July 8, 2024 WENATCHEE, Wash. – Back to school time means back to Rave apples! To build velocity through apple sales in late August and September, Stemilt Marketing Director, Brianna Shales, suggests retailers put Rave apples on their roster for back-to-school promotions.
Rave is a Honeycrisp-MonArk cross grown in Washington State by Stemilt BB #:113654, New York by Yes! Apples, and Michigan by Applewood Fresh BB #:348232. To support Rave apples, the three grower-shippers are here to cheer the apple on with merchandising tips for the upcoming season.
“Rave is the only apple that is freshly harvested during the back-to-school timeframe, so you can bring it into the promotion mix to kick off the apple season strong,” says Shales. “With bright, fun packaging available for use this year, retailers can decorate their Rave displays with captivating boxes, display bins, POS signage, tote bags, or carry it in convenient pouch bags.”
To help retailers prepare for back-to-school time with Rave apples, Stemilt can support in-store activations including demos and enticing displays with school-themed signage. Creating a display that meets the convenience needs of today’s consumer is a great way to drive purchases. Placing school lunch options near Rave like oranges, peanut butter, or other grocery items can encourage parents to purchase a healthy snack for their kids.
“With most of our apples coming off the trees in mid-September through mid-October, Rave allows New York the unique opportunity to offer consumers a tasty treat right before Labor Day weekend,” says Tenley Fitzgerald from Yes! Apples. “We will be encouraging consumers to grab Rave as their go-to back-to-routine snack, whether returning to the classroom or the office. This year, we will use billboards, paid social, content creator partnerships, and sampling to spread the word and flavor on Rave! With its zippy flavor and an attitude to match, Rave is a great way to launch us into apple season!”
Growing conditions for Stemilt Rave apples in Washington state have been mild since bloom and will be favorable to bring out Rave’s flavor. Looking ahead to fall harvest, the three growers will have a similar sized crop as last year.
“Rave signifies the start of our Michigan apple harvest in early August, and we plan for a similar crop to last year with this variety,” says Shelby Miller from Applewood Fresh. “Our focus this season lies heavily on giving consumers an eating experience to ‘rave’ about with the help of in-store demos, sampling events and coupon promotional support.”
Stemilt will have billboards up in select markets to remind consumers of Rave’s season. The grower is also tapping into influencer programs where Rave specific content calls attention to the apple and its back-to-school timing.
“Our goal is to help parents and their children Rave their way back to school with the outrageously juicy, and refreshing snappy zing of Rave apples,” says Shales. “Having quality apples from Stemilt, Yes! Apples and Applewood Fresh on display for school lunches will help set the stage for a great kick-off to the apple and school season!”
About Stemilt
Stemilt is a family-owned grower, packer, and shipper of tree fruit. Owned and operated by the Mathison family, Stemilt’s mission is to cultivate people and delight consumers with its World Famous Fruits. Stemilt is a leader in sweet cherries and organic tree fruits, and a key supplier of apples and pears. The company stewards an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible business through its Responsible Choice® program, which has been in place since 1989. For more information about Stemilt, visit www.stemilt.com.
