Sunkist citrus positioned to meet consumer demand for healthy options

Healthy eating continues to be top of mind for shoppers, and Sunkist citrus offerings are in a prime position to meet the demands of consumers, says Christina Ward, senior director of global marketing at Sunkist.

The latest report from IRI/210Analytics shows that the share of meals at home in December increased versus the prior month, surpassing 80%, she said. 

“Sunkist specialty citrus offerings are the perfect flavor enhancers for consumers looking to spice up at-home meals and shake things up with healthier on-the-go snacks and meal alternatives,” Ward said.

While Sunkist navel oranges, lemons and California mandarins have been in full swing since the holidays, Ward said, January marks the return of the marketer’s specialty favorites, including cara cara oranges, minneola tangelos and blood oranges.

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Sunkist Growers is a fresh citrus cooperative with more than a thousand grower members across California and Arizona, Ward said.

“We're celebrating our 130th anniversary and are proud to be the longest-standing agricultural cooperative in the nation — it's all been made possible thanks to our family-owned farmers and the values and legacy of the Sunkist brand,” she said.

Plenty of promotions are straight ahead for Sunkist citrus, Ward said.

“We are excited to showcase our dynamic offerings with supportable volumes and promotable flavors,” she said. “With great-tasting fruit across the board, we are ready to meet the ever-growing needs of retailers and their customers throughout the season."

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Ward said Sunkist will celebrate National Sunkist Citrus Day on March 1, with retail communication aiming to inspire shoppers to Celebrate Every Bite, along with new in-store and online promotions that will engage consumers throughout the year.  

“Our Peel Good Citrus merchandising is available for our entire portfolio of citrus offerings in both square and quarter bins,” she said. “Our newly designed quarter bins feature varietal-focused QR codes guiding consumers to recipe inspiration, nutritional information, interactive games, and more."

After seeing success with its Strawberry Shortcake collaboration with Sunkist Blood oranges, Sunkist is expanding the program to include Sunkist cara cara oranges and lemons, Ward said.

Both cara cara and lemon varieties have also seen an increase in basket spend when purchased with strawberries, compared to the average strawberry trip, according to recent data, she said.

“Collaborative partnerships like these are a win for our customers and help bring excitement to citrus fans,” she said.