IRVINE, CA - It’s easy to confuse the shape of a strawberry for a heart—have you seen our latest Snack issue yet? As the quintessential fruit makes its way to every shopper’s basket, I got in touch with Michelle Deleissegues, Vice President of Marketing for GEM-Pack Berries/Red Blossom, ahead of the holiday to gauge the strawberry forecast in stores.

“After the January torrential rains in California, we feel grateful to have our customers 100 percent covered for Valentine’s Day ads,” Michelle starts off. “We’re promoting 1 lb, 2 lb, and Long Stem consumer packs to celebrate this love-filled day.”

With a beautiful Long Stem crop this year, Michelle says the company is excited to be able to promote such a vibrant stem program for the holiday, a time when decadent desserts and simple chocolate-dipped creations abound. The Long Stem strawberries tied together look like a bouquet itself! And even Mother Nature can’t stand in the way of these prime promotions.

“Our volume is lower than anticipated for Valentine’s Day due to the January storms in California, as well as the unseasonably cold temperatures in Florida the last week of January, however, outlooks are bright,” Michelle continues. “We are collaborating with our customers, and fortunately our merger last year sets us up to be packing in Mexico, Southern California, and Florida to meet demand.”

The merger between GEM-Pack and Red Blossom has given the grower the much-needed depth to meet the needs of retailers and shoppers. And, as shoppers come from a snack-heavy Game Day weekend, the freshness of these juicy berries is going to be a beacon in the produce aisles.

“We are stronger on the production side and more fluid customer service-wise,” explains Michelle. “GEM-Pack is continuing to grow throughout the berry patch offerings, and our customers’ response has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Strawberry-tipped arrows will be flying soon, so be sure to catch feelings and updates with ANUK.

GEM-Pack Berries