Los Alamitos, CA(August 2021) – The new school year is here but with mask mandates, mask bans, and unpredictability around when vaccines will be available for kids under 12, the only thing certain about this school year is uncertainty. But no matter how the year evolves, one constant involves inspiring your shoppers to make healthy, fun and delicious lunches for their kids.
“With a kindergartner and third-grader at home, we know all about back-to-school. It’s the perfect time to press the reset button on healthy lunches and encourage even your pickiest eaters to try something new,” says Cindy Sherman, mother of two and Frieda’s director of marketing & innovation.
Merchandising new favorites next to old standbys is a great way to shake up the daily routine with fruits that have familiar flavor profiles. Try merchandising Rambas™ rambutans next to grapes, highlighting their grape-like interior. An added bonus? The fun, rambunctious exterior of Rambas™ rambutans will make kids the talk of the lunch table and might even make “playing with their food” acceptable. Remind parents that rambutan packs an abundant amount of Vitamin C, perfect for those looking to boost their immunity.
As another option, create displays with Honey Dragons® dragon fruit next to pineapple, making this yellow-skinned dragon fruit an instant fan favorite for shoppers who are looking for a hint of sweet, honey-like juiciness. Or, cross merchandise dragon fruit with other tropical staples like kiwi and jackfruit. Round out the display with Frieda’s handy recipe card for the lunchbox-worthy Jackfruit, Dragon fruit & Kiwi Salad.
Want to promote an easy way to add an extra serving of veggies? Watermelon radish can bring a pop of color and crunch to kid-friendly lunches. Or, “In our house, Stokes Purple® Sweet Potato Power Bites are an easy lunchbox recipe must-have,” Sherman says. “It’s so delicious, the kids don’t even realize we’ve snuck in another serving of vegetables!”
Looking for more ideas to make your produce department the ultimate lunch-making destination? Call your Frieda’s account manager today for more product ideas and in-store marketing support that will keep your shoppers inspired all school-year long.
About Frieda’s Inc.
Frieda’s Specialty Produce has been inspiring new food experiences for friends, families, and food lovers everywhere since 1962. From kiwifruit and dragon fruit, to Stokes Purple® sweet potatoes and habanero peppers, Frieda’s has introduced more than 200 unique fruits and vegetables to the U.S. marketplace. Founded by produce industry trailblazer Dr. Frieda Rapoport Caplan, subject of the 2015 documentary “Fear No Fruit,” the family company is owned and operated by Frieda’s daughters, Karen Caplan and Jackie Caplan Wiggins, in Orange County, California. Find Frieda’s on Facebook, @FriedasProduce, and Friedas.com. Inspire. Taste. Love.
Los Alamitos, CA (May 2021)– With Memorial Day just around the corner and social restrictions opening up, shoppers are getting ready to relax and reunite. What better way to do that than by encouraging them to try something new, juicy and delicious at their next backyard BBQ or picnic-in-the park?
Enter, trendy tropicals! With 42% of shoppers saying they are more likely to buy unique produce to make summer gatherings more fun1, and 2 in 5 looking to tropical fruits to brighten their summer2, the time is ripe to inspire with summer’s most enticing options, like Frieda’s Honey & Snow Dragons™, lychees, and Rambas™rambutan.
“I’m excited to be making up for lost time with my grandkids, and whether we’re lounging by the poolside, or picnicking in the backyard, you can be sure I’m always introducing them to new fruits,” says Allen DeMo, director of grower relations and business development at Frieda’s Specialty Produce. “…and this year I’m excited to introduce them to lychees and rambutan, by far the freshest and juiciest, I’ve ever seen!”
Exotic Tropicals are perfect for savory or sweet salads, fruit-forward mains, and even charred fruits, with a flourish. Encourage shoppers to serve these up in imaginative cocktails, such as this wildly popular rambutan & grapefruit aperol spritz, or simply thread lychees through skewers, roast over a flame, and drizzle with honey and lime juice, for a tropical twist on s’mores!
Make it easy for shoppers to discover new tropical favorites by merchandising them with what they already know- Honey Dragons™ next to pineapples and Rambas™rambutan in the berry patch. Or cross merchandise coveted lychees with specialty cheeses and meats to help shoppers create a simple and delicious charcuterie board.
Call your Frieda’s account manager today to pre-book summer’s must-have tropicals and jumpstart your warm-weather holiday weekend sales.
Source: 1 C+R 1000 Person Study, April 2019 2 C+R 1000 Person Study, May 2020
