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merchandising review stone fruit
Five Ways To Show Off Stone Fruit
signage for retailers to use when promoting it. Since it’s called a ‘lemon plum’ there were even retailers who thought it should be eaten when yellow. Education is so important.”
BTY BOB JOHNSON
he fruit section of the produce department has become a more cosmopolitan, crowded space. And as avocados, easy-peeler Mandarins, and the world’s
most widely eaten fruit — mangos — all have grown more popular, stone fruit has seen sig- nificant declines in consumption.
Annual per-person consumption of peaches in the United States peaked at 13.1 pounds in 1980. In 2014, annual consump- tion was 6.4 pounds per person, a 13% decrease from the previous year, according to the Ag Marketing Research Center.
Despite some positive signs in East Coast production and with imports offsetting domestic production, steadily reduced stone fruit acreage tells the story in California, which still leads the nation in fresh market peach, nectarine, apricot and plum produc- tion. The California fresh peach harvest shrunk from 31,000 to 20,000 acres over the past decade, according to the state’s Cali- fornia Agriculture Statistics Review 2017- 2018, while nectarines fell from 29,000 to 18,000 acres; apricots from 11,100 to 8,800 acres; and plums from 28,000 to 18,000 acres.
“It’s not as favorable with Millennials and younger; it’s an older group buying stone fruit,” says John McClardy, president of HMC Marketing Group, Kingsburg, CA. “We’re trying to do something about that.” But because the stone fruit category is large and has untapped potential, here are five things to consider in maintaining a vital program.
1. COMMUNICATE IN MODERN WAYS
Peaches are the seventh most frequently consumed fruit in the U.S., at an average of nine times per year, trailing only bananas, apples, berries, oranges, melons and grapes. But the stone fruit demographic is declining.
“Baby Boomers are diminishing their purchases, and we are moving into a different group,” says Don Goforth, marketing director at Family Tree Farms in Reedley, CA. “People more than age 60 over-indexed in stone fruit.”
Goforth says the key to merchandising
Tips for holding the line
on this delicious, nutritious but declining category.
96 / JUNE 2019 / PRODUCE BUSINESS
stone fruit is to be adept at reaching younger consumers, who may not browse the produce department, let alone read weekly flyers.
“I don’t think it’s just Millennials; I think we’re overstating that demographic,” he says. “You need an online presence creating a posi- tive predisposition; you need to have an omni- channel approach. We have our merchandising done before people walk into the store.”
In addition to employing modern means of communication, it is important to convey two modern messages — the nutritional value of the fruit and the stories of the people who grow it.
“You can merchandise the health benefits and where they are coming from,” says Kyle Tisdale, marketing specialist at the South Caro- lina Department of Agriculture in Columbia, SC. “Make it personal for the customer.”
The shipper should provide a merchandising campaign that augments the store’s efforts.
“Retailers need to tell their story and realize the younger generation wants to understand where their food comes from,” says Goforth. “It’s our job to help sell it, and most retailers appreciate our leadership.”
Consumers should get information on when different stone fruit varieties are most delicious. “Some white-flesh nectarine varieties can be eaten when they’re more firm, but other vari- eties need to be soft to the touch when held,” advises Karen Brux, managing director of the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association, San Carlos, CA. “For varieties like the lemon plum, it starts out yellow and when it takes on a red blush, it’s ready to eat. For this variety, we’ve developed
2. LOCAL CAN BE IMPORTANT BRAND
Growers in a few areas of the country have been largely immune to the decline in stone fruits because consumers still anticipate the homegrown peaches.
“I definitely think there is an advantage to promoting stone fruit by locale,” says Jeff Simo- nian, president of Simonian Fruit Company, Fowler, CA. “I think retailers definitely get a boost by promoting products grown in state.”
Peaches are the state fruit in South Carolina, where locals proudly harvest more than three times as much as their neighbors in Georgia, the birthplace of commercial production.
“We have seen an uptick in demand the past two years,” says Tisdale. “In South Caro- lina, everyone knows about South Carolina and Georgia peaches. Our season started around May 10 this year and will run into August. It’s mainly peaches. We do a few plums, but it’s mostly for farm stands and local stores.”
The South Carolina Department of Agri- culture is energized about its efforts to help the state’s farmers sell their harvest, including peaches. “Most of our growers use our SC Grown program,” says Katie Pfeiffer, director of merchandising at the South Carolina Depart- ment of Agriculture. “The growers use the logo on their boxes, and the stores use it, too. Some of our growers ship all the way to Colorado.”
South Carolina is second only to Cali- fornia in peach production, and the state’s brand resonates throughout the country. Its peach harvest and acreage is trending up a bit.
“East of the Mississippi, in the Midwest from Chicago up to New York, and definitely in the Southeast, the South Carolina and Georgia name help,” says Tisdale.
3. GO YEAR-ROUND WITH IMPORTS
Stone fruit is a summer treat, but there are also opportunities to merchandise count- er-seasonal product as a splash of sunshine in the middle of winter.
“The peak season for Chilean stone fruit is February and March for peaches and nectarines, and February, March and April for plums,” says Brux. “With more global markets opening up for Chilean stone fruit, especially in Asia, the volumes shipped to