SALINAS, CA - Few things stretch out summer joys like a handful of blueberries popping into your mouth. As the heat continues to sizzle here on the West Coast, and National Blueberry Month winds down into back-to-school promotions, it seemed the perfect time to check in on one of the big four in berry snacking.

“Naturipe Farms is thrilled this season with the expanded availability of its proprietary Mighty Blues, which are the company’s jumbo blueberries. Blueberries were off to a slow start in July but now are reaching peak volumes this month,” Brian Bocock, Vice President of Product Management, explains, telling me that the variety bursts with flavor at about the size of a quarter-coin each berry. “Our growers have been developing this variety for years, and it’s great to see its continued success this season.”

Naturipe is currently expecting significant increases in the Mighty Blues label from Michigan, the Pacific Northwest, and Peru in late summer and early fall, perfect for back-to-school lunches and snacking.

“What really makes the health message work is the fact that blueberries taste so dang good. They are easy to eat, easy to clean, easy to store, and are so versatile in their uses. Couple that with how crazy healthy they are, you have a perfect item for the retailer to sell to the consumer,” Brian points out.

This makes blueberries ideal for promoting front and center to drive traffic and increase basket share.

“Cross-promoting blueberries with other berries helps with boosting the full category,” Jerry Moran, Vice President of Sales, says. “Carrying multiple pack sizes to ensure preferred options are being offered to consumers is always best to capture purchases from different households.”

As such, Naturipe offers retailers multiple pack sizes of blueberries to ensure all consumers can find the right options for any need.

“It’s common for retailers to carry pints and larger pack sizes, including 18 oz, 24 oz, or 2 lb packs. Having multiple options during the peak supply periods ensures that consumers can find a match to fit their needs,” he advises.

Blueberries, Brian concludes simply, are the perfect summer snack to satisfy the sweet tooth while not having to worry about overindulging.

“They are so perfect, in fact, that July is National Blueberry Month!” he exclaims. “Blueberries are light but full of flavor; they’re easy to eat and leave you feeling refreshingly full. Blueberry crops are at peak season in the summer months, so there are higher promotable volumes for retailers to take advantage of.”

It is the ideal time to ring up the berry provider and finish out the summer with a blue bang.

Naturipe Farms