the
freshreport CELERY
From summer salads to winter soups, celery is a versatile and healthy option for consumers year round. Nichole Towell, senior director of marketing and packaging procurement at Duda Farm Fresh Foods (whose products are sold under the Dandy® brand), discusses key category trends and eating occasions for celery, as well as how growers can give sales a boost.
What’s the growing season for celery been like this year and how is the category performing overall? Canada’s celery growing season was excellent this year with some fresh stalk availability that carried over into late fall. The growing season in the U.S. has also been a great season with no relative issues. As the weather begins to shift to colder temperature, we expect to see demand increase for celery as the key ingredient for comfort dishes and soups. We anticipate the market to tighten during these times of higher demand.
Tell us about your product lineup and how you’re keeping celery in the spotlight. We offer a variety of fresh and fresh cut celery options to meet the needs of both retailers and consumers. Whether they are looking for a pre-portioned snack or something a bit larger to feed the whole family for a week, Dandy has it covered. Products include full celery stalks, celery hearts, and fresh-cut celery sticks in a variety of pack sizes ranging 1.6 ounces to 2.5-pound bags.
What continues to drive consumer demand for celery, and what are the eating occasions that make celery a year-round staple? Celery is such a versatile vegetable and can be used in many recipes as well as enjoyed on its own. Our marketing efforts engage with consumers by sharing recipes on social media as well as communication via email and frequent promotions to help drive demand year-round. The most popular celery eating occasions include the Super Bowl, Thanksgiving and Christmas (the holiday season), but Easter and the back-to-school
season are also important. During the warmer weather months, there is an emphasis on using celery in lighter dishes such as added crunch to a salad. During the colder months, celery is often used as a soup base.
How can grocery retailers boost sales of celery and drive repeat purchases? We all know price drives consumer sales, but there are a number of other ways to boost purchases. We encourage retailers to utilize bright and engaging displays that offer recipe inspiration, produce application or coupon discounts in the store. Cross merchandising is another great way to boost celery sales in store! Placing fresh dips in the produce section (especially near celery) offer additional ideas for consumers to combine and enjoy the product. Cross promotion with in-store coupons on the items that are merchandised together are also key to completing that path to purchase. THE FRESH REPORT 2022
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