Branded apple varieties Cosmic Crisp® and Pink Lady® apples are both up in volume this year out of Washington. "We had an optimal growing season which has made flavor stand out for these sweet and tart varieties," says Brianna Shales, marketing director for Stemilt Growers LLC, adding that compared to last year, the Cosmic Crisp volume is up 57 percent year-over-year. "Our 2025 Pink Lady crop is considered vintage with color and flavor quality being the high points."
Meanwhile, the Pink Lady crop is likened to the 2022 vintage crop where it made up 7 percent of the category volume. In the past year, it's made up 5 percent of apple volumes and also 5.2 percent of apple sales in the Western region.
As for movement, Shales says the 2024/2025 apple crop is moving in a positive direction as retailers were aligned at the start of the new crop on apple varieties most readily available. "We also did not experience a gap between the Cosmic Crisp and Pink Lady crops this year which gave them momentum at retail making for a smooth transition from one crop to the next," she says.
Cosmic Crisp gaining traction
As part of that positive direction, the Cosmic Crisp is now the #7 apple in the category which could in part be because the apple benefits from long-term storage where it converts starches to sugar. So the longer it sits, the sweeter it gets. "Apple volumes and dollars were both up year-over-year with Cosmic Crisp making up 4.5 percent of total volumes and sales compared to 3.4 percent of volumes and 3.5 percent of sales a year ago. Pink Lady also had year-over-year volume and dollar growth," says Shales.
Overall apples continue to move well, except for Honeycrisp which needs to slow down due to lower volume across the industry. (Honeycrisp is down 32 percent year over year.) "This is a great year for promoting other core varieties like Cosmic Crisp and Pink Lady which are in great supply," says Shales.
The company is also hoping that the Cosmic Crisp can be, in light of that tighter Honeycrisp supply, the "crunch successor" to the latter variety, though that also comes with some continued education about the variety. "We can help increase consumption by educating consumers about the apple's unique flavor and benefits like storability and its natural resistance to browning," says Shales.
Looking ahead at SEPC
While apples will be top of mind for Stemilt Growers at the upcoming Southern Exposure show March 6-8 in Orlando, Florida, it won't be the only fruit being talked about. The company, a sponsor of this year's show, will showcase branded items such as its Lil Snappers® kid's-size fruit (including apples, pears, and organic fruit), Kyle's Pick® cherries, and A Half Mile Closer to the Moon Cherries®.
In all, it will discuss its apple, pear, and cherry programs with both the Pink Lady and Cosmic Crisp presented in bulk, bags and display bins. "A new Stemilt Cosmic Crisp rocket display will also be there as an eye-catching merchandising tool to help retailers win at the point of sale," says Shales. The company will also feature a new header for display-ready cartons on the show floor for the Lil Snappers brand at the show.
Also looking ahead, the company, which will exhibit in booth #820, will present its cherry program in top seal and bag packaging. "Along with it will be the grand finale to our cherry season, A Half Mile Closer to the Moon cherries grown 2,600 ft. elevation above sea level. As a special offering, attendees can get a closer look at Kyle's Pick cherries and its new branding featured on top seal and cherry bags," adds Shales.
For more information:
Brianna Shales
Stemilt Growers LLC
Brianna.Shales@Stemilt.com
https://www.stemilt.com/