PBNW

Anjou pear sales are up

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Anjou pear volumes were 24% higher in the last quarter of 2013 than in the same quarter the year before.

Sales of the variety also were 26% higher, according to Nielsen Perishables Group data analyzed by Wenatchee, Washington-based grower-shipper Stemilt Growers.

Volumes and sales of red anjous, bartletts and boscs also were up in the quarter, according to a Stemilt news release.

More use of ripening programs, value bag offerings and multiple varieties on ad at once are some of the reasons Stemilt has enjoyed a season of brisk pear movement, marketing director Roger Pepperl said in the release.

“Here at Stemilt, our pear program has really benefitted over the past several years from capital investments, new products, and a focus on getting multiple pears on ad every month during the fall and winter season,” Pepperl said in the release. “The increased shelf space for pears during a multi-pear ad often results in 15-20% increases in volume when compared to one item pear ads.”

www.thepacker.com

Pears remain impulse buy for American consumers

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Kevin Moffitt with Pear Bureau Northwest recently spent some time talking about the challenges to marketing the northwest pear crop.

“The first issue is the fact that pears are just not on people’s list. Not everybody is buying pears. They’re an impulse item with just a small but solid core group that is buying most of the fruit sold,” said Moffitt.

In a list of top fruit items sold in the U.S. apples come in at the number one spot but pears don’t make the top 10 at number 11.

Less than 50% of consumers buy pears in any given year. In addition to that 35% of pear purchasers are buying 90% of the pears sold.

“Those that do buy pears they tend to buy only 7 times per year,” Moffitt added. “So while we’ll continue to nurture those heavy pear purchasers one key objective is to move those medium pear purchasers up slightly.”

www.freshplaza.com