Sunkist Announces Return of California Star Ruby Grapefruit and National Display Contest

April 25, 2024, Valencia, Calif. - California Star Ruby Grapefruit season has arrived, and Sunkist is excited to announce a national display contest running through July. This initiative is geared towards retailers to help boost the grapefruit category by promoting its delicious flavors and vital nutrients that enhance overall well-being.

Citrus is an important part of the consumers' shopping basket right now, as Circana shows citrus volume up 6 percent mid-way through April, outpacing total produce (+1 percent) and total fruit (+1 percent) compared to the same time last year.

To build on this momentum heading into the late-spring/summer months, Sunkist launched a grapefruit-specific study seeking insight into shoppers' overall perception of the variety and the determining factors to making a purchase at the store level.

"We have learned a lot about grapefruit shoppers over the years, and according to a new Sunkist-commissioned study, grapefruit buyers continue to be loyal to the variety, with 50 percent making repeat purchases multiple times per month," says Cassie Howard, Sr. Director of Category Management and Marketing at Sunkist Growers, Inc. "When speaking with shoppers, we also know that pricing, promotions in-store, and a strengthened focus on health are the key takeaways to encourage more grapefruit purchases."

California Star Ruby grapefruits emerge onto the scene in spring and last through summer, presenting the perfect opportunity to position the nutrient-packed A-lister in front of shoppers seeking healthier snack-and-meal alternatives and wanting more value from their recent grocery purchases. The new Sunkist-commissioned study revealed most shoppers are purchasing grapefruit for its health benefits, followed by taste, and that breakfast and snacking are the most common usages for consumption. These insights can help our retailers better position health-focused breakfast options for grapefruit and introduce new ways to incorporate grapefruit into everyday life for shoppers.

"A recent webinar from Circana focusing on The Snack Journey showed almost half of consumers snack more than three times per day, with over 70 percent of snacks being sourced from home," explained Howard. "We aim to be a shopper's go-to resource for instilling healthy citrus-infused habits at home, and with snacks on the rise, our engaging social media campaigns and website content are great tools for shoppers to reference as they internally battle healthy eating versus indulgence at checkout."

Sunkist's shoppable recipe programs and merchandising toolkit feature interactive point-of-sale materials with scannable QR codes, providing shoppers with real-time recipe inspiration and utilization tips. With bigger sizes this season, Sunkist has expanded offerings to fit the needs of its retail partners, providing multiple bag options and customizable merchandising to not negatively impact bulk purchases.

Sunkist's National Display Contest is taking place now through July, with prizes awarded to the produce managers of the top 3 winning stores. Contact your local Sunkist sales rep to learn more about the rules and eligibility, and sampling opportunities to encourage trial and prompt purchase in-stores.

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Sunkist Growers is a citrus marketing cooperative, founded in 1893, which is owned by and operated for thousands of family farmers growing citrus in California and Arizona. For more information, visit www.sunkist.com.

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