الوصف

The pomegranate, nicknamed the king of fruits because of its crown-shaped stem, once ruled over a small space on U.S. supermarket shelves. That place also proved highly seasonal.


Then, a savvy turn-of-the-century marketing campaign and research revealing pomegranates are full of disease-preventing nutrients propelled this regal red fruit onto Americans radar. The first product to hit the market in a big way was pomegranate juice. More recently, a greater availability of the whole fruit as well as grab-and-go forms of the seeds inside, have made the pomegranate a crowd favorite.

Our customers know that pomegranates, and in particular the pomegranate arils, are classified as a super fruit and contain dietary antioxidants, says John Savidan, senior director of produce and floral at Gelsons Markets, a 27-store chain headquartered in Encino, CA. They are taking advantage of these little gems by adding them to salads, smoothies and just as a daily snack item.

The key to selling more pomegranates is to offer this fruit year-round in fresh and value-added forms. Its also imperative to customize merchandising and promotional tactics to take advantage of the fruits regal appearance, flavor, nutritional profile and versatility throughout the year as well as during its peak domestic season.