The end of the year holiday period is an extremely important time for Bard Valley Date Growers Association as it is one of the top two selling periods for dates, giving consumers an opportunity to add something special to the menu.

“Historically, we see two key seasonal peaks, Ramadan and the winter holiday season,” said David Baxter, Bard Valley’s vice president of sales and marketing. “While Ramadan remains our strongest sales period due to the cultural significance of dates in breaking the fast, holiday sales follow closely behind as consumers incorporate Medjool dates into baking and holiday recipes.”

He noted that the grower-shipper has always paid close attention to the marketing opportunities that characterize that season. “We have been supporting the holidays with secondary displays, in-store promotions, and consumer campaigns for as long as we have been around,” he said. “During the fall and winter baking season, we encourage shoppers to purchase our organic pitted and conventional pitted Medjool dates as they prepare for holiday meals and entertaining. These SKUs offer a convenience that is ideal for seasonal recipes and gatherings, and we see strong performance in this segment during the holidays.”

Baxter said that while this year’s harvest was down a bit from last year due to cooler weather and some late season rains in both Yuma, AZ, and California’s Coachella Valley, there is still plenty of volume for sales and promotions. “On the plus side, quality and sizing are looking excellent for this season,” he added. “From a volume standpoint, we are expecting similar sales to our previous year. Demand continues to grow so we are having to manage the supply and demand side this year; our goal is to ensure that we can support our retail partners and keep them in full stock all year.”

The Bard Valley executive reported that dates do respond extremely well to promotion, especially when retailers highlight their versatility and seasonal relevance. “Secondary placements near complementary items like bananas can drive incremental sales, in which we’ve seen a 70 percent increase,” he revealed. “During the holidays, we suggest pairing Medjool dates with charcuterie ingredients or better-for-you dessert items.”

Baxter said dates are a growth item with solid evidence that demand is rising. He said social media searches have indicated that consumers are actively seeking out the health benefits of dates, with search terms for date-related topics surpassing a 5,000 percent increase in search volume recently.

In terms of the retail merchandising of dates, Baxter said nothing moves the needle nearly as much as getting placement that is front and center. Date industry members have often bemoaned the retail product placement, which sometimes sees dates tucked below display tables or on adjacent shelves rather than in a prominent produce department location.

On the what’s new front, Baxter said Bard Valley does have new imported date varietals that are being marketed in the United States. “These are different varieties of dates that all have their own unique characteristics — Ajwas, Sukkari, Khalas and Khudri,” he said. “These dates varietals are known by those consumers who are knowledgeable about the category and new consumers who show interest in trying new flavors.”