Holidays bring opportunities for retailers and suppliers

As the holiday season gets closer, consumers start thinking about the flavors and ingredients that will accompany their favorite holiday meals. Produce is often a star feature of the menu and includes many holiday favorites such as cranberries, sweetpotatoes and Brussels sprouts, perfect for a sweet or savory side dish, and specialty items such as pomegranates and persimmons bring unique flavors to the table. There’s also the potential for gift giving — whether it’s a gift basket of fresh seasonal produce or stockings stuffed with apples, oranges and nuts.

For retailers and suppliers, the holiday season presents a key opportunity to meet this increased demand for produce. The Packer recently spoke with companies about popular holiday produce and how the industry prepares for the season’s heightened consumer demand.

Frieda's Branded Produce

Frieda’s Branded Produce is elevating the holiday season by offering a festive and vibrant selection of specialty produce. Its holiday lineup includes "must-have" staples like Stokes Purple sweetpotatoes, shallots and sunchokes.

For those looking to brighten up their holiday spreads, Frieda’s has colorful essentials such as Popjoys kumquats, pink lemons and graffiti eggplant. And, the company says, “No holiday table is complete without flavor-enhancing staples like our organic Mahana ginger, pine nuts, meyer lemons and Honey Dragons dragon fruit.”

“Dragon fruit continues to gain popularity, and our Honey Dragons dragon fruit stands out as the sweetest variety we offer, providing shoppers with a tropical escape during the colder months,” said Alex Jackson, vice president of sales and marketing for Frieda’s. “Plus, our colorful branding is proven to be 60% more likely to catch the shopper’s eye in-store, bringing excitement and curiosity to the produce aisle. At Frieda’s, we believe exotic tropicals make life more fun and interesting — especially during the holidays.”

Fresh Del Monte North America

“Pineapples have a long history as a symbol of hospitality and welcoming, making the sweet tropical fruit popular during the holidays as an offering for group gatherings or even as a creative gift," said Nuno Baptista Miranda, senior brand manager for Fresh Del Monte North America. "From fun-themed recipes and festive cocktails that bring a tropical flair to holiday entertaining there’s a Del Monte pineapple to suit every occasion." Such as:

• Del Monte Gold Extra Sweet pineapples, which the company says are twice as sweet as traditional varieties and feature a beautiful golden flesh; They are available in multiple sizes, including the Grandissimo Gold grand pineapple.
• Honeyglow pineapples, which are hand-harvested at peak sweetness and ripeness and include regular sizes and smaller options such as the Mini Honeyglow pineapple and Precious Honeyglow pineapple.
• Pinkglow, which is Fresh Del Monte’s proprietary variety of bright pink pineapples.
• Del Monte Zero carbon-neutral pineapples, which are certified by SCS Global Services.

The Wonderful Company

"Because the holiday season takes place during fresh pomegranate season, we see heightened demand for our Wonderful variety whole Pomegranates and POM Pomegranate Arils due to their seasonality, and the ruby red color is the perfect vibrant addition to drinks and dishes," said Jennifer Hirano, vice president of marketing for POM Wonderful. "With a resurgence of consumer love tied to the holidays — most notably Rosh Hashanah, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas — shoppers are always looking for unique culinary ingredients that add a festive touch."

Diana Salsa, vice president of marketing for Wonderful Pistachios, said consumers often look for festive, indulgent treats during the holiday season.

"However, they often feel guilty for overindulging and find themselves consuming more than they normally would," Salsa said. "With the launch of Wonderful Pistachios’ limited-edition seasonal No Shells flavor, Sweet Cinnamon, consumers can enjoy a festive and delicious treat without compromising on their health goals."

"Alongside the holidays come gatherings with family and friends, which can become a stressful time for hosts who are preparing meals," said Zak Laffite, president for Wonderful Citrus. "Luckily, Wonderful Seedless Lemons offer a great solution as they take the hassle out of slicing, squeezing and cooking, making them an ideal ingredient for entertaining throughout the season.

Laffite said Wonderful Halos also are a staple for many families during the holiday season, as some consumers associate mandarins with nostalgic memories of them placing them in Christmas stockings.

Barons Market

On the retail front, Rachel Shemirani, senior vice president for Barons Market, says the most popular produce items are the products involved in holiday recipes.

“Think potatoes, cranberries, celery, yams and sweetpotatoes,” Shemirani said.

For holiday marketing, Shemirani said, Barons Market has in-store displays of the most popular holiday items such as pumpkins, gourds, various squash varietals and cranberries.

"For Halloween, each store has a large pumpkin patch complete with bales of hay and ‘Mr. Jack,’ a giant pumpkin that customers who guess its weight correctly get to take home right before Halloween. Customers love this," Shemirani said. "We’ve also recently introduced store tours for kids and highlight what’s in season in the produce section. This is a great way to engage children in different types of fruits and vegetables and have them learn where everything comes from.”