Nov 2, 2020

Ambrosia Gold apples deliver ‘Midas touch’ for category performance

After more than a decade of robust category performance in the U.S., Wenatchee, Washington-based Ambrosia continues to hold its position as one of America’s favorite apples. Hungry shoppers can seek out Ambrosia year-round in more than 10,000 retail locations across America – one of the highest distributions of any branded apple.

Danelle Huber, Marketing Specialist for CMI Orchards, said in a news release the most recent season-to-date Nielsen data showing results from Aug. 15 through Oct. 3 compared to the same time period in 2019.

“Ambrosia has an extremely solid threshold in both sales and volume, holding the third position of all branded apples and the ninth position of all apples overall  – core and branded,” Huber said. “Volume has increased by more than 19%, and just over 2% in sales dollars.”

Huber shared that the dollar per pound basis shows that retailers are promoting Ambrosia at reduced pricing, leading to a 14% decrease on a dollar per pound basis, (a decrease of $0.28 per pound). “Ambrosia is such a fantastic apple. It has broad appeal, great shelf-life, and offers a consistent eating experience across the board. Consumers know and love this about Ambrosia and continuously seek it out, regardless of its price. It has become a mainstay apple, and retailers can hold, and even increase category sales by keeping pricing levels high.”

CMI’s Brand Manager, Rochelle Bohm, shared that the success of Ambrosia apples can be attributed to the arduous work and dedication of one family in Wenatchee.

Bohm explained that Ambrosia was originally discovered in Canada in 1990. In the mid 2000’s, CMI’s owner group, the McDougall family in Wenatchee WA, earned the exclusive rights to grow and market Ambrosia apples in the U.S.A. and introduced it to the U.S. market shortly after. The McDougall family has perfected the growing and packing practices over the years to improve color, harvest timing and storage to deliver an outstanding quality apple. In 2017, the tree patent expired opening the variety to other U.S. growers.

“To differentiate CMI’s Ambrosia apples, CMI launched a new label, Ambrosia Gold®, described as the “gold standard of Ambrosia apples,” Bohm said. “Ambrosia has become a staple in retail stores and fridge drawers across America. It’s hard to believe that this sweet, honey-like apple came from such humble beginnings. This new label celebrates the journey we’ve been on to propel Ambrosia to where it is today, and the decades the McDougall family invested in developing this top-notch apple.”

“Ambrosia Gold delivers the Midas touch for retailers that want to capture sales for their produce departments,” said Bohm. “It’s easy to give customers a great eating experience, a beautiful piece of fruit, and a connection to a wonderful origin story with Ambrosia Gold®.”

Conventional and organic Ambrosia Gold apples are available year-round, accompanied by many compelling packaging and in-store display options, available from CMI Orchards.