Market Minute: Summer stone fruit looking great for promotions
California stone fruit is rolling in with robust volume — and the fruit quality is outstanding as usual. Peaches, nectarines, apricots are readily available with plums starting up soon. The California cherry supply is 50 percent lighter this year due to weather-related complications during bloom, but from all indications Washington should have a very good cherry crop.
There will be some excellent varieties of yellow and white flesh peaches and nectarines, red and black plums, plumcots, pluots and even some peacharines to build around the usual primary items. The early peaches are looking great with some nice bright red color.
Peaches are also being shipped from the East out of Georgia and South Carolina. The quality and flavor is always superior. Sizing is good as well.
Pouch bags of stone fruit are also available.
Merchandising Tips
Be creative by setting up a summer display of all stone fruit items together using color contrast to draw shoppers. The display can be set on an end cap or an open floor location in or around the produce department. Create a waterfall spillover onto original empty shipping boxes with the top boxes installed with false bottoms to prevent shrink.
The spillover will give the display that aggressive appearance that lures customers over to the fruit and persuade purchasing. Do not stock the product more than two layers to prevent damaging the sensitivity of the stone fruit. Top off your display with signage that shows the item description and price in order to give customers all the information they appreciate.
No signs and no retails means no sales. Remember to keep the display neat, clean and well stocked with product.
Check out all stone fruit items with your suppliers. Handle only the best quality and sizes. Assure that you will get the quantities you need to support advertising promotions and the store displays.
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].
