Pear volume down slightly, 'now is the time to promote'
Pear volume down slightly, 'now is the time to promote'
According to Stemilt’s FruitTracker program, pear category volume and dollars were down slightly year-over-year when the company looked at category performance over a four-week period in November 2014.
The reduction in category volume and dollars is to be expected given the fact the crop is down considerably over last year, according to Roger Pepperl, Stemilt marketing director.
The findings were published as a Stemilt-O-Graphic, a one-page report that delivers national category insights in an easy-to-read infographic format. The data comes from Nielsen Perishables Group.
“Pears are alternate-bearing fruits and this is the 'off' crop year in the Northwest so it’s not surprising to see a dip in both category volume and dollars," Pepperl said in a press release. "However, it also tells retailers that now is the time to promote the pear category in order to reverse this trend and capitalize on the great quality of fruit available during the remainder of the season.”
Promotions centered on the many nutritional benefits of pears are great in the new year with all the focus on healthy resolutions. Stemilt also encourages retailers to tell the story of where their pears come from because it’s the story that consumers want to hear more and more.
“People want to know where their food came from and who grew it," he said. "Our Rushing Rivers pears come straight from the best pear locales in the world and have a great story to tell. From cartons and signage to videos, photography and more, we have all the tools to help tell that story to their shoppers this winter and early spring."
Bartlett, d’Anjou and Bosc were the top three varieties, accounting for a combined 87 percent of category sales during the four-week period.