Oppy has partnered with Ocean Spray to debut the Ocean Spray® Family Farmer-Owned citrus brand. The company shipped their first clementines for the nationwide program back in June. The fruit is grown in Uruguay, Chile, Peru and South Africa and complement Oppy's existing easy-peeler availability.
"We would love to see the Ocean Spray® Family Farmer-Owned citrus offering develop into a year-round program, as Oppy’s easy-peel network spans almost 12 months of the year," shared Karin Gardner of Oppy. "It made sense to start in the summer with our import fruit and ramp up into back-to-school timing where this fruit is so perfect for lunch-boxes and after school snacks."
Powerful partnership
The move to work with Ocean Spray was motivated in part by that company's already strong brand presence. By growing their citrus capacity, Oppy are now looking to solidify themselves in the category. According to Gardner, Oppy sees the citrus category continue growing as consumers, especially families, seek out healthy and easy to eat snack choices.
Over the last several years, Oppy said it has broadened its summer citrus offerings to include seedless oranges from Peru, Uruguay, Chile, Australia and South Africa, developing the necessary volumes of fruit to support a branded program of this scope and scale. "We felt that the combination of the trusted Ocean Spray brand and convenient goodness of sweet, easy-peel oranges would have a great deal of appeal," Gardner said. "With the popularity of snacking citrus alongside the strength of the label, it fits the habits of busy families eager to make healthy choices with the confidence in a brand they know."
Navel program also underway now
Alongside the easy-peelers, navel oranges have also been launched into the program, with fruit being grown in Chile, Uruguay and South Africa. The Ocean Spray navels are being offered in 3lb bags, and Oppy is also providing retailers with marketing support for this as well.
"We are marketing bagged Navels in the Ocean Spray label for the first time this season, appealing to a slightly different shopper with the same great quality and brand equity," Gardner noted.
"The Oppy business development team is in the midst of developing custom promotions tailored to the interests of their shoppers," she added. "We’re working toward secondary displays in the snack aisle and at check out for the easy peel oranges, working toward an impulse purchase. On the other hand, Navels may appeal to a more traditional or value-seeking shopper looking for more orange from their orange or wanting to share it. We believe these shoppers will recognize and appreciate quality promised by the Ocean Spray brand as well."