Sun Pacific expands Cuties® volumes, introduces Vintage Sweet™
Expanding the Cuties® line, introducing new Vintage Sweet™ heirloom navel oranges and capturing significant kiwi market share with Mighties™ are some of the major successes of which Sun Pacific is proud.
In a press release, Sun Pacific said it continues its dedication to “providing exceptional added value to retailers through branded fruit meeting consumer demand for exceptional quality produce. And the 2015-2016 produce season is no exception, with great things in store for all three brands,” it said.
More Cuties shipping nationwide this autumn and winter
To meet high consumer demand for Sun Pacific’s sweet-as-candy, seedless mandarins, retailers will see millions more cases of Cuties shipping nationwide this season. “We are dedicated to bringing our retailers the supply they want to meet consumer demand for Cuties, while also maintaining our exceptional quality standards,” said Bob DiPiazza, Sun Pacific CEO.
The increased amount of Cuties available this season is due to several factors. Many of Sun Pacific’s mandarin groves, as well as the groves of some of its supporting growers, are maturing and producing more fruit. Also, there are more grower partners in the Sun Pacific family, producing mandarins at a level that meets or exceeds Cuties high-quality standards for juicy, sweet mandarins.
“Cuties is America’s favourite fruit brand and continues to hold consumers’ perception of the highest quality mandarins among all brands,” said Victoria Nuevo-Celeste, vice president of marketing at Sun Pacific. “That’s why Cuties continues to be the fastest-selling mandarin in the US.”
New Vintage Sweets Heirloom Navel Oranges
Debuting from Sun Pacific this year are Vintage Sweets heirloom navel oranges. Harvested from Sun Pacific’s old line navel orange groves, the brix levels of these oranges are individually tested for high sugar content.
“Consumers are looking for produce that provides superior quality and flavour for an exceptional eating experience – and they are willing to pay a premium price for it. That is exactly what Vintage Sweets provide,” DiPiazza said. “Our selection process for these navel oranges combines sensory aspects like touching, feeling and smelling the fruit, with the science of testing of sugar levels to ensure just the right characteristics for that juicy, sweet perfection.”
Vintage Sweets are available in bulk, as well as 3-pound Giro bags and 6-count shrink wrapped trays.
Mighties captures 78% of branded kiwi market and drives category growth
Since Mighties Kiwi were introduced to retailers in autumn 2014, they have significantly helped increase kiwi’s overall category growth. Last year the brand comprised 40% of all US kiwi sales and contributed to the 13.4 per cent growth of overall kiwi sales in the US.
Sun Pacific’s proprietary ripening process ensures that the fruit arrives at grocery stores “ripe and ready” and takes the guesswork out of gauging when the fruit is ready to eat. Helping consumers understand how to eat the fruit and providing it at the perfect ripeness is part of Sun Pacific’s commitment to educating consumers so that even more people will enjoy this super nutritious fruit.
“Mighties provide a superior and consistent experience,” Nuevo-Celeste said. “When a consumer buys Mighties, they know they are getting fruit that is ready to simply cut, scoop out with a spoon, and eat. It’s simple, it tastes great and it’s packed with nutrients – making Mighties mighty appealing to consumers.” Mighties are available in 1 lb, 2 lb, 3 lb and 4 lb clamshell packs, and are verified non-GMO by the Non-GMO Project, an increasingly sought-after trait for consumers.
About Sun Pacific
Founded in 1969, Sun Pacific® is a leading grower, packer, and shipper of fruit with more than 70 million boxes of fresh fruit sold each year. Headquartered in Pasadena, CA, it is the largest kiwifruit and navel orange grower/shipper in North America, the second largest producer of tomatoes in California, and renowned for exceptional quality Air Chief label table grapes.
source: Sun Pacific