Stemilt Fruit Tracker’s analysis of November 2016 U.S. pear composite data from Nielsen is in, and results are mixed, with some retailers showing better sales performance than the same timeframe in 2015, and others falling a promotion or two short of meeting last year’s average.

Historically, November is a big month for pears across the U.S. with harvest complete and nearly all varieties available. In November 2016, the weekly averages for dollars and pounds sold were down from the year prior, with volume down 15% and dollars down 12.8%. This led to a 0.1% dro in the pear category’s contribution to total produce department dollars at 0.9 percent. The East, Central, and South regions fell 0.2% below last year’s composite, while the West fell 0.1% below 2015.

“The mixed results at retail for pears in November tell us that some retailers are falling one or two ads short of what is needed to meet sales and volume goals for pears,” said Stemilt Brianna Shales, Stemilt communications manager. “Adding a pear ad or two to your plans for Q1 in 2017 is a great way to make up this ground, and ensure pear category health. There are many promotion opportunities to take advantage of around pears, including bulk and bags.”

Jumbo-sized pears present one unique opportunities for retailers looking to spark the category. Stemilt has opportunities around size 80 and larger Rushing Rivers™ d’Anjou, Red d’Anjou, and Bosc pears. Using larger fruit size in a bulk promotion is a great way for retailers to increase the volume they sell because of the higher piece weight. The data also shows that bagged pears are now close to 9% of pear volume sold. This number can be driven through Stemilt’s award-winning kid-size fruit program, Lil Snappers, offered in 3lb. pouch bags for conventionally-grown fruit to build a larger purchase volume size.

Organic pears present another exciting opportunity for retailers, with a wide range of sizes available for promotion. Retailers can reach parents and kids through Lil Snappers® and keep the premium price of organics affordable with 2lb. bags of organic d’Anjou, Red d’Anjou, and Bosc. Pears are a leading fruit among kids because of their sweet flavors and texture. The small fruit size found in Lil Snappers® is ideal for packing in a child’s lunch box, and organic fruit is something more of today’s parents are seeking for their kids, Shales said.

“Organic Lil Snappers® are great for in-and-out pear promotions, and also perform well alongside bulk organic pear ads to elevate the organic segment of the pear category, and capturing more dollars through the premium price on organics. On the whole, sales of organic products are growing by double-digits every year, and that should hold true with organic fruit as well,” said Shales.

The retail price per pound on pears was up in November 2016 from the year prior, at an average of $1.47 per pound compared to $1.37 per pound. The increase was due to a higher price on both bulk and bags, but especially bags, which jumped from $1.26 per pound in 2015 to $1.43 per pound in 2016.

“The retail pricing from November shows that there is room for promotion in these early months of 2017. Retailers can highlight pears in ads and sell more volume at strong prices in order to elevate the pear category,” said Shales.