Market Minute: Northwest cherries peaking for promotions
Market Minute: Northwest cherries peaking for promotions
This is it — the peak shipping season for Northwest cherries.
Get the premium cherry gems in your weekly ads fast because volume is down this year compared to the bumper crop of the previous two years. Even though the crop is lighter, the Washington cherry quality is superior and they’re ready to be promoted. Many retailers are jumping on the opportunity by entering into timely promotions to drive sales volume while the crop is in its peak range.
Cherries are a short seasonal produce item that can help to boost your sales volume. So you need to act fast — act now — as there is a limited amount of time to get your produce department's share of the overall sales.
Did you know that over 50 percent of cherry sales are unplanned impulse purchases by shoppers? Two or three cases of product just won’t cut it and will only limit the number of dollar sales. In order to take full advantage of cherry sales volume, you will need to think bigger by setting up a massive display at the department entrance along with a secondary display in the store lobby and booster displays near the checkout stands.
Remember to post some nice attractive point-of-sale signs on the displays with both nutritional information as well as price. Consult with your cherry supplier to plan promotions all through the short period while supplies are available.
Support the growers by checking out the Northwest Cherry Toolkit at https://www.nwcherries.com/toolkit/
What do you think? Email me at [email protected]
Ron Pelger is a former director of produce merchandising and procurement for a major supermarket retail chain. He is currently a freelance writer for the produce industry supporting growers, shippers and retailers. He can be contacted at 775/843-2394.
