The Chilean Blueberry Committee has identified several markets in the US with high blueberry sales during summer which present growth potential for winter blueberry purchases – when Chilean blueberries are plenty available.
On average, Chile exports 85 per cent of its blueberry crop to the US, shipping 15m cartons to the market this past season or 55 per cent more than the previous year.
The markets with the most opportunity for increased winter blueberry sales are in the west and southwest of the country, in such cities as Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles and the Phoenix/Tucson area, according to Nielsen data.
Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, New Orleans and all major cities in Florida, meanwhile, have significantly higher blueberry sales in summer verses winter.
The picture is different in the eastern US, where research reveals that many of those states enjoy higher blueberry sales in winter over summer.
“Armed with this new data, we now have a much better idea as to where we can most effectively concentrate our promotional resources,” said Andres Armstrong, manager of the Chilean Blueberry Committee.
“We have identified a number of retail partners in these growth-opportunity areas, and we look forward to working with them to help ensure that they are taking maximum advantage of these demonstrated marketing opportunities to increase their produce profits.”
The Chilean Blueberry Committee is set to target its winter promotion program in markets with a high summer blueberry sales index and lower winter sales, added Tom Tjerandsen, Managing Director North America at the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association.
“We’ll work with local and regional food editors to place stories that promote ways to incorporate fresh blueberries into traditional winter dishes and with restaurant operators to show them how, with the help of fresh blueberries, they can make ordinary dishes extraordinary,” he said.
Retailers in those markets also will receive extra promotion and merchandising support, including in-store radio announcements and recipe booklets.
The committee soon will announce a full promotional program directed to consumers and the retail and foodservice trades.
