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merchandising review sweet onions
Onions’ Sweet, Mild Flavor Sells
Effective merchandising can be a profit-driver throughout the year.
SBY DOUG OHLEMEIER
weet onions remain a highly important category for retailers. The segment of the onion cate- gory that’s mild and sweet is versatile and offers many ways
for shoppers to utilize them in recipes and dishes. Sweet onions account for nearly half of the overall onion category and are experi- encing strong gains in sales.
According to Nielsen Perishables Group, sweet onions are the second-largest selling onion, trailing yellow onions. The overall onion category is second only to potatoes in produce department sales, accounting for $1,567 in weekly volume sales per store, according to the 2017 FreshFacts on Retail, published by Nielsen and the United Fresh Produce Association.
Proper merchandising can create excite- ment and foster higher volume of sales.
“Sweet onions continue to drive overall onion category sales,” says John Shuman, pres- ident of Shuman Produce, headquartered in Reidsville, GA. Demand continues to increase as consumers discover their great flavor and health benefits. Consumers have come to expect a sweet onion year-round in their stores.”
Sweet onions retain a critical position in the produce aisle. “For us, sweet onions are important,” observes Joseph Bunting, director of produce for Lubbock, TX-based United Supermarkets. “The onion category overall is critical. Sweet onions are a big part of it for us.”
SOUGHT-AFTER ITEM
Sweet onions, particularly Vidalias, are an item shoppers seek. “It’s a high-value item,” says Steve Roberson, president of Roberson Onion Corp., based in Hazlehurst, GA. “Vidalias are the first and the most-popular sweet onion. People still look for and ask for the Vidalia onion. They prefer them above all others.”
The category is increasing in popularity. “Sweet onions always have a good ring and a big ring,” says Barry Rogers, president Sweet Onion Trading in Grant, FL. “Sweet onions are displacing other onions every year.”
Sweet onions are grown throughout the
PHOTO COURTESY OF VIDALIA ONION COMMITTEE
Bob Stafford of the Vidalia Onion Committee, which underwent a rebranding to kick off 2018, says, “When a consumer visits a store and sees a nice display of beautiful onions with good signage, it attracts them. You’re seeing more and more large displays because it’s paying off for the stores.”
SWEET SCHEDULE
Sweet onion season, beginning domestically and ending with imports:
Texas: Begins in mid- to late March, when Texas ships sweet onions through May. Georgia: Harvesting of Vidalias usually start in mid-April and runs through early September. California: Production is late spring through fall.
Colorado, New Mexico: June through late summer.
Washington: Walla Wallas generally produce mid-June through mid-August. Nevada: Usually ship from late August through the end of the year.
Oregon, other areas of Washington: Ship late summer through January 2019. Peru: Usually begin in early September, with arrivals finishing in mid- to late February. Mexico: Starts harvesting in early February and ships through mid-April.
Honduras: Begins production in early February and runs through early March.
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United States. The domestic season typically begins in mid- to late March when Texas ships sweet onions through May.
As Vidalias ship through the summer, they hit all the major holidays, including
Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day and July 4, says Jarrod Snider, director of sales for Richter and Co., based in Charlotte, NC. “When you start looking at the promo- tional windows that occur during the Vidalia