Consumers’ favorite apple varieties may be changing according to newly released supermarket performance data for November.
Steve Lutz, Vice President of Marketing for CMI, reports shoppers are increasingly seeking out apples believed to be high in flavor.
A report by Nielsen Perishables Group shows that older varieties like Red and Golden Delicious are losing ground, while new varieties like Gala and Honeycrisp are showing growth. Apple volume in supermarkets increased by 2.5 percent, apple retail prices fell by 6.5 percent, and the gains in volume were said to be supported by these falling prices. Gala was the largest volume apple in U.S. supermarkets, and has increased by 3 percent over the same period last year. Honeycrisp rankead second in volume, jumping by 14 percent.
Lutz reports more consumers are selecting newer variety apples like Gala, Honeycrisp and Fuji at the expense of some traditional favorites. Pink Lady volume jumped by 44 percent, while Ambrosia volume increased by 22 percent, despite supermarket shelf prices substantially higher than the average price for all apples.
Lutz stated, “Increasingly, for retailers success hinges not only on knowing which apple varieties to put on the shelf, but also knowing which apples to emphasize in merchandising and which varieties should be dropped.”