On the shelves

Display

Encourage consumers to indulge by placing peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots together in a large display. Remember, stone fruit is fragile. Avoid sending consumers home with bruised fruit by not stacking the fruit too high.

A bad stone fruit eating experience can discourage consumers from making repeat purchases. Be sure shoppers know how to properly ripen the fruit. Use signs and point-of-purchase materials to provide ripening directions. Research shows that if consumers have a bad experience with unripe or mealy stone fruit, they will not buy it again for two to three weeks.

Offer consumers a plethora of choices when it comes to stone fruit. Introduce them to the distinct flavors found in white-flesh and yellow-flesh peaches and nectarines and red and black plums. Don’t forget to offer donut peaches and pluots for some different flavors.

Making the sale

Tie-ins

Stone fruit make tasty summer pies. Encourage consumers to buy some to eat out of hand and some to put in pies and cobblers. Place pie shells and cobbler fixings near the stone fruit display for easy purchase.

Include another summertime favorite – berries – in your display. Stone fruit and berries mixed together make a tasty summer salad.

Sampling

Fresh stone fruit is a tasty summertime treat, but many consumers are not familiar with the specialty varieties. Encourage consumers to think beyond peaches, nectarines and plums by offering samples of less-familiar varieties like pluots.

Seasonal promotions

Add some new flavors to that summertime grill. Many people don’t realize stone fruit can be cooked and grilled. Offer recipes and serving suggestions that move stone fruit from snack status to a side dish option.

No summer picnic is complete without a cobbler or pie. Play up stone fruit’s traditional status as a favorite in cobblers and pies by providing recipe suggestions.

Stone fruit can make an appearance in back-to-school displays as well. They are an easy addition to a lunch box. They are self-contained and take no preparation. Encourage consumers to look at stone fruit as a healthy snack.

Price

Stone fruit is usually priced by the pound. Use pricing to draw consumers to the produce department. During peak season offer larger containers of peaches and plums at a discount to capture those interested in canning or making preserves.