The holidays are a time for celebration, especially during this month of thanksgiving. With food aplenty and a giving mood galore, now is the time when many consumers focus on family and flavor around the table. With the versatility and range that citrus has to offer, direct your shoppers to the bright and giving flavors the category can provide for at-home feasts...
Head of Sales and Grower Relations, LIV Organic Produce
“When I think of fall, I think of all the fresh California citrus and the holidays. Some of my favorite holiday memories are centered around citrus and baking, and one of our favorites is Meyer Lemon Bars! LIV will be offering organic sweet Meyer lemons throughout the holidays, perfect for everyone’s holiday needs! With these seasonal occasions fast approaching, now is the time to stock up and get shoppers ready. Having a great supplier partner in your corner is key as the industry continues to adapt to today’s dynamic supply chain and consumer.”
Senior Director of Global Marketing, Sunkist Growers
“You know that this is our favorite time of year because it’s officially the citrus season! With our specialty varieties gracing the produce section for a limited time, we need to ensure shoppers know when to go. We lean hard on category management; real-time data and shopper behavior insights drive our marketing strategies, keeping our programs fresh, relevant, and highly customizable. A recent study showed that while vitamin C is still very important to citrus shoppers, they also say eating healthier overall is the number-one reason they are buying oranges, Mandarins, lemons, grapefruit, and limes. As a result, shoppers are making thoughtful choices about their produce.”
President and Founder, LGS Specialty Sales
“The holiday season is a great opportunity for retailers to elevate citrus in stores. As a result of COVID-19, we’ve seen a huge upward trend toward bagged fruit. Retailers should promote the benefit of packaged citrus and the nutritional value of vitamin C during the cold winter with big displays to drive demand for citrus.”
Senior Director of Marketing and Packaging Procurement, Duda Farm Fresh Foods
“A great way to merchandise citrus during the holiday season is through cross promotion. By placing citrus with other items or ingredients for specific holiday dishes—think Lemon Glazed Pound Cake or Cranberry Clementine Dressing—retailers can easily increase the chance of purchase!”
Marketing Director, Fowler Packing
“Mandarins continue to be a citrus powerhouse. The holiday months drive some of the highest sales weeks for the category. Omni-channel marketing and messaging is the key to engaging with every shopper. This California season, we are mixing things up with a cheeky Peelz® national campaign, guaranteed to deliver consumers a bold experience and keep Peelz top of mind.”
Director of Communications, Bee Sweet Citrus
“There’s no better time to highlight the citrus category than during the winter months! With a plethora of different varieties to showcase, retailers have an opportunity to capitalize on the category’s nutrition, versatility, and unique flavor profiles as a way to promote seasonal items. While consumers are typically familiar with household staples such as Navel oranges, lemons, and Mandarins, the winter months present the industry with a unique opportunity to introduce tasty, immunity-boosting varieties such as Cara Cara Navel oranges, Blood oranges, and Minneola Tangelos to shoppers who may not be familiar with specialty citrus varieties.”
Director of Sales, Frieda’s
“Every year, I look forward to making our winter citrus tart recipe. It stunningly showcases the best citrus of the season, so consumers can change it up based on what looks fresh and delicious. This year, I plan to use Mandarinquats, Limequats, and Pink lemons for a nice balance of citrus flavors and colors. Come on over!”
Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Catania Worldwide
“The leaves are changing, the holidays are around the corner, and the kids are back in school. It also means flu season. Citrus is a great way to load up on vitamin C with beautiful taste and many uses. Retailers have done a wonderful job of merchandising citrus throughout their stores. Shoppers can find Catania Worldwide Clementines, Navels, and lemons in the produce section with many varietal citrus offerings. Catania lemons are great to cross-merchandise in the seafood section, and Catania limes and lemons pair well in the liquor aisle. There are many ways for shoppers to get healthy, delicious citrus to help fight off the flu season.”
Vice President of Sales, Limoneira
“Limoneira is focused on turning the produce department into Nature’s Pharmacy™. More and more research indicates that the best way to get your vitamins is by eating them versus taking them. Some reasons are that it leads to a greater micronutrient intake in addition to better absorption. The mission is for fresh produce to SCREAM its health benefits in ways that make the vitamin aisle jealous, and this holiday season is a great time to incorporate more citrus into consumers’ favorite dishes.” 
