WENATCHEE, Wash. – One of America’s favorite trademarked apples, SweeTango®, is set to heat up produce departments again this spring. Stemilt will start packing freshly harvested SweeTango® apples in mid-March at its modern packing facility in Wenatchee, WA. The fruit arrives in orchard bins direct from Frusan, a partnered grower in Chile. This gives Stemilt a second chance to share fresh SweeTango® apples with retailers and consumers while maintaining its high standards for quality and flavor in every pack.
“It’s all about freshness when it comes to our import SweeTango® apples,” said Brianna Shales, senior marketing manager at Stemilt. “The fruit comes straight from Frusan via the port to our facility. We pack SweeTango® to order on our optic line so that freshness is evident everywhere, from the wax to the sticker and the apple itself.”
Stemilt will pack and sell in excess of 80,000 cartons starting in mid-March. The import SweeTango® program will run for around 8 weeks, making promotions a viable option for retailers. Fruit will have a SweeTango® branded PLU sticker, with Chile identified as the country of origin. Stemilt will pack bulk fruit in standard cartons and euros and will have its 2lb. SweeTango® pouch bags available too.
“As growers-packers of SweeTango®, we understand exactly what the fruit needs after harvest to maintain its color, quality, and to develop its well-known and loved flavors,” said Shales.
According to Nielsen retail scan data, SweeTango® is among the top 5 trademarked apples during the August to December timeframe, with potential to break into the top 3 as volumes of SweeTango® climb in the coming years. SweeTango® commands an average retail price of $2.41 per pound and meets the ultra-high retail standards.
“SweeTango® has always enjoyed great consumer demand and performs extremely well at retail despite volumes being lower than many other trademarked varieties,” said Shales. “We’re excited to share more SweeTango® with shoppers this spring, and look forward to a bright future for one of the best trademarked apples out there.”
Stemilt is a member of the Next Big Thing Growers’ Cooperative that has the rights to grow and market SweeTango® apples, and future proprietary varieties. Introduced in 2009, SweeTango®’s flavor is “sweet with a lively touch of citrus, honey, and spice.” The University of Minnesota developed the apple as a cross between the Honeycrisp and Zestar! apple varieties.
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About Stemilt
Stemilt is a family-owned grower, packer, and shipper of tree fruit. Owned and operated by the Mathison family, Stemilt’s mission is to cultivate people and delight consumers with its World Famous Fruits. Stemilt is a leader in sweet cherries and organic tree fruits, and a key supplier of apples and pears. The company stewards an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible business through its Responsible Choice® program, which has been in place since 1989. For more information about Stemilt, visit www.stemilt.com.
