“The apple category is one of the largest produce segments in the country, right behind bananas,” said D’Arrigo. “The bottom line is that just about everyone, from kids to adults, love apples and have their own favorite varieties. That puts the onus on us to make sure we carry all the varieties that our retail customers may need, whether they are from the eastern part of the country or from anywhere else. It is also important to help our retailers ensure that they carry the local items that they need to stock to satisfy their consumers’ demands.”

There is a bit more pressure on D’Arrigo New York to stay ahead of the apples market. The wholesaler, which operates out of the Hunts Point Market, is among the largest apple houses in the Northeast and many retailers are reliant on the wholesaler to stay on top of the trends.

“Our job is to be a one-stop shop for every category,” D’Arrigo said. “We never want to get rid of any item and only want to add SKUs. That means working with growers to see what they are growing, what items are being phased in and out. Right now, I would say that our apple assortment is, more or less, split 50/50 between eastern apple growers and everywhere else. We work very closely with eastern growers throughout the Northeast and have a strong eastern apple program that has been around for nearly 40 years.”

Being so close to the farms that produce apples in the Northeast, D’Arrigo noted that the D’Arrigo New York team has developed a solid comradery with growers in the region.

“Let’s just say we are cut from the same cloth,” she said. “We all experience the same trials and tribulations with Mother Nature and that builds awareness of what they are going through and creates a bond between us. Since we are in each other’s backyard, we know when there is an early frost or a bad storm and it is easier to work through any issues together.

“It certainly helps a lot that the growers are closer to us. First, it is a shorter trip getting the product to our warehouses. Second, if there are any issues, the short distance can help resolve any problem.”

Stressing that D’Arrigo New York wants to work with all apple growers, D’Arrigo noted the need to help retailers highlight apples during key times of the year and to educate and build awareness of apples with consumers.

“Part of our job is to help our retail partners promote the apple category,” D’Arrigo said. “That includes helping them to promote the local apple season when they have product available and to identify the various varieties. We, as a company, know that communication is key and we will work with any grower to give the consumer as many options as possible to choose from.

“We also want to help retailers educate their shoppers so they know where apples come from, the varieties and even how much the weather impacted the crop,” she concluded.