WENATCHEE, WA - As summer reaches its end—and with it, the majority of cherry harvesting—many consumers are finding themselves clamoring to get a final taste of one of their favorite summer fruits. To the delight of consumers and retailers looking to boost their last-minute cherry sales alike, while many Washington companies are wrapping up their cherry seasons during the month of August, Wenatchee-based Stemilt Growers are just getting started on one of its highest-quality offerings—A Half Mile Closer to the Moon™.

“If you look at the information Nielsen has reported on the last three cherry seasons, you’ll find that the last 3 weeks of August resulted in 487 pounds of dark-sweet cherries sold per store per week, with a weekly profit of $2,025, or an average per pound price of $4.16, ” Brianna tells me as we discuss how strong of an impact late season cherries can make on a retailer’s bottom line. “That means a 100 store chain could see more than $200,000 in dark sweet cherry sales during the last 3 weeks of August alone.”

And what makes Stemilt prepared to offer cherries this late into the game? Brianna says August 10th will just be the beginning of harvest for one of the company’s late-season cherry programs, A Half Mile Closer to the Moon. Because of its choice of varieties and unique Amigos Orchard location above Wenatchee, WA, the company is able to make late August another prime selling period for retailers looking to catch last-minute sales.

“Stemilt will continue harvesting cherries fresh daily through this month because of our unique position of growing cherries at high-elevations. Our A Half Mile Closer to the Moon cherries will kick off mid-August, and are great for a final promotion on cherries at retail,” Brianna notes. “They are grown 2,640 feet (a half mile) above sea level and higher, which, when combined with late-ripening varieties, allows us to take cherry harvest later than anyone else in the state.”

An added bonus? Brianna tells me that Stemilt loves to focus on the unique story behind A Half Mile Closer to the Moon cherries, sharing eye-catching POS materials that help sway consumers to add that extra pouch bag to their carts before they leave the store.

“The Moon cherry program is built around quality fruit and storytelling, and offers retailers with a perfect grand finale to cherry season,” Brianna adds. “As research has shown that cherries are primarily purchased on impulse, this freshly harvested cherry pack is one that will be appealing to consumers on sight.”

Want to learn more about Stemilt’s A Half Mile Closer to the Moon cherry program? Visit the company at www.stemilt.com/fruits/cherries/high-altitude-premium-cherries.

Stemilt Growers