Stemilt bringing back yellow apple variety, Aura
Stemilt bringing back yellow apple variety, Aura
Stemilt Growers, owned and operated by the Mathison family, grows, packs and ships its “World Famous Fruit” across the globe.
Apples are a core category for the company, having been a part of its history since 1914. Stemilt’s apple mix includes varieties to match every taste, from sweet to balanced to super tart.
“We’re excited to welcome our newer yellow apple variety back into the market for a limited time in, Aura,” said Brianna Shales, marketing director for the Wenatchee, WA-based company. “Aura is a natural cross between Honeycrisp and Aurora apples, giving it a sweet, honey-melon flavor and light, crisp texture.”
On the packaging side, the company is looking forward to sharing its EZ Band pack that’s available for Artisan Organics apples.
“EZ Band is our sustainable paperboard package, and holds four larger sized apples, making it easier to stock, shop and capture organic rings at the register,” Shales said. “Additionally, we’re focused on Lil Snappers’ kid’s-size fruit and have fun retail events planned for the brand this season.”
The company has also partnered with Crunch Pak on whole apple licensing to launch three new character programs this fall, bringing popular kid’s characters like Bluey, Paw Patrol and Minions into pouch bags for apples.
“We use Nielsen data to provide regular category insights and recommendations, as well as other tools to help us understand what’s happening on the store shelf and in ads,” Shales said. “We will also conduct shopper research on occasion to help us understand consumer trends, purchase habits and to test new concepts.”
Stemilt understands that convenience is everything for consumers so the easier it can make it for them to pick out a bag of apples and place it in the cart, the better it can provide an enjoyable shopping experience.
“Packaged programs like Lil Snappers’ or non-plastic options like EZ Band can help deliver that convenience to shoppers,” Shales said. “Also, apples are a portable fruit that’s easy to snack on, wrapped in nature’s packaging. When it comes to flavor preference amongst consumers, Honeycrisp has raised the bar for all apples for its fracture and juicy, sweet taste. New varieties have to be better than Honeycrisp and that focus on flavor will help drive consumption forward.”
Stemilt has a very robust process in place for upholding apple quality from the field to the truck throughout the season.
“Stemilt’s Fresh Cube facility plays a big role in keeping apples cool and fresh before being shipped to retail,” Shales said. “Also, our capacity to perform quality control prior to shipping also enables us to ensure quality before loading the apples onto the truck.”
Sustainability and environmental stewardship continue to influence purchase decisions and Stemilt offers a page on its website dedicated to its long-standing sustainability and social responsibility program, Responsible Choice.
“We often post about it on our social media platforms,” Shales said. “We also welcomed our new sustainability program manager on to our team this year who is leading our program driven by data, an important factor as transparency is key for shoppers.”
Over the next year, the company plans to continue its focus and attention on the investment of Cosmic Crisp as it grows in volume and becomes a top apple in the category.
“We strive to create excitement at the point of sale and will work closely with retail partners on making impactful displays of Cosmic Crisp to drive interest and purchase,” Shales said.
Looking ahead, Stemilt sees growing consumption as a key opportunity as the company is currently in a supply that exceeds the demand situation. “We need to deliver apples with flavor and quality that will drive the next purchase,” Shales said. “Stemilt focuses on having the right mix of apples and putting freshness into the hands of retailers and consumers to ensure a great eating experience that delights consumers.”
