The popular Cotton Candy grapes have gotten a slightly later start this year.
“It’s a later season than we’ve had for the last several years for Cotton Candy grapes. It’s just a later year overall and that’s actually across all varieties. We had cooler weather in the spring than normal,” says Jim Beagle of Grapery based in Shafter, Ca. “It’s ranging from 10 days to two weeks later than what’s been the case for the last several years. We started later so we’ll end later as well.”
This year, Beagle notes that Grapery had a big increase in production on the cotton candy-tasting grapes and now has double the volume it had last year.
Back by popular demand
“Demand is excellent for the grapes. In the past, we’ve not been able to supply enough for our retailers to build consistent displays because they move so quickly. There are also some back to school promotions and there’s an uptick in the grape business overall,” says Beagle. In fact, this year Beagle says that Grapery is adding more point-of-sale material and displays for retailers to support the grapes. “We’re still building awareness,” he says. “This is our seventh season, and as popular as they have been, we see the buzz on social media from people who’ve tried them but also from people who missed trying because they couldn’t get them before and have now picked them up. The word of mouth and social media support has taken off.”
Pricing on the grapes is similar to what it’s been historically and Beagle notes that he doesn’t see that changing in the foreseeable future. He adds that a common retail price for the grapes is $3.99/lb.
Looking ahead, Beagle says that supplies look steady of the grapes for a six-week run and supplies are likely to wrap up in late September to early October.
For more information:
Jim Beagle
Grapery
Tel: +1-661-387-9300
[email protected]
www.grapery.biz