Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/43042
do on pears, or even sell another box per store per week, you would be selling all the pears you've got and the import people would be trying to bring in more," he said. "Maybe I'm being an optimist, but there's room for improvement on any of the varieties. The only one that's even close to being maxed out is Bartlett." Tim Corkill, regional manager for the West and South- west, said the Pear Bureau shares category management data with retailers to show them how their pear sales compare with the overall market or with what their com- petitors are doing. This helps motivate them to adopt strategies to increase sales. The industry, along with the Pear Bureau, will have to continue to push, recreate, repackage, and reenergize the pear category, he said. Retailers need to be persuaded to devote more ad space and display space to pears. Jeff Correa, director of export promotions, said the industry faces the same problem in both domestic and export markets: Many retailers don't display pears promi- nently. The Pear Bureau tries to convince them that since pears are an impulse item, they should not be hidden where consumers can't see them. Sliced pears Corkill said the country is on the cusp of big social changes that will affect dietary habits. As baby boomers age, they are likely to shift to more healthy diets, and pears fit right into that. Children love pears, too, but the current packaging is not user friendly for schools, he added. "If we could offer something like sliced apples, that would be a wonderful marketing opportunity." Moffitt said many people have explored the idea of fresh-sliced pears, but several problems have arisen. The pears don't ripen consistently—there can be a variation of five or six pounds of pressure among the pears in a box. And, apple-slicing machinery is not designed to handle fruit that don't roll, such as pears. Also, yields tend to be low because of the neck of the pear. "I think a lot of people are interested, but we are still a ways away," he said. Koehler said new types of packaging, such as club- store packs, bags, and trays, might help boost sales. Retailers are looking for a quick sale and a bigger ring (meaning they want to sell customers larger quantities at a time), with less labor involved. These types of packages, which the industry is already using for apples, will help get more pears on display and sold in different ways, he suggested. A grower asked the regional managers if lower retail prices for pears tend to result in increased movement. Koehler said most U.S. retailers look at pears as a profit item, not a loss leader, and are reluctant to lower the price much. Walter Johanson, regional manager in the Southeast, said some retailers will run a pear promotion at 99 cents a pound, but then put the price back up to $1.89, and the shoppers who bought them on sale get sticker shock and are turned off. He said he'd like to see shippers offer a two- or three-week lid price so that retailers could offer in- store specials and keep the price down to stimulate more repeat sales. The regional managers estimated that the retail mar- gin on pears is anywhere from 35 to 80 percent. Produce managers are being pressured to hit certain sales targets and look for items they can raise the price on. "The margins are ridiculous, they really are," Koehler said. "It's not just pears that are getting picked on. Other items are ridiculous, too." Kihlstadius said he thinks retailers charge high prices for ripened pears because they expect more shrink. The Pear Bureau is preparing a study this fall to show that's not necessarily so. He also thinks that new varieties will play a role in increasing pear sales down the road. Ed Chambers, regional manager for the Midwest, said he felt optimistic about the outlook. "I can only see posi- tive growth for pears," he said. "I think that the day will come when people will know their pear varieties as well as their apple varieties." • www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER OCTOBER 2011 23 Asian Pears Varieties Shinko Yali Rootstock Cherries Varieties Bing Rainier Rootstocks Krymsk® 5* Mazzard EMLA Colt Krymsk® 6* Plums & Dried Prunes Variety French Rootstocks M-40* Krymsk® 86* Call (800) 675-6075 today for detailed information www.fowlernurseries.com Newcastle, California Marianna 2624 Myro 29C Gisela® 6* Krymsk® 7* Gisela® 12* Mahaleb *Patent Information Available Hosui Shin Li Yoinashi™ Betulaefolia Attika®* Brooks Benton®* Chelan™ Olympic 20th Century Shinseiki Tse Li BTLDes LDesigns oms..com today and get your OrderOr BEST deal!