Best Practices

Use the information below to start planning how you’ll merchandise Stemilt fruits throughout the year. We have many more promotion ideas to offer up! Contact your Stemilt Sales or Marketing Representative for more information.

Apples

1. Promote!
Promote apples two times per period. List four bulk varieties (on average) and consider sub-featuring two bag apples in the same ad.

2. Placement is key
Fall and winter apple displays should be in lead positions in the produce department. Create color breaks or co-mingle with pear displays for added color.

3. Pick the right product mix
Build a schedule of when varieties will be on the shelf. Limit your mix to a manageable number. Give every item a chance to succeed through promotions and timing!

4. Bulk to bag ratio needs to be right
A general rule of 75 percent bulk to 25 percent bags is a good starting point. Regional differences may change your situation.

5. Don't forget in-and-out promotions
Bring in 5-pound and larger bag specials in DRC's or bins for a five day in-and-out!

6. Keep displays fresh
Apples need to be refrigerated to maintain pressure and crispness. Keep inventory in line and replenish daily.

7. Consider Euro boxes
Euro box apples not only build easy displays, but are also smaller at just 27 pounds. This creates a 33 percent faster inventory turnover.

8. Theme promotions for extra sales
Build apple excitement around holidays such as: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day and more!

9. Nutritional tie-in
Build apple interest through nutrition and diet. Tie in with More Matters and the Produce for Better Health campaigns.

10. Don't forget organic apples
The organic apple category is growing in double digits and deserves attention. Try substituting some organic varieties for conventional varieties to limit excessive SKU count.

Pears

1. Ripened pears sell
Pears are an impulse purchase. Ready to eat pears are a must! A ripened d'Anjou program will show 20 percent or more increase in sales.

2. Pear-A-Paloozas are the best ads
Build pear ads in the fall and early winter with three to six pear varieties. Bartlett and/or d'Anjou will enjoy the company plus sales will show 20 percent or better results than stand alone item ads!

3. Promote with good frequency
Promote once every three weeks to maximize sales.

4. Placement
Pears make for great color breaks in bulk apples. Tests have shown a 6 percent lift in pear sales when displayed with apples.

5. Bag pears are great for in-and-out promo
Try three-pound and five-pound d'Anjou promotions in display ready cartons or floor bins for extra category growth.

6. Mixed pear bags help develop the category
Three pound bags with d'Anjou, Red Pears and Bosc help introduce variety to the consumer in value size pears.

7. Tie-in pears with wine and cheese
Merchandising pears to foodies by including signage that ties in with wine and cheese varieties.

8. Tote bags for larger purchases
Try toting up four-pound (average weight) bags of smaller sized pears for families looking for large value purchases. It makes for a great display too!

9. Secondary displays build category
Seasonal secondary display bins can help win over the impulsive customer.

10. Don't forget organic pears
Organic pears are a must for the complete category. Don't forget to promote them!

Cherries

1. Display Size Matters!

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2. Location, Location, Location!
Cherries perform best at perimeter locations in the produce department. They are impulse purchases - increase sales with secondary displays!

3. Nutritional signage is important
Eight out of ten shoppers (81 percent) feel it is important for their primary grocery
store to make nutritional information available to them.

4. Product Rotation
Freshly turned product creates repeat sales and greater customer satisfaction

5. Temperatures
- Keep cherries cool - ideal storage is 32 degrees Fahrenheit and 90-95% humidity
- Keep cherries dry - cherries absorb water and will soften if sprinkled
- Keep cherries out of sunlight - sunlight raises temperatures and causes cherries to lose moisture leading to limp fruit and brown stems

6. Consumer packaging
Make sure you have the right packaging assortment to meet customer expectations

7. Larger incremental pack size
Studies show that by adding a large pack size (i.e. 4lb clamshell) at peak crop timings you can expect a customer to trade up in purchase size. This created an additional 5% increase in volume and 4 % increase in dollars compared to control stores that only had random weight bags.

8. Promotions
Maximize sales with frequent promotion

9. Add Rainier and Organic Cherries
Introduce these unique sweet treats to your department will give you added sales

10. Don't forget the late hill season!
Stemilt's pioneer approach to high elevation cherries takes you close to Labor Day now. These sales are all incremental!