(Photo courtesy of Sun Pacific)
Portland, Ore.-based New Seasons Market saw a 200% increase in Air Chief organic grape sales thanks to a recent promotion.
The location that won the display contest saw sales up 419% over the same period in 2017, and Air Chief organic grapes accounted for 11% of overall produce sales during the promotion, according to a news release.
“When the produce managers at New Season Market are given a sales challenge, you can expect to have your sales projections smashed,” produce director Jeff Fairchild said in the release. “We partnered with Sun Pacific, grower of Air Chief organic grapes, and challenged our stores to ramp up their creativity and merchandising skills with a sales contest.”
New Seasons Market, a natural foods chain, took care to address sustainability in how it promoted the grapes.
“By merchandising our organic grapes without a plastic bag or clamshell, we are satisfying our customers’ desire to sample the grapes before purchasing and supporting our core values of doing what’s right for the environment by using less plastic,” Fairchild said in the release. “Equally important, the quality, flavor and crunch of Air Chief organic grapes are unmatched, and our customers love them.”
Melissa Heinrich, vice president of vineyard category development at Pasadena, Calif.-based Sun Pacific, listed some of the attributes of the grapes.
“Our organic pack is a 21-pound, stem-up, hand-selected pack,” Heinrich said in the release. “All bunches are at least three-quarters of a pound or larger, with an emphasis on having a traditional shape composed of wide shoulders and a tapering tail. These hand-selected bunches are packed on a bubble pad, followed by a liner, and lastly paper is added to ensure our organic grapes arrive in excellent condition and are display-ready.”