BAKERSFIELD, CA - It’s been another successful year for Cotton Candy grapes, as Bakersfield, California-based Grapery wraps up the 2nd commercial season of the unique proprietary variety.

The company welcomed overwhelming consumer response as well as a host of media attention. Cotton Candy grapes were featured as an ingredient in the main dish for the Governor’s Ball at the Emmys, and were also covered by Ripley’s Believe it or Not, Good Morning America Online Edition, an LA Times article, and Epicurious, to name a few outlets.

“Quality was fantastic and continues to improve. It’s a new variety on the market and we’re learning more and more every season on how to enhance the Cotton Candy grape’s eating experience,” Jim Beagle, Grapery CEO, tells me.

Consistency of flavor is the most important factor in growing and harvesting the variety, and the company is becoming much more consistent each season in these early years of commercial production.

“Volume was up substantially from 2013 by more than 50% and we expect a similar percent increase in 2015,” Jim says.

Retailer interest on new and unique varieties like the Cotton Candy grape continues to grow dramatically. “Our growth is limited by how fast we can ramp up production in the field and maintain superior quality,” he tells me.

For the foreseeable future, Grapery plans to continue its commitment to partner and grow with retailers who want to execute and deliver that “WOW” eating experience to their consumers.

Jim suggests high quality store-level interactions with consumers to introduce the variety and answer the many, many questions consumers have. Also, creating great merchandising displays that highlight the uniqueness of the product and drive traffic and sales without sacrificing quality enhances the shopping experience. In-store sampling along with smart retail price points that optimize turnover and margin are great ways to maximum total profit for the retailer and build consumer loyalty, Jim notes.

“We work hard to support our retail partners by helping educate their QC and store level staff so there is smooth execution,” he states.

Grapery