A recent consumer survey from Pink Lady America shows huge market growth potential for Pink Lady® brand apples in North America. When asked why they do not buy Pink Lady® brand apples, 73 percent of consumers polled say that they haven’t heard of them and 13 percent say they don’t see them at their favorite grocery store.
“Knowing that kind of information is incredibly valuable,” says John Reeves, General Manager of Pink Lady America. “It demonstrates that there is a huge potential for growth in the marketplace for Pink Lady® brand apples. The consumers that have tried Pink Lady® brand apples love them and continue to buy them on a regular basis, if they can find them at the store. It helps us to try to find ways to get the word out to more consumers.”
Will production be able to meet up with consumer demand for this unique apple as markets expand? Lynnell Brandt, owner of Brandt’s Fruit Trees, the Master Licensee for the Pink Lady® brand in North America, says, “Sales of trees licensed under the Pink Lady® brand continue to grow each year. There will be more and more high quality apples harvested from maturing orchards that will be shipped out to retailers to meet consumer demand for the foreseeable future.”
Consumers love the sweet/tart flavor, texture and color of Pink Lady® branded apples. They use words like “Crispy” “Tasty” “Delicious” and “Brand” to describe what they love about this apple. “We thought it was notable that 7 percent of consumers specifically mentioned that the Flowing Heart Logo for the Pink Lady® brand was what they loved most about the apple,” says Reeves. In fact, one consumer is quoted as saying, “They’re cute” as one of the reasons they buy Pink Lady® brand apples. “We believe that the flowing heart logo is one of the reasons why consumers are drawn to the apple.”
“As the popularity for these apples builds, it’s important that consumers are able to quickly identify the high quality apples that are associated with the Pink Lady® brand. It is in everyone’s best interest to keep building on the momentum of the market growth behind this branded apple and not to confuse the consumer by using the generic varietal names. Consistency is vital to consumer awareness and loyalty.”
Pink Lady America has designed an Infographic with some of the key results from their latest consumer survey. They will send it out to industry contacts and retailers to illustrate the opportunities for all involved to expand the market for Pink Lady® brand apples.
For additional information contact Pink Lady America (509) 248-4352 or kathryn@provarmanagement.com
