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dried fruits & nuts raisins
Raisins A Natural To Increase Sales
Promoting health benefits and display’s positioning remain key to marketing.
BY HOWARD RIELL
Americans love raisins for lots of reasons, and each of those reasons is another oppor- tunity for smart retailers to boost their sales.
Health remains a major driver. Raisins are an excellent source of the trace mineral boron, antioxidants, dietary fiber and the vita- mins B1 and B6. Older consumers like them because raisins are often suggested as a way to promote regularity because of their high fiber content. Researchers at Oregon State University found raisins could be used as an alternative to sodium nitrate — a preserva- tive used in bacon, jerky and lunch meats — which has been shown to break down into a cancer-causing chemical called nitrosamines.
Americans’ insatiable desire for healthy eating is fueling sales of raisins for salads, snacking, baking, to-go and more. Suppliers are doing their part, presenting consumers with a variety of tasty and innovative product options. For example:
• Earthbound Farm, a leading organic produce brand and a unit of Danone North America, is marketing a popular line of or- ganic raisins.
• Mariani Packing Company in Vacav- ille, CA, is finding success with its Mariani Premium California Raisins, which are pre- servative-free and have no added sugar. Other brisk sellers include Sea Salt Caramel Raisins and Vanilla Yogurt Raisins.
• Champion Dried Fruit in Fowler, CA, is doing well marketing its Raisels Gold- en Raisin Sours line in Watermelon Shock, Lemon Blast and Orange Burst varieties. The company also markets Champion Vanilla Yo- gurt Coated Raisins.
• Roland Marketing Inc. in Fridley, MN, which sells and ships product locally, regionally and nationally, is pleasing Amer- ican shoppers with its Franny’s Organic Raisins. The “gourmet organic” raisins come, the company says, “straight from the farm to you ... and unlike conventional raisins, we use a controlled dehydration process called
‘water-dipped,’ which produces a uniform, full-bodied raisin.”
In fact, the demand for raisins is increas- ing globally, thanks to their varied applica- tions and different health benefits. According to market research analysts at TechNavio in London, the growing popularity of a vegan diet is one of the key emerging trends in the global raisins market. In a May report, its TechNavio analysts said, “The number of consumers adopting vegan diet is increasing globally, thereby increasing the demand for raisins.” Though conventional raisins account- ed for nearly 57 percent of the market last year, that marketshare is expected to trend downward by 2022. “The fastest-growing product is organic raisins, which will account for nearly 44 percent of the total marketshare by 2022,” according to TechNavio’s analysts.
POPULAR PROMOTIONS
Consumers and retailers alike love raisins’ versatility, which has implications – good ones – for the potential effectiveness for in- store marketing and merchandising strategies.
“Organic raisins continue to show growth in the marketplace,” notes Mitch Wetzel, vice president of sales for Sunview Marketing In- ternational in Delano, CA. All of Sunview’s jumbo raisins are made using dried table grapes. “They are larger than the majority of the raisins you will find in the marketplace.” Consumers love them, he adds, because “rai- sins are available year-round, and a great nat-
ural healthy snack.”
“Raisins are a popular promotional dis-
play item, since they respond well to impulse buys,” says Stephanie Harralson, director of marketing, North America, for Sunsweet Growers in Yuba City, CA. “They can some- times be placed near other snacking fruits such as apples, or grouped with other healthy snack items, or on a shelf set with other dried fruits that is adjacent to produce.”
Promotions, when done effectively, can be used to drive sales. In-store shippers around key seasonal time frames such as early and late fall, winter holidays and Easter work well, says Harralson. “Ready-to-display case stacks are also a good way to bring attention to raisins.”
Executives at Sunsweet have found six- pack raisins are one of the most-popular forms, since raisins are a popular snack- ing item for both kids and adults. The Del Monte cannister is a top item for consumers who purchase raisins frequently, whether for snacking or baking.
Home bakers love to include lots of rai- sins, “but the most common usage is for snacking and as a topping for oatmeal or sal- ads,” says Harralson.
Smart retailers help inform shoppers about uses and benefits they may not have thought of. “Most often, it’s as a healthy snack,” says Harralson. “During the holidays, they are promoted along with other baking ingredients for breads and cookies.”
According to Harralson, the biggest chal- lenge faced by retailers when marketing rai- sins is “making sure they are easy to find for the consumer, and not hidden on a bottom shelf.” In-store displays are key during the important seasonal timeframes.
Cross merchandising, of course, always presents additional opportunities. “Some nice displays can be created with baking ingredi- ents,” says Harralson. “Healthy lunch pairings would also make a good display opportunity.”
HEALTH ON DISPLAY
Joe Tamble, vice president of retail sales execution for Sun-Maid Growers of Califor- nia in Minneapolis, says his data shows when dried fruit is located and displayed in the pro- duce department, sales increase significantly when compared to center-store location.
Raisins are a primary part of Sun-Maid’s
82 / AUGUST 2018 / PRODUCE BUSINESS