Strawberry Splendor
How supermarkets and suppliers are keeping berries No. 1 in produce.
Representing $5.1 billion in annual sales, the berry category ranks No. 1 in total produce, with strawberries accounting for nearly half (49.9 percent) of those sales, according to the California Strawberry Commission.
Strawberry shoppers are good friends for supermarkets to have, notes the Watsonville-based commission, which partnered with Nielsen to conduct the “Supermarkets Fresh & Frozen Strawberries Consumer Purchase Behavior Overview.” The study found that fresh strawberry buyers make eight more trips than the average shopper, and spend two-thirds more on their baskets when strawberries are purchased.
Organic shoppers are particularly important, according to the study: They make more trips to the store and have higher basket rings. They also purchase more strawberries overall.
Berry Trends
In terms of what’s resonating at retail, strawberry trend spotters like Cindy Jewell, director of marketing for California Giant Berry Farms, also in Watsonville, have determined that bigger is better.
“We’re seeing traditional retail grocers competing more with club stores in offering larger packs,” notes Jewell. “We have always known from research data that offering a choice in packaging options increases sales, but we are finally seeing the shift at retail, with more 2- and 4-pound container offerings in addition to the traditional 1-pound package. This shift definitely helps to move more volume when we are in peak season, and it generates a larger ring at the register, which benefits both us as the grower-shipper and our retail customers.”
Data from the California Strawberry Commission supports this trend. The commission found that sales of the 2-pound strawberry package are up 10.1 percent versus a year ago, while 1-pound packages, which account for 70 percent of sales, were down 2.2 percent from a year ago. Two-pound packages represent an 18 percent share of the market.
“The second trend we are seeing is the shift in buying behavior with consumer shopping lists,” observes Jewell. “We have always known that strawberries are bought on impulse — more than 60 percent — based on how they look in the store. However, new research recently published by the strawberry commission shows that more consumers are putting ‘strawberries’ on their shopping list, with that impulse purchase number dipping to 41 percent.”
Given this trend, Jewell says that it’s critical to ensure adequate packaging mix, and that strawberry quality and appearance are optimal to appeal to the consumer. “If berries are on the list, we want to make sure they also make it into the cart,” she says.
Like a growing number of produce companies, California Giant Berry Farms relies heavily on QR codes and social media channels to connect with consumers. “They serve as a window into our virtual world, providing grower information, nutritional information and access to our recipe database,” explains Jewell. “Over half of those visiting us, either on our website or through social media channels, do so with their mobile device,” she adds.
Recipes are an important component of this consumer connection, says Jewell, who notes that while research shows that 75 percent of consumers eat strawberries whole or simply sliced, they still search for new ways to prepare the fruit.
Spring Into Sales
’Tis the season for strawberry promotions, and Well-Pict, in Watsonville, is ramping up its marketing efforts through May. The company is launching an Easter retailer merchandising display contest that runs from March through late April, followed by a two-pronged Mother’s Day promotion in May — one for retailers and one for consumers.
According to Dan Crowley, VP of sales for Well-Pict: “We’ve talked about using social media to cross-promote and generate consumer interest, and how to make the synergy of multiple channels work for them. Fortunately, strawberries are photogenic and are a perfect fit for social media.”
Communicating the health benefits and offering nutritious and delicious recipes is a key tie-in with Well-Pict’s social media efforts.