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dried fruits & nuts pecans packages — those bigger than 20 ounces —
constitute 21 percent of sales, says Honan. Pieces, or chopped pecans, represent more than 30 percent of the overall pecan category, according to the Council.
Junior Mammoth Halves at Truly Good Foods sell best and are a larger pecan for consumers who bake or snack, says Hartman. An e ective display will feature one-third pieces and two-thirds halves, he says. “Bakers are probably our No. 1 user, but we are seeing growing consumption in spiced/sweetened and as salad toppers,” says Hartman.
Best sellers for Valdosta, GA-based South Georgia Pecan Co., are typically 12- to 16-ounce packages of pecan halves or pieces. But snack-sized packages are growing in popularity, says Hannah Russell, sales and marketing. When prominently displayed in the produce department with other nuts, “freshness resonates with consumers, which helps move more volume,” she says.
Most of the sales by Sahuarita, AZ’s Green Valley Pecan Co., are 8- and 16-ounce bags. A way to promote year-long purchases is to promote recipes. “We work with retailers to do promotions during the learner months,” says Garrett Ferguson, director of sales. “We o er
a recipe to use pecans in a healthy way during di erent times of the year.”
Value-added pecans provide exibility and value. McGehee says Genuine Georgia is seeing a drop in the average size of pack- aging as consumers discover the versatility and healthful bene ts of pecans. Smaller packs help sell the product at lower retails, which encourages multiple purchases, he says.
CROSS MERCHANDISING
“Pecans are very under-marketed as a salad topper,” says Schmidt. “Pecans and other tree nuts should be displayed in the produce section next to salads because they are a great source of shelf-stable protein and so many people these days are looking for vegetarian and vegan dinner options, even if they don’t follow those diets strictly.”
During the start of the New Year, when people begin making health resolutions, retailers should stress pecans’ health bene- ts, along with taste. “Promote pecans as a very convenient nut with great avor,” Zedan says. “Promote the avor and that pecans last longer. eir shelf life is better than some of their competitors, which means you can buy and enjoy them longer.”
Zuppardo’s Family Supermarket sells shelled and in-shell pecans for those who want to shell the nuts themselves. Zuppardo says, “Pecans dress up every dish.”
e best way to merchandise pecans is in high-impulse areas in locations where quick snacking decisions are made. “Produce depart-
ments are a natural home for them,” says McGehee of Genuine Georgia. “ ey also do well in the health food aisles and at checkout kiosks. A high-graphic shipper is a perfect way to get the message out to consumers.”
BULK VS. PACKAGED
Merchandising in bulk or packaged work well, says Truly Good Foods’ Hartman. “Put them in a highly visible area, along with other nuts,” he says. “Standalone pecans will not cut it, but if you merchandise them with other snack or baking nuts, you will create higher awareness and somewhat of a destination.”
Visibility is critical, says Durham-Ellis’ Rich. He recommends displaying pecans on large gondola merchandising tables and in pallet modules. Rich notes some retailers construct displays by stacking boxes on top of each other and making island displays.
“Don’t make it too hard for shoppers to nd them,” says Rich. “[Retailers] shouldn’t put pecans where watermelons are in the summertime, but they still need to make them visible and try to sell the product.”
Georgia produces the most pecans, followed by New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Louisiana and California, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Consumption follows production, and the southern half of the U.S. leads in consumption,” says McGehee. “But there is a huge opportunity for West Coast and northern retailers to jump on board. e growth potential is huge on the West Coast, the upper Midwest and the Northeast.” pb
nSIZINGS HELP SELL
Daniel Zedan, owner and president of Nature’s Finest Foods, Ltd., a Batavia, IL, marketing and consulting group, recom- mends retailers promote pecans’ numer-
ous sizes.
Generally, almonds and walnuts are
sold in only one or two sizes of pieces, or are marketed in halves and pieces mixed together. Pecans, however, are market- ed in eight different sizes of halves and eight different sizes of pieces, he says. “You can buy pecans in just about any size you want,” says Zedan. “It makes it more convenient and more readily usable than the other items.”
Garrett Ferguson, director of sales at Green Valley Pecan Co. in Sahuarita, AZ, recommends retailers try to connect pe- cans to shoppers with current health and farm-to-table trends. “Those two trends
do very well with pecans, as well as a lot of other tree nuts,” he says. Some retailers have erected displays showing where the pecans are grown. Ferguson recommends showing a beautiful pecan orchard in displays. “To get them to eat year-round, the ways we market must be unique,” says Ferguson.
Retailers are increasing their pecan promotions as shoppers consistently buy their favorite produce items throughout the year as opposed to their baking buys, which tend to be more seasonal, says Lu- cas Schmidt, sales director of New Aces Pecan Co. in Las Cruces, NM. “We need to take the focus off ‘the pie’ and educate on how many other everyday uses there are for pecans,” he says. “Pecans can be eaten at every meal. They are nutri- ent-dense and fill you up. ” pb
170 / OCTOBER 2018 / PRODUCE BUSINESS