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SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT SUMMER FRUITS AND VEGGIES
Experts offer tips to catch consumers’ attention beyond traditional favorites, themes.
BY ANTHONY STOECKERT
Summertime means fun in the sun, and lots of food. Barbe- cues, picnics, and outdoor dining are all common ways people gather together during the warm
months, and a lot of the meals, snacks, and desserts they eat feature fresh fruits and vege- tables.
The produce department is a key destina- tion for summer shoppers who are looking for foods that are refreshing, healthy, colorful, and are in season.
It’s also an ideal time for merchandising. The summer months offer lots of holidays and themes that can be used to promote fruits and vegetables and boost sales.
POPULAR SUMMER FRUITS
Alex Berkley, sales manager at Frieda’s, Los Alamitos, CA, says tropical fruits, including young coconuts, dragon fruit, and passion fruit are big sellers in the summer.
“We also see shopper interest in grilling vegetables such as Hatch peppers, colored cauliflower and mini sweet peppers,” she says. “One product we get excited about each year is our Angelcot apricots. This unique stone fruit variety is only in season during June. And due to its limited availability year-round, we always see a lot of shopper interest in the product.”
Another suggestion she makes is to spread the word about coconuts.
“Whole young coconuts have become a popular hydrating beverage during summer- time,” says Berkley. “Since they are often on promotion during the summer months, shop- pers love grabbing enough for friends and family to open and drink fresh.”
TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT
Loren Buurma of Buurma Farms, based in Willard, OH, says that while most people associate summer with sweet corn and water- melon, there are lots of other vegetables to
54 / MAY 2019 / PRODUCE BUSINESS
highlight during the season.
“My first radish sandwich is always a treat,
but I also enjoy that first salad full of mixed leafy greens and roasted beets, or a super salad with fresh kale,” says Buurma. “Or some spicy pico de gallo with fresh cilantro, jalapenos, tomatoes, and green onions, or some grilled zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant or a fresh cucumber, pepper, radish and mozzarella cheese salad, or a good Asian salad with Chinese cabbage and green cabbage. I could go on all day, but you get it.”
One promotional strategy that Frieda’s is taking on this year is “popability” as a trend.
“’Popability’ is all about bite-sized produce that is perfect for on-the-go snacking,” says Berkley. “Items such as kumquats and mandarinquats are perfect for summer hikes, beach days and more.”
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
People love summer so much that it some- times feels like the entire season is a holiday, especially since the kids are off and so many
people take a vacation during summer. But there are, of course, some big holidays that take place during the summer, and these are ripe for promotion.
In fact, holidays pretty much define summer. Although summer starts June 21 and continues through Sept. 23, the summer season is consid- ered to take place between Memorial Day (May 27) and Labor Day (Sept. 2). And there are fruits and veggies to coincide with those holi- days, and every day in between.
“Radishes are always our first crop, which we have available for Memorial Day, so we promote them for that holiday,” says Buurma. “We sell both the packaged radishes in cello bags and fresh bunch radishes. Fourth of July is celebrated with fresh, local lettuce salads, grilled green onions, zucchini, yellow squash, roasted beets, Southern greens, and cabbages. Labor Day is our last big push on sweet corn for the season, as well as cucumbers, peppers, Southern greens and the start of our hard squash season.”
Berkley says that although the period