Sunkist Growers is helping retailers start the summer off with a twist, bringing the bright taste of citrus to the United Fresh 2015 tradeshow. Showcasing fresh point-of-sales materials, summer citrus varieties, creative recipes and seasonal merchandising tips, Sunkist looks forward to greeting trade partners at this year’s tradeshow in booth 1521.
“Summertime is all about fresh flavors, making citrus the perfect complement for seasonal food and beverage recipes, as well as beauty and household uses,” said Sunkist Advertising & Public Relations Manager Joan Wickham. “We are pleased to offer our trade partners and customers a taste of citrus marketing opportunities at United Fresh 2015 in Chicago.”
Sunkist’s booth will showcase the cooperative’s new point-of-sale materials. Sunkist’s displays, header cards and channel rails have been redesigned with a fresh look that highlights the natural beauty of citrus fruit along with a rustic feel that embraces the farm-to-table movement capturing consumers’ attention.
One of Sunkist’s new retail marketing tools is a fully customizable secondary display bin, which can be digitally printed directly on corrugate. These new quarter bins hold 60-80 pounds of fruit, are easily assembled and can stand alone or enhance existing displays. The new bins address retailers’ needs for flexibility, offering the ability to quickly and fully customize for various promotional opportunities in cost effective quantities of anywhere from 1 to 1,000 units. For this summer season, we have created two unique bins showcasing Valencia oranges and fresh lemons.
“There are many great ways to merchandise citrus during the summer months,” said Sunkist Director of Retail Marketing Julie DeWolf. “At Sunkist we’re pleased to be able to offer retailers these fresh, eye-catching point-of-sale materials to help drive sales and keep citrus top of mind with consumers year-round.”
To highlight summer citrus merchandising ideas, Sunkist will be sampling food and beverage recipes throughout the tradeshow, demonstrating the versatility of summer citrus varieties. Chef Jill Davie will be serving two unique items that are perfect for summertime entertaining, including Sunkist® Lemon Lentil Hummus with Mediterranean Chicken and Sunkist® Citrus Shrimp and Rice Noodles in Orange Bowls.
Sunkist will also begin each tradeshow day by sampling freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice at their booth in the morning – emphasizing the health and wellness benefits of grapefruit. In the afternoon, Sunkist will be serving a refreshing Sunkist® Citrus Mule cocktail, featuring Meyer lemons and garnished with finger limes.
“From juicing to mixology, consumers are eager for ideas to zest up summer drinks,” said Wickham. “Citrus livens up beverages, whether it’s simply infusing water with lemon to making nutrient-rich juices or fresh cocktails and mocktails, the tart and sweet flavors of citrus varieties offer endless opportunities for consumers to squeeze the most out of summer citrus. Consumers are becoming more adventurous when it comes to food and beverages and eager to try new recipes and unique citrus varieties such as finger limes, a variety that Sunkist is excited to be offering to trade for the first time.”
Finger limes are a distinctive citrus variety with a deep green exterior and light green interior flesh that can be described as citrus pearls. Also known as caviar limes, these pearls can be squeezed from the peel to add a vibrant, citrus burst of flavor to any dish. Availability is limited on this relatively new variety, with supplies peaking in the late summer months.
Visitors to the Sunkist booth will also be invited to learn about the growers that make up the citrus cooperative with Sunkist Family Stories, the multimedia storytelling project that speaks to the history, heritage and commitment to quality of the families that have grown Sunkist citrus for generations. Sunkist will be showcasing point-of-sale materials featuring the cooperative’s growers, and retailers can in turn share these stories in the retail environment.
“Consumers today expect greater transparency and a deeper connection with the food they eat and share with their families,” said DeWolf. “We’re pleased to be able to offer retailers materials that help consumers connect with our growers and learn about their dedication to innovation, sustainability and quality.”
To learn more about Sunkist’s more than 40 citrus varieties, supporting campaigns and merchandising, visit event booth #1521 at United Fresh 2015 or visit www.sunkist.com.
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