Stemilt Growers' Brianna Shales Talks Washington Cherries and Promotional Opportunities
WASHINGTON, U.S. - Summertime is nearly synonymous with cherry feasting for my family and, I imagine, much of America and beyond. There is something so satisfying about a bite into a crisp and juicy cherry when the weather heats up, and, lucky for retailers, Stemilt Growers is offering a long window of opportunity to jump on cherry season with its quality Washington-grown crop and promotion ideas to boost sales.
“Washington Cherries have bloomed and will be harvested soon. This year, it’s looking to be a moderate size crop, with great quality and large size cherries. At this point, we are expecting a nice spread of harvest between our growing districts in Central Washington, and Stemilt cherries will go late into August,” Communications Manager Brianna Shales tells me. “The first cherries in Washington will likely harvest around June 10th, although weather can always move that up or back. From there, volume will ramp up quickly, and we should have supplies for 4th of July promotions.”
Brianna had me at promotions—nothing makes my ears perk up like hearing that magical word in the same sentence with cherries. I am chomping at the bit, as I imagine retailers also are, to find out what types of cherry varieties that Stemilt is offering this season and how to best promote them. So I ask her what the company suggests for retailers during this promotion-heavy opportunity.
“Retailers will go on promotions for the 4th of July, and the key is to keep the promotions going after that. Cherries are a unique part of the produce department because they are not available year-round, but when they are available, they generate a lot of sales for the produce department. So, if you miss a promotional opportunity one week, it can really make a difference to the bottom line,” Brianna says. “What we really recommend is promoting size and flavor. Cherries are typically purchased on impulse. Promoting good size fruit and high-dessert flavor is the way to win that impulse sale, but also to earn that repeat sale. In July we have a promotion centered around this notion. It’s called Kyle’s Pick™—named after our 4th generation cherry grower, Kyle Mathison—which highlights our best cherries: largest sizes with dessert flavors and high firmness in key varieties. What that does is help the retailer differentiate itself as one who sells the premium quality.”
The key, like she says, is to keep the ball rollin’. In addition to the 4th of July, there is another fun holiday right around the corner: National Rainier Cherry Day on July 11th.
When it comes to positioning in the produce department, cherries require prime real estate for optimal sales, Brianna explains. At the end of the day, it’s all about the flavor and quality.
“Cherries need to have a prominent spot in the supermarket during their season to promote the sale. We see refrigerated displays, which really helps to maintain quality. The big thing is to tie it back to where it’s grown and the reason why you’re partnering with people who are offering quality. Shoppers want to be wowed—if it looks good, they’ll buy it, and if it tastes great, they will be back again.”
The company has a multitude of options to stock for consumers—Kyle’s Pick, Half Mile Closer to the Moon™, Dark Sweet, and Rainier cherries, among others. Skylar Rae®, she tells me, is a particularly special cherry brand because of the fruit’s off-the-charts sweetness and firmness. With a bi-color and crisp flesh, these cherries are almost apple-like when bitten into, Brianna explains, and high Brix levels make it a real treat for shoppers with a sweet tooth. Stemilt’s dome-style clamshell is another way that Skylar Rae—the third SKU in the cherry category, Brianna tells me—is differentiated from others on the shelf.
Whatever cherry you pick, I look forward to seeing retailers play up the fun that cherries bring to the produce aisle as promotions heat up this summer.
