variety, and we are confident it will continue to be a huge hit with consumers.”
Huber said early marketing efforts made Cosmic Crisp a household name before it ever hit the shelf, and this exposure has fueled popularity and sales through the first two seasons. 

“Retailers and shoppers alike love the long shelf life of the apple, and the flavor does not disappoint,” she said. 

“As a branded apple leader, CMI has welcomed the addition of Cosmic Crisp to its umbrella of offerings, and we are proud to present organic Cosmic Crisp this season in addition to our conventional apples.”

There is a lot of industry effort and thought to drive continued awareness of Cosmic Crisp, said Mac Riggan, director of marketing for Chelan Fresh, Chelan, Wash. 

“I expect a really good eating (Cosmic Crisp) this year,” he said. 

Cosmic Crisp apples will continue to see significant increases over the next couple of years, said Chuck Sinks, president of sales and marketing for Yakima-based Sage Fruit Co. 

“We are confident that by advanced planning with our partners, maintaining a desirable price, and being able to provide product late into the season, both retailers and consumers will continue to welcome the Cosmic Crisp.”
Cosmic Crisp apples were selected by Washington state growers for great reasons, said Brianna Shales, marketing director for Wenatchee, Wash.-based Stemilt Growers. 

“(Cosmic Crisp) has the flavor, quality, storage life, etc., to make it a success at all levels of the supply chain,” Shales said. 

“Most importantly, the quality standards, consumer marketing, and volume coming to market will help it move from club apple to one of the primary apples in the category. We have to keep developing Cosmic Crisp loyalists, and really do that one person at a time.”

“Cosmic Crisp is the No. 11 variety in the U.S. and has earned and maintained that spot only in its sophomore year,” Cat Gipe-Stewart, communications manager of Yakima-based Superfresh Growers. 

“With the volume coming this year, we will continue to see it rise. Consumers are excited to be seeing this apple for longer periods of time. That will also help sales as it will encourage repeat purchases when consumers know there is a steady supply that can become a staple item on their grocery lists.

There are still retailers that are missing the opportunity for the significant growth Cosmic Crisp is giving to the category. These retailers are missing key sales and consumer satisfaction opportunities for those seeking this apple phenomenon.”

While shippers are high on the future of Cosmic Crisp, the pandemic was not the best environment to introduce new varieties to consumers.

COVID-19 was not kind to new varieties and new products, said Don Roper, vice president of sales and marketing for Honeybear Marketing LLC.

“Apples (and other produce) by no means had the monopoly of struggling with new product introductions,” Roper said, noting the craft beer business.

Consumer pivoted to what they knew, he said. 
“They kind of hit the ‘easy’ button and they didn’t want to really spend time getting educated.” 

In that way, COVID-19 was a real downer for new product introductions, as consumers and retailers focused on a narrower assortment.
Even so, marketers promoting Cosmic Crisp and other relatively new varieties need to be patient, he said. 

“We will get through COVID,” he said. “We can’t abandon new products; candidly, that’s the excitement, part of the lifeblood that retailers want from their supply partners. We just have to work on better delivery methods of these new product introductions, knowing how it’s different from what we’ve done in past.”  

For example, Roper said including a new apple variety in an online order is one way to introduce consumers to new items.