Washington-based CMI Orchards says it is expecting a “spectacular” cherry season from the U.S. Pacific Northwest this summer.

The company is taking the opportunity to promote its sale guide during this time of the year with interesting promotional programs. 

With a large selection of specialty cherries, along with staples like conventional and organic Red and Rainier, CMI’s Domestic Sales and Organics Manager Joel Hewitt says CMI is positioned to take this cherry season head-on. 

“From coveted fan favorites like Red and Rainier to deluxe specialty varieties like Skylar Rae and Strawberry Cherries, we’ve got it all,” Hewitt says. “Cherry season offers the most attractive window of the year for sales. Savvy retailers who get ahead of the game see their sales skyrocket, impacting total produce sales for the year.”

Danelle Huber, Senior Marketing Manager, explains that the trick to making sure cherry season isn’t just a flash in the pan is capitalizing on consumers’ anticipation with a multi-pronged approach. 

“Our programs take sales to the next level by curating a shopping experience that has customers coming back for more,” says Huber. 

“Displays typically drive up to 30% more sales in-store,” she added.  

Engaging shoppers in multiple ways is crucial, Huber says, because cherries are an impulse buy; they’re the sort of item that gets picked up on a shopper’s way through the store, or during their online shopping experience. 

She adds, “A study conducted by Harvard Business Review and a major US retail company found 73% of customers use multiple channels throughout their shopping journey, while only 7% were exclusive online shoppers and 20% were store-only shoppers.” 

Huber explains that this is why retailers should offer a range of channels, such as digital ads, in-store displays, and mobile app information to appeal to customers who prefer different methods of shopping to ensure capturing those impulse purchases from every angle. 

“The window for success is so tight during this season that we highly recommend retailers stay proactive and make sure they have secondary displays on hand,” she says.

According to Hewitt, it’s still too early to get an accurate sense of what the season holds. There are solid expectations of a good, healthy crop, which retailers can advertise through the majority of the summer. 

“Due to challenging weather conditions, last year’s cherry crop was down,” says Hewitt, “but this year we’re optimistic that retailers are going to get more bang for their buck on advertising throughout the season.”