Driscoll's data show effect of berries
Driscoll's data show effect of berries
In July, summer fruits such as peaches, grapes and nectarines come into play and compete head to head with strawberries in retailer produce aisles.
According to Valerie Sill, strawberry business manager for Watsonville, CA- based Driscoll Strawberry Associates Inc., strawberries need not lie down for the competition. The industry should help retailers understand how important berry sales are and that they can compete with other categories.
In July, strawberry sales are still peaking for consumers. Strawberries still have high penetration, and the high-impact category accounts for just below 10 percent of produce sales in June and July, Ms. Sill said.
"Instead of switching focus, retailers can drive traffic" with strawberries, she said. We encourage retailers to shoot for two additional ads.
Those ads likely would run the final two weeks of July, Ms. Sill said.
In the average grocery store, ads for strawberries often decline in July, and strawberry sales follow suit. But Driscoll has commissioned studies on berry sales and draws back to data collected in 2001. The data do not target Driscoll berries specifically, and comprise the entire berry patch industrywide. The findings suggest that retailers might want to revisit their stance on strawberries.
Berries lead all fruits and vegetables in the produce aisle and offer the strongest sales and gross profits per square foot, Ms. Sill said.
I think the whole [berry] industry should benefit from Driscoll's data, Ms. Sill said, adding that the berry patch complements itself.
According to Valerie Sill, strawberry business manager for Watsonville, CA- based Driscoll Strawberry Associates Inc., strawberries need not lie down for the competition. The industry should help retailers understand how important berry sales are and that they can compete with other categories.
In July, strawberry sales are still peaking for consumers. Strawberries still have high penetration, and the high-impact category accounts for just below 10 percent of produce sales in June and July, Ms. Sill said.
"Instead of switching focus, retailers can drive traffic" with strawberries, she said. We encourage retailers to shoot for two additional ads.
Those ads likely would run the final two weeks of July, Ms. Sill said.
In the average grocery store, ads for strawberries often decline in July, and strawberry sales follow suit. But Driscoll has commissioned studies on berry sales and draws back to data collected in 2001. The data do not target Driscoll berries specifically, and comprise the entire berry patch industrywide. The findings suggest that retailers might want to revisit their stance on strawberries.
Berries lead all fruits and vegetables in the produce aisle and offer the strongest sales and gross profits per square foot, Ms. Sill said.
I think the whole [berry] industry should benefit from Driscoll's data, Ms. Sill said, adding that the berry patch complements itself.
