After more than a decade of robust category performance in the US, Ambrosia continues to hold its position as one of America’s favourite apples.
Available year-round in more than 10,000 retail locations across the country, the variety has one of the highest distributions of any branded apple.
Danelle Huber, marketing specialist for CMI Orchards, says this year has been as strong, if not stronger than 2019.
“Ambrosia has an extremely solid threshold in both sales and volume, holding the third position of all branded apples and the ninth position of all apples overall – core and branded,” Huber said. “Volume has increased by more than 19 per cent, and just over 2 per cent in sales dollars.”
Huber noted that the dollar per pound basis shows that retailers are promoting Ambrosia at reduced pricing, leading to a 14 per cent decrease on a dollar per pound basis, (a decrease of US$0.28 per pound).
“Ambrosia is such a fantastic apple. It has broad appeal, great shelf-life, and offers a consistent eating experience across the board. Consumers know and love this about Ambrosia and continuously seek it out, regardless of its price,” said Huber.
“It has become a mainstay apple, and retailers can hold, and even increase category sales by keeping pricing levels high.”
Originally discovered in Canada in 1990, CMI’s owner group, the McDougall family, earned the exclusive rights to grow and market Ambrosia apples in the US.
The McDougall family has perfected the growing and packing practices over the years to improve colour, harvest timing and storage to deliver an outstanding quality apple. In 2017, the tree patent expired opening the variety to other US growers
CMI’s brand manager, Rochelle Bohm, said the variety had become a staple in retail stores across the US.
“To differentiate CMI’s Ambrosia apples, CMI launched a new label, Ambrosia Gold, described as the “gold standard of Ambrosia apples,” said Bohm.
“It’s hard to believe that this sweet, honey-like apple came from such humble beginnings. This new label celebrates the journey we’ve been on to propel Ambrosia to where it is today, and the decades the McDougall family invested in developing this top-notch apple,” she added.
