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dried fruits & nuts walnuts
nut-butter products introduced from brands such as Crazy Go Nuts and Nutty Gourmet. All of these value-added items appear to be doing well, but when one looks at what other nut varieties are offering, it is clear there is an opportunity for more.
Sizes: Olmstead calls it unfortunate that many retailers only offer a single size of walnuts in their produce departments. “We’ve seen the most successful retailers stocking sizes between 10 to 16 ounces.”
For snacking, halves, the largest size, are best, says Calder. “For ingredient, any size will suit.” Smaller packages also are becoming more available.
Halves or halves with pieces sell the best, agrees Hartman. “We are also seeing an increase in light product, as opposed to combination product.”
Packaging: There has been a pronounced shift to resealable, standup walnut packaging in the grocery aisles, and this is beginning to show up in produce, as well. “We’ve also seen a few new ‘canister’ introductions taking aim on the snacking opportunity,” notes Olmstead.
Promotions: The Board advises retailers to promote walnuts more frequently to
increase awareness of walnuts stocked in the produce department and mention walnuts’ health benefits and versatility through in-store signage as well as digital communi- cations.
“In addition, one of the easiest things retailers can do to increase walnut sales in the produce department is to contact the Cali- fornia Walnut Board,” notes Olmstead. “We have an entire program focused on growing walnut sales in this area of the store, with the ability to contribute resources to increase purchase intent and drive incremental sales volume.”
Merchandising: Walnuts are more of a baking nut than a snacking nut, says Hartman, “so for the most part they should not be merchandised with other snack nuts in the produce department, but with baking nuts.”
For example, placing walnuts on a display with pecans is a good fit, he says. “Recently, walnuts have been tied to many healthy attri- butes, such as omega-3s, so keeping them in a high-traffic area where consumers can find them and choose their own application is a must.”
Hartman’s recipe for retailers who want to sell more walnuts in the produce department is threefold:
• Display them in a visible area with like items, such as pecans.
• Display them with other salad toppings.
• Use temporary price reductions during peak season.
“Year-round visibility” will get the job done, says Calder. “In addition, display both ingredient and snacking-size packages/sizes. All are available industrywide.”
Seasonality: The best times of year for walnut sales are no surprise: holidays, baking season and New Year’s, when we see sales bumps because they are used more often as salad toppers.
Recipes: Walnuts continue to demon- strate their versatility by being included in recipes, ranging from salads to side dishes and from baked goods to smoothies. In recent months, the California Walnut Board has responded to retailers’ requests by creating almost two dozen new recipes combining walnuts with other produce items such as strawberries, blueberries, apples, pears, cher- ries and avocados.
“We’ve also partnered with a number of commodity boards as well as produce brands to cross promote their recipes and include them on walnuts.org,” says Olmstead. “And we’ve created videos for many of these new recipes, which retailers are able to utilize in their digital and social channels.”
What Hartman calls the “new” recipe is using walnuts as salad toppers. “It is a constant challenge with salad eaters to find that topper that keeps the salad healthy, but also adds a little flavor and texture. Walnuts fit the bill. Walnuts have always been a baking nut, and providing walnut costs remain on the low side, they will continue to be used extensively in baked goods. For snacking there are opportu- nities, but leading with them as a salad topper or a baking nut would be better.”
Building sales of walnuts out of the produce department can be done without great difficulty. It simply behooves retailers to choose the best marketing tactics to accom- plish that goal. pb
nHAND-HARVESTED BLACK WALNUTS SELLING WELL BY DOUG OHLEMEIER
Black walnuts, which are hand-har- vested and sourced from wild trees in the Midwest, are experiencing signifi- cant sales growth at retail.
benefits and the nut’s bold flavor.
“The flavor is certainly one of the key features,” says Jacob Basecke, vice pres- ident of sales and marketing. “A lot of people appreciate the distinct flavor profile of black walnuts and how they comple- ment a wide range of flavors. With the growing demand for plant proteins and black wal- nuts having the highest pro- tein of all nuts, we’ve been thousands of Midwestern PHOTO COURTESY OF HAMMONS able to reach a lot of new con- gatherers by showcasing the sumers and make a significant story of harvesting sustainability, health impact in overall consumption.” pb
The nuts possess a bold and distinct flavor.
Since 2017, Hammons Prod- ucts Co., Stockton, MO, has been selling record volumes of its retail packages, which it redesigned last fall. The new packaging pays tribute to the
108 / JUNE 2019 / PRODUCE BUSINESS