Stemilt expands supply of consumer-favorite apple varieties in Washington
Stemilt expands supply of consumer-favorite apple varieties in Washington
Stemilt Growers, Wenatchee, WA, continues to evolve its apple variety mix to ensure it is growing varieties that consumers seek.
The company’s top varieties by volume are Gala, Cosmic Crisp, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp and Pink Lady. Stemilt is a leading shipper of the rapidly-expanding Cosmic Crisp crop, and offers other managed varieties: Aura, SweeTango and Rave.
The latter two are helpful during the fall because they are harvested before many other core and managed club varieties, said Brianna Shales, Stemilt’s marketing director.
Over the past five years, Stemilt’s offerings have undergone notable shifts.
“Cosmic Crisp has grown from little volume to one of our primary apples, we are stronger in Honeycrisp supply and we’ve grown in organic apple volume with a focus on modern varieties like Honeycrisp, SweeTango and Pink Lady,” Shales said. “We’ve reduced and even eliminated apples that were not meeting the bar for what consumers have come to expect at retail.”
Stemilt started harvest for the season in early August with Rave, a cross between Honeycrisp and MonArk varieties. Honeycrisp, Gala and SweeTango harvest began in mid-August.
Fuji, Granny Smith and Cosmic Crisp harvest begins in September, and Pink Lady wraps up the harvest in October.
Shales said the Washington apple growing districts have had mild weather during the growing season, a departure from extreme cold in winter 2023 and excessive heat in summer 2024. Size, color and quality are “looking great,” Shales said in mid-August.
“We have seen some sunburn come about from the late heat we had in Washington, but no significant complications as we’ve started harvest,” she said. “We have a lot of harvest left to go, and weather could always creep in to disrupt it.”
Retailers are eager to feature new-crop Washington apples, with supplies growing tight on some varieties during the transition between seasons.
“Honeycrisp will be up significantly in volume over last year when supplies were tight, so that will be a welcome sight for retailers because it is typically their top-selling apple,” Shales said.
Stemilt offers apple promotion opportunities for retailers throughout the year. Rave is a great option for back-to-school lunch boxes or as an after-school snack, she said.
“In September, SweeTango comes back to stores, and we’re excited about the color and quality this year’s crop can bring for the first large apple promotions as retailers move their sets in the fall to feature items like apples,” Shales said.
Stemilt’s Lil Snappers brand offers smaller apples in colorful three-pound pouch bags, and fruit size this season looks favorable for retailers to succeed with Lil Snappers and other bagged apples. The Lil Snappers program also features pears.
“We are constantly working with our retailers to execute on promotions that are customized to their needs and capabilities,” Shales said. “However, we do come out with creative merchandising and promotions to position our club offerings, organics and tie-ins to seasonal events like New Year’s healthy eating or holidays.”
A larger supply of Stemilt organic apples will allow retailers to feature them with multi-variety promotions several times a year. That includes a four-pack of bulk-sized organic apples in a paperboard container, known as the EZ Band package.
“With increased organic supplies, we hope to expand distribution of EZ Band to help retailers have a new vehicle for organic merchandising,” she said. Although consumers look to bagged apples as a convenient way to buy apples, bulk continues to be a solid vehicle for selling apples.
