Organic apple sales blossom during Earth Day promotions

February 13, 2018

Retailers across the United States are selling more organic fruit year-over-year and Stemilt’s increased supplies and extended season of key Artisan Organics apple varieties are ready to keep that growth happening as spring arrives. Stemilt is encouraging retailers to begin planning organic apple promotions for Earth Day, which will be celebrated on Sunday, April 22 this year.

“Earth Day is a great time to run organic apple ads and push the organic category,” said Brianna Shales, Stemilt’s communications manager. “At Stemilt, we’ve seen an increase in organic apple volumes this year. Couple that with an increased ability to store and freshly pack organic apples, and we have a great recipe for organic promotions during Earth Day.”

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated in 192 countries by more than 1 billion people around the globe. It is a great day to celebrate the organic category and teach consumers about organic use in-store and out in the field.

“Stemilt has grown organic since 1989, long before it went mainstream,” said Shales. “We are very proud to have been pioneers in organics, and today focus our Artisan Organics program around growing modern varieties that the primary organic shopper — millennials — are looking to buy.”

Stemilt’s Artisan Organics program focuses heavily on providing consumers with organic varieties like Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji and Piñata. Stemilt’s director of sales, Tate Mathison, has created a focal point on growing today and future varietals organically. Stemilt plans to continue to grow its Artisan Organics program based on the increasing demand for organic.

According to Nielsen and the Organic Produce Network, organic fruits are outpacing the growth of other produce categories (vegetables, value added) with 12.6 percent increases in volume and dollar sales when comparing 2017 to 2016. Berries, bananas and apples were the top three fruits fueling the growth.

“Nearly three decades after starting in organics, it’s exciting to have a robust organic apple program that is centered around those varieties that shoppers purchase. The longer season and great qualities allow retailers to promote organic apples in a way they’ve never done before,” said Mathison.

Mathison believes that using Earth Day to celebrate the organic category and focusing on a smaller fruit size profile through branded pouch bags will lead to good results for retailers both in-store and online. Stemilt’s bag lineup includes the three-pound Lil Snappers kid-size fruit program, five-pound Apple Lover pack and four-pound Fresh Blenders bags. All three fall under the Artisan Organics label, with numerous organic varieties available.

“Lil Snappers, Apple Lover packs and Fresh Blenders offer unique opportunities to market intent and convenience to each of a retailer’s core shopper groups,” said Shales.  “Lil Snappers three-pound pouch bags have a smaller fruit size profile, making them great for anyone looking for smaller portion sizes and parents with kids. The organic Apple Lover five-pound pack is great for shoppers who love apples and purchasing in bulk, while the Fresh Blenders four-pound pouch bag is all about that growing crowd of people who are including juicing or blending in their lifestyle.”

With spring just around the corner, Stemilt is excited about the potential to help retailers promote multiple varieties of Artisan Organics apples in a big way leading up to and during Earth Day.

“It’s a great day to put organics on center stage in the freshest part of the supermarket — the produce department. With Stemilt’s variety of branded items for organic apples, Earth Day can be a great way to encourage purchases among your current organic shopper base, as well as appeal to new organic shoppers,” said Shales.