Making the most of limited-availability seasonal produce

With the season for Florida peaches short and sweet — just a precious four to five weeks — anticipation is high for retailers, consumers and suppliers moving into late March. 

“We’re excited about the upcoming Florida peach season. We should begin harvesting peaches by the end of March, with the volume peaking the first two weeks of April,” said Al Finch, president of Florida Classic Growers, Dundee, Fla. “Our program traditionally begins the first week of April and finish in early May.”

These stone fruits from the Sunshine State are not only the first domestic peaches to hit the nation’s produce departments each season. They also arrive at a pivotal time.

“Florida peaches really fill a void in the marketplace,” says Finch. “As Chile finishes its program, Florida enters the marketplace and ends when the other domestic peach producers begin in California, Georgia and South Carolina.”

The Florida peach crop size is down this year compared to last, primarily because of a January freeze, Finch said, further noting that volume is off around 25%-30% versus last season.

Florida Classic Growers, a grower-owned co-op of Dundee Citrus, offers its peaches in 8-pound layer trays and 20-pound boxes. “Most of our market is east of the Mississippi due to current supply and overwhelming demand,” Finch said. The company markets its peaches as far north as Canada and as far west as Kansas.

“Demand for Florida peaches has been a growing trend over the years due to marketing efforts to promote peaches,” continues Finch, who adds that more and more consumers look for Florida peaches in-store each season.

Short-term strategies yield long-term results

What consumer doesn’t want to get in on an LTO (limited time offer), especially when that offer relates to fresh, seasonal produce?

But when it comes to merchandising the very limited supply of Florida peaches each year, Finch urges retailers to take a restrained approach.

“Florida peaches are not a ‘stack it high and watch it fly’ commodity item,” he said. “We encourage our retail partners to only display enough peaches to sell each day and keep the rest on refrigeration to prolong shelf life.”

Another important point to note, says Finch, is that Florida Classic Growers harvests its peaches when they are ripe, so there’s no need for the consumer to ripen the fruit at home.

By regulating the amount of product on the store floor and maintaining additional supply in refrigeration, retailers can help promote a better eating experience for their shoppers, which in turn keeps them coming back for more.