Nielsen confirms Crunch Pak as a top prepared-food item
Nielsen confirms Crunch Pak as a top prepared-food item
Market data recently released by AC Nielsen indicate that sliced apples marketed by Crunch Pak LLC in Cashmere, WA, rank among the top prepared food items consumed.
Crunch Pak Director of Marketing Tony Freytag said that the one-pound bag of sweet apple slices was fourth on the list, and the company's tart apple slices ranked 12th. This is no small feat, he noted, because the overall list includes 1,400 items classified as prepared foods.
The news is also impressive because the sliced-apple category as a whole has shown explosive market sector growth, Mr. Freytag told The Produce News. "If you were to try to go back five years ago, the data would have been zero. Our March this year is up dramatically from March last year."
Crunch Pak will exhibit at booth 4509 at the United Fresh Produce Association annual convention in Las Vegas. In addition to Mr. Freytag, members of the Crunch Pak staff who will be available to meet with convention-goers are Gail Morrison, Jennifer Dietrich, Hannah Flick, Bob Cummings and Ozgur Koc. Staff will talk about the latest developments at Crunch Pak and provide information about the company's co-branding venture with Disney Garden.
Although Crunch Pak has never conducted focus-group research, Mr. Freytag said that the Nielsen results corroborate the company's informal findings. "Consumers have voted with their pocketbooks," he said.
In addition to these results, Mr. Freytag said that Crunch Pak representatives would talk about plans for the future. Because the sliced apple category is narrow, Mr. Freytag said that it is critical to keep innovating and adding value to Crunch Pak products.
Last fall, a new clamshell was introduced combining apple slices with caramel dip. "It was very successful," Mr. Freytag said. "This is the base concept. Everything will spin off this."
Crunch Pak is currently experimenting with a clam that pairs apple slices with peanut butter and yogurt. This summer, the company plans to do some limited testing and see how the combinations stack up.
Research and development are done during the summer months, Mr. Freytag explained, because it is the most competitive time of the year for apples. "As fall comes, modifications can be made for a fall rollout," he said.
According to Mr. Freytag, the company continues to provide a consistent eating experience to consumers. Although the majority of apples used are conventional, Crunch Pak continues to develop its organic apple program.
Crunch Pak Director of Marketing Tony Freytag said that the one-pound bag of sweet apple slices was fourth on the list, and the company's tart apple slices ranked 12th. This is no small feat, he noted, because the overall list includes 1,400 items classified as prepared foods.
The news is also impressive because the sliced-apple category as a whole has shown explosive market sector growth, Mr. Freytag told The Produce News. "If you were to try to go back five years ago, the data would have been zero. Our March this year is up dramatically from March last year."
Crunch Pak will exhibit at booth 4509 at the United Fresh Produce Association annual convention in Las Vegas. In addition to Mr. Freytag, members of the Crunch Pak staff who will be available to meet with convention-goers are Gail Morrison, Jennifer Dietrich, Hannah Flick, Bob Cummings and Ozgur Koc. Staff will talk about the latest developments at Crunch Pak and provide information about the company's co-branding venture with Disney Garden.
Although Crunch Pak has never conducted focus-group research, Mr. Freytag said that the Nielsen results corroborate the company's informal findings. "Consumers have voted with their pocketbooks," he said.
In addition to these results, Mr. Freytag said that Crunch Pak representatives would talk about plans for the future. Because the sliced apple category is narrow, Mr. Freytag said that it is critical to keep innovating and adding value to Crunch Pak products.
Last fall, a new clamshell was introduced combining apple slices with caramel dip. "It was very successful," Mr. Freytag said. "This is the base concept. Everything will spin off this."
Crunch Pak is currently experimenting with a clam that pairs apple slices with peanut butter and yogurt. This summer, the company plans to do some limited testing and see how the combinations stack up.
Research and development are done during the summer months, Mr. Freytag explained, because it is the most competitive time of the year for apples. "As fall comes, modifications can be made for a fall rollout," he said.
According to Mr. Freytag, the company continues to provide a consistent eating experience to consumers. Although the majority of apples used are conventional, Crunch Pak continues to develop its organic apple program.
