Stemilt Growers sees opportunity with the 2022-23 season

The ability to promote up-and-coming varieties like Cosmic Crisp is one reason that Brianna Shales is optimistic about the 2022-23 season.

Stemilt Growers LLC grows a number of varieties organically and conventionally, many of which are available year-round, said Shales, marketing director for the Wenatchee, Wash.-based company.

Stemilt also offers SweeTango apples and leads in Pink Lady and Cosmic Crisp branded varieties, she said.

“Our vertical integration means that we grow, pack, market and ship fruit,” Shales said. “This ultimately helps us align every area of our business on achieving our mission to cultivate people and delight consumers through excellence."

Opportunities ahead

Shales said the Washington crop is shorter than a year ago, but there are opportunities within the crop.

“Retailer flexibility to migrate their plans around those opportunities will help grow the category overall,” she said. “We expect promotions around Cosmic Crisp throughout the late winter and spring months. Pink Lady and fuji are other varieties with opportunities around them.”

Shales said retailers should promote several apple varieties in their ads.

“Single-variety promotions don’t lift the category and can actually hurt the category volume, so plan for multiple ads whenever possible,” she said.

Good placement of apple displays in the produce department and offering value whenever possible to drive purchases are effective strategies during inflationary times, she said.

Stemilt has many tools for partner retailers to use to promote apples, she said.  

“Packaged brands like Lil Snappers kid-size fruit have become a sought-after vehicle for merchandising apples,” Shales said. “We have display bins and often work with retailers to hold display or sales contests around key items. We also have digital assets to help elevate brands on social, or perfect the e-commerce listing for apples. To us, it’s all about working with each retailer on a promotion plan that will help them grow their apple category and meet their goals.”

Packaging news

The demand for packaged apples has increased over the past several years, Shales said, with 40% of apples now being sold in consumer packs versus 60% sold in bulk. 

“Pouch bags are very popular for apples, yet not every apple is grown in a size profile that works for bags,” she said. “As a response to the need for packaging, Stemilt launched the EZ Band. It sells larger-sized apples on count in a four-pack that is recyclable and made of paperboard.”

Stemilt introduced it for club varieties like Rave and SweeTango and recently unveiled it for both conventional and organic Cosmic Crisp, Shales said.

“The EZ Band is a new concept to North America, but packs like these are common in Europe,” she said. “We feel it has a bright future for organics, as retailers need to ensure they can get the organic ring at the register (which are more and more migrating to self-checkout). It also helps them deliver convenience and visibility to consumers, especially those that shop for groceries online.”