The bounty and beauty of California’s table grape crop cannot be overstated. With an extensive selection of black, green, red, and white grape varieties, the companies that bring these beauties to market know a thing or two about promotional planning. Coupled with fierce pride for the category and merchandising know-how, these industry savants detail how the table grapes help retail programs shine…
“We see two big promo opportunities for retailers in the later months of 2024. One is back-to-school season when retailers can promote ‘smart snacking’—including fresh California table grapes with their natural energy and brain-boosting benefits. The holiday season is the second big push for California table grapes, starting with sweet treats for Halloween; beautiful bunches to celebrate the bounty of Thanksgiving; red and green bunches adorning Christmas dinner tables; and finally, New Year’s Eve: a great time to get creative with grapes, from delicious hors d’oeuvres and desserts to frozen grapes to keep the champagne cold.”
“The fall months present peak-of-season promotional opportunities as California growers are shipping a multitude of green, red, and black seedless varieties, organics, and some specialty grapes. Even during recent inflationary times, table grapes have continued to perform as a top 10 produce item, proving that consumers are willing to accept the slight price increase for this convenient, tasty, and healthy snack. Shoppers rank flavor and texture as their most important attributes for purchasing grapes. The Giumarra family is excited about their increasing production of two proprietary mid-season and mid-late-season red varietals, the Fire Crunch and Cherry Crush, both of which are crunchy and exceptionally flavorful. With improved varietal offerings like the Fire Crunch and Cherry Crush, consumption of grapes should keep increasing as consumers enjoy a tastier, more satisfying experience with every purchase.”
“California table grapes continue to drive consumer purchases across the category through a commitment to innovation, rigorous quality control standards, and expert breeding, growing, and harvesting practices. Displaying a robust table grape destination at retail raises the bar on consumer perception for the entire produce department. At Castle Rock Vineyards, it’s all about the flavor in how we execute our programs and customer relationships and how we aspire to evolve. As a leader in export quality and sales we value our partners close and far, guaranteeing name brand recognition that means they are receiving the best grapes available throughout the season.”
“Anthony Vineyards is offering retail partners a robust conventional and organic table grape program just as customers begin to plan for the holiday season. Our high-graphic packaging options and new category developments keep retailers at the forefront of the category while helping to make the decision easy for consumers to add grapes to their baskets this fall. Both organic and conventional grapes have become more and more versatile on the plate, providing customers numerous opportunities to celebrate the category front and center. We are in for a season of great promotional opportunities and look forward to helping our partners elevate their category destinations even more this year.”
“Last California grape season, the impacts of Hurricane Hillary were felt from mid-September through the end of the year. October and November typically account for 40 percent of all domestic grape sales, and there is an opportunity to recoup dollars in the category following a challenging winter and spring. Keep grapes front and center with fall ad promotions. Ensure consistency by working with dedicated suppliers across conventional, organic, and specialty packs. Keep label pollution to a minimum. These are just simple ways to keep consumers buying. People already love grapes. You just have to remind them of that.”
“We have historically seen limited branding in the table grape category compared to berries, citrus and other fresh produce. Grapes can get lost on the shelves as other fruit categories hit their season. Sun World is changing the game with more branded choices like AUTUMNCRISP®, the first globally available branded grape. We are driving AUTUMNCRISP® brand awareness with consumers through a variety of marketing efforts, building a solid brand presence through the brand seal usage on packaging and working with retailers to ensure AUTUMNCRISP® grapes are easy to find on shelf year-round. Given the name, AUTUMNCRISP® is a perfect fit for fall promotions and merchandising and consumers love the large size, crisp bite and juicy mild muscat flavor.”
“The 2024 California table grape season is in full swing! Consumers should look for and choose California grapes well into January. Happy, healthy Grapes from California are perfect for snacking on throughout the day, adding to recipes as a signature ingredient, and sharing during celebrations and holidays. There are over 80 varieties of California grapes, each with its own unique timing, flavor, shape, and color. Retailers offering several different varieties at a time can help ensure there is something for all shopper preferences. So, we encourage consumers and retailers alike to join us in enjoying and celebrating California table grapes!” 
