Market Minute: Get ready for California stone fruit promotions

It’s never too early to start setting up your stone fruit display for the summer months ahead. The early fruit is already starting to arrive in the stores and will increase in volume as we move into June.

Build growth and meet budgeted goals from the sales volume all stone fruit can generate. Be sales and profit minded, enthusiastic and aggressive with your displays.

Use creative and unique skills to draw your shoppers over to those displays. The best way to do that is to set up all the stone fruit items together in one location. Produce end caps are usually the ideal spot for a nice attractive presentation. The display should have good visual for drawing customers to it for them to make big purchases.

California Cherries: Demand is very good with a steady market out of the San Joaquin Valley. Product volume will start to increase rapidly. The Northwest cherries will enter the picture later in June and peak around July 15.

California Apricots: Good supply and the quality is superior.

California Peaches and Nectarines: Early volume of white and yellow fruit is slowly arriving in the stores in smaller sizes until the larger mature fruit is ready. The quality is looking good as usual from California.

Early promotional planning is the key to a successful summer of stone fruit sales. That’s why we always encourage communicating with your suppliers. They can keep you updated on the availability, quality, condition and sizing as well as pricing.

Ron Pelger is a produce industry adviser and industry writer. He can be contacted at 775/843-2394 or by e-mail at [email protected].