Yes! Apples see strong sales in winter

Yes! Apples, a consumer-first brand launched by New York Apple Sales in 2019, has become a popular name in the industry and it continues to increase business year after year.

“Yes! Apples maintains a steady supply of apples throughout the year, and winter apples are a big part of that mix,” said Kaari Stannard, president and CEO of the Glenmont, NY-based company. “While apples are traditionally associated with the fall season, now consumers have access to a variety of apples all year round.”

Over the last few years, the company’s grower partners have been growing more and more late-season varieties that give consumers a great selection in the winter months. That is especially true this season.

“One of our late-season varieties is RubyFrost, described as ‘the perfect balance of sweet and tart,’ with a hearty crunch and crisp texture that add a unique twist to the classic Northeast flavor profile,” Stannard said. “KORU is another later-season variety that starts shipping in October. These are very popular throughout the winter. This variety is slow to brown when sliced, making it ideal for charcuterie boards and sliced apple snacking options.”

SnapDragon and EverCrisp are two additional varieties that will continue to be available throughout winter, as is Honeycrisp, a fan favorite all year round.

“After our winter crop is picked, we combine the strength of our people with the power of technology to bring the country’s best-tasting apples to our customers and retailers all year long,” Stannard said. “2021 has been a successful season for us. We continue to see demand for our bagged or pouch apple selections, but this year also see greater demand from our large bulk items.”

One way Yes! Apples is expanding and growing business is through its online shop, www.yesapples.shop.

This e-commerce effort is a newer development and an additional way to introduce consumers to apple varieties they might otherwise not have had the opportunity to try. In this way, Yes! Apples continues to follow its mission of getting apples into the hands of consumers across the country to drive awareness and demand.

For example, not everyone has access to some of the specialty varieties like KORU, SnapDragon, Sweetango, and EverCrisp that may have limited distribution, but now they can easily order them online to try for themselves.

“We ship apples directly to consumers across the U.S.,” Stannard said. “We also offer options to send apples as a gift — and we offer gift cards, as well. It’s another way we partner with our retailers to drive awareness and demand so that they can stock appropriately and have a good rate of inventory turnover as consumers buy the product on their shelves.”

Currently, the company is feeling the challenges of the labor crunch.

“We face a lot of competition, coupled with a dwindling population of workers,” Stannard said. “In addition, freight is a concern for us, as we have seen massive inflation in our shipping lanes.”