Market Minute: Melons are ready for summer promotions

Watermelons, cantaloupes and honeydews are the dominant melons in demand by consumers. Other melon varieties add to the line and help make up an attractive display for customers to choose in the produce department.

The imported melons are finished and are transitioning to the new crop of cantaloupes and honeydews out of California, Arizona. Florida, Texas and Mexico.

Watermelons: North and central Florida seeded watermelons are light and the market is steady. New crop seedless watermelons show excellent quality. Southern Florida seedless watermelons are in a light supply with moderate demand. Texas has a fairly heavy supply on a light demand and steady market. Mexico supply is heavy with a lighter demand and a steady market. Georgia is expected to start in mid-June.

Cantaloupes and Honeydews: California and Arizona are starting up a new crop with excellent quality expected. June will be a good time to start ad promotions as the supplies will increase. The new crop out of Mexico is light and limited temporarily. The desert cantaloupe crop out of Arizona is kicking in, which will add to the overall supplies.

Melon merchandising
Melons contribute mega sales to the produce department. Set up a free-standing display in a good department location throughout the summer months. Use bins and original cartons with false bottoms set it up in a square. Stock it with all the melons and make the display very aggressive in order to draw shoppers to it. If your department floor space is limited, build the melon display on an end cap and spill over the melons onto original cartons.

Check details with your melon suppliers for the best plan suited for ad promotions all through the summer months. The markets can change at any time, so make sure to communicate with all your distributors.

Ron Pelger is a produce industry adviser and industry writer. He can be contacted at 775/843-2394 or by e-mail at [email protected].